Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-12

L
| for the 10th year in the senate, and
Benjamin Hutchinson Robbins was
nearing the end of fifth term in
| like office in the house. Today we are
realizing somewhat the fruftion of the
prayers and fervent wishes which from
the very beginning marked the progress
of this building.
With what earnestness mad Joseph
Baxter of the Old South, and at Bunker
Hill the chaplain of Prescott's regi-
| ment, prayed for Gods choicest bless
| ings upon this enterprise when the cor
ner stone was laid, July 4, 1895. On that
day grand old Sam Adams. the last of
the Puritans in his executive capacity,
had expressed the wish that the super
structure might remain permanent as
the everlasting mountains.
The intervening century. since the
voices of Sumner, Phillips and Rob-
bins were first heard in this hall or
chamber, compares favorably in i'm
portance with any and all OF it's prede-
cessors. American affairs were never
| crystallized. AS with a victorious army
| whose ceaseless cry is Forward so
in state and nation we have constantly
advanced from the camping grounds of
yesterday to the higher and more com
manding positions of today.
Commerce, mechanics, trade, educa-
tion and everything that makes for the
good of mankind, have taken great
strides in their advancement, and very
few of them have not, in some way,
| been connected with the edifice whose
| existence, after the lapse of hundred
years, we celebrate on this occasion
In brief, the noteworthy dates in the
history of our state house are these:
July 4, 1795, when the cornerstone was
laid; Jan IL. 1898, when the formal
opening was had; 1853, when the Bryant
addition was constructed; 1866, when the
WaShburn changes were made; 1896,
when the late repairs were instituted,
and today, when we celebrate the CEN
tennial.
1t was fortunate that Charles Bull
finch was the architect Native genius,
added to long and devoted study, with
foreign travel had made him the fore
most man in his profession. The sue
| cess of this work designated him tine
designer of the capitol at Washington
and assured him enduring fame The
building, as he planned 1t. was sym
metrical, elegant and sufficient. Ad
vancing years neeessitated changes and
notifications. For these he was not re-
sponsible, nor We're the makers blame
worthy. Considering their tasks, Wash
burn and Bryant did as well as the cir
cumstances would admit.
Blessings brighten as they take their
flight" is an adage trite but true. The
tablet upon the fence just below the
state house grounds, telling the reader
that here once stood the famous John
Hancock house, is scant satisfaction,
when we reflect how easy 1T would have
been to save the original structure.
Scenery alone will not continue to en-
chant the traveller, else Americans
would never go beyond the borders of
their own country. Not till centuries
\, t,fo
waters attract as do those of lands
where the hand of man has wrought
from the dawn of time. The palisades
of the Hudson, the mighty waters OF the
ST. Lawrence impress and please, but
we turn from them to marvel at the
history which flows along with the
waters of the Rhine. At this point
crossed English Edward, in the days of
the crusade; here Charlenagne devised
| his mighty schemes and there was the
| bridge which Caesar built, Till history Is
| lost in legend and myth. Surely. Amer
leans do not encounter the perils of
ocean travel simply to see what fashion
is doing abroad.
More than any other city in America,
| Boston possesses the halo OF naSpory.
Annually the list of pilgrims to her
/ shrines increases. till books and guides,
to point out her stored wealth, became
a necessity.
The old state house, the Old South and
| Kings Chapel claim the attention OF
multitudes from abroad, while many,
whose daily walks lead them by see only
| obstacles in the paths of trade. Hap
pily such arr not in the majority, ana
| Sentiment has vet some hold upon hu-
manity. Over and over the same ar
g,nente have been used for the pre-
! servation of the before-named buildings.
This room itself has rung with denun.
| Citations and counter blasts. Not one OF
them is standing today with the corulaI
assent of everybody. Sometimes woman
| has had to come to the rescue, ana
when she has entered the lists man has
| Invariably withdrawn discounted.
"What is there in this building TO eX-
cite the admiration Of mankirdT is a
question often heard during the past
| four wears. and in evidence Of lack OF
appreciation 1 think it can be paralleieo
only by the query of represenuatiVe
sitting in the fifth division in 1874, Wnen
| it was proposed 10 do away WIN tue
legal features of Fast day and to SUP
stitute therefor the 10Th of April. 1t
was then that this citizen, in deep dis
tress over the loss of day ne nad
never observed. cried out, And What
ever happened on the 18th ct April?"
If to those who are familiar with the
story sf our state house, it seems trlte
and uninteresting, it is not so to many
of those who come to us from ABROAD.
But the battle for it's salvation was not
an easy one On the one side were
ranged selfish interests. opportunity for
| still further appropriation of money,
wholly false notion that gaudy colors
| and glittering tinsel are better than
| that which has withstood tht test or
time and which has the impress OF
genuine genius. The old was derided;
the new extolled. Minute imperfec-
tions in the ancient were magnitled,
| while defects in the new were ignored.
The ultimate decision was deferred un-
til the very last moment, during the
session Of 1896 and was finally made
in favor of preservation.
! "But carry out the plans of the spe-
). cial committee of experts OF lSS5, said
! the lamented reenhalge, and the Bull
finch front will stand tor 800 years.
Acting on this suggestion, bill was
framed giving the direction of repairs
into the hands of the acting governor,
! since governor of the commonwealth.
The placing of the work in the care of
its friends was wholly intentional, and
the wisdom of the measure is seen in
/ the results Supervisors, architects and
builders all We'd with Zach other in
CARRYING out the purposes OF the Green
halge commission And how have they
succeeded? They were tol6 that the
sum Of money asked for was insufficient,
but it has sufficed to restore and fur
nish. and. what is stranger still, have
a surplus to turn back into the treas
ury
! For more than II months these halls
seemed a veritable land Of desolation.
The walls were underpinned; mezzan-
inc floors were removed, a steel frame
work from the ground up was made to