The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-09
OLD SITE TO BE SOLD
WASHINGTON OFFICIALS SETTLE
THIS AS TO FEDERAL BUILDING.
T.. ID. MartindaIe Makes an Offer of
100000 for a Cap
itaIist.

the new federal building will be erected on
a new site. In all probability the square
south OF University Park will be selected.
The Commercial Club. the Columbia
Club. the Board of Trade AMI most
of the prominent citizens favor the
University Park Site and this Is
known at Washington. Besides, Supervising
Architect Taylor thinks this site the best.
The competition. 1t is expected. will be but
formality. The decision was made at
conference between Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury Taylor and Supervising Arch.-
tect Taylor. The news was received in In
dianapolis yesterday. The plan is understood
to be not TO sell the present postoffice prop
erty until the new building is ready for &C.
cupancy. BY that time. 1t is believed the
property will have considerably increased
in value. Bids for new site will be adver-
tised for next week and they will be opened
early in July. 1t is announced from Wash
ington that there will be no delay in the
new Indianapolis postofice matter.
Someone. someone's. who opposed the
University Park site wrote to the secretary
Of the treasury, saying it would be difficult
to sell the present site IL it were abandoned.
The fact of this letter became known in this
city. Elijah b. Martiniale, who is most
prominent among the original advocates or
the University Park site secured from
capitalist of this city proposition to buy
the present postoffice property. This propo-
siton he put in a letter TO Secretary Of the
Treasury Gage. This capitalist. whose name
is withheld for obvious reasons, will proba-
bly, use the postoffice building If he succeeds
in buying it. One of his ideas is to extend
the building to the alley in the rear and
convert it into a store. 1t Is pointed out
that there are no walls on the lower floor
light partitions extend from pillar to pillar
and 1t would be easy to convert it into one
large room. 1t is understood that Secretary
Gage has received another proposition for
the building, made with the idea of tearing
II down and erecting a big office building
on the site. The present value OF the prop
erty is generally placed at at least $4,000.
UNIVERSITY SITE APPRAISED.
The University Park site has been private
ly appraised at $4,000. and the officials at
Washington understand that it is a fair
figure. Real estate men of this city, except
those who are interested in the property, say
the price Is too high. Some of the owners
of the property in the square agree with the
figures in the appraisement. Others do not.
One Of the latter not long ago offered the
property for $4,000. Under the private ap-
praisement spoken OF his property is valued
at $4,000. When he was told of this he de-
clared "it would be giving 1t away at that
price" In the light of this instance 1t is
anticipated that the price of the square may
scar away above 100000, but Supervising
Architect Taylor said a fair price will be
offered. and If the square cannot be bought
Tor IL IL will be condemned as Will be done
at Freeport. Ill- When Mr. Taylor was here
N a a. I'D h fr.co oil hrrf1 o. al
with the University Park site.
Those who have all along advocated the
University Park site are well satisfied.
the rest of the Indiana delegation in Con-
gress, became successful in having a bill
passed that provided for a magnificent fed
eral building for indianapolis, the public
spirited men Of the city and persons who
owned downtown property which they would
Ee sad 20 get rn az at ei
sition- Elijah B. Martindale became promi-
nent as an advocate of the University Park
site. Many followed his lead, but there
number of men insisted that the present
postoftice site was the only logical one.
e "a a y Moue be
venient. and. perhaps impossible. for the
postoffice and the courts To be quartered in a
suitable building during the years 1t must must
argument had greatly 10 do with the au-
thorities at Washington deciding to use a
Another site prominently mentioned was
what became known as the "Kentuckyf
nrensTv hv inon and
streets and Kentucky avenue. 1t was
urged that It was only three squares from
the union Station. and was as In the heart ear
Architect Taylor nollied this argument
when he visited Indianapolis by saying that
building would be could not be erected on a
triangular piece Of land. The "Cyclorama
site" was also pushed Attention was
drawn 20 II by striking proposition made
by e. F. Claypool. who was then in Cali
fornia. in letters to his son in this city. The
M Mr. sad he S the
rama site. and II the new postoffice went to
another i site than the present one and the
the street-railroad franchise he would buy
the present postoffice property and give IL to
the city for a municipal building.
THE CLAYP0OL PROPOSITION.
Mr.. Claypool added 10 his proposition that
he would pay of the city's debt and pave
between the street-car tracks IL he were
given the street-rairoad franchise. Later
II became known that the younger Mr..
Claypooi had called on men interested in
having the new postoffice on the Cyclorama
site with a proposition to raise fund of
100000 and offer 1t to the government to
help pay for the Cyclorama site. He re-
ceived some encouragement. 1t was under
stood that he and his father would con-
tribute largely TO the fund. So far as Is
known nothing came of the scheme. The
younger Mr. Claypool pointed out that an
electric tramway TO carry mail might be
conveniently constructed down Capitol ave-
nue. to the Union Station If the postoffice
were built on the Cyclorama site. Super
vising Architect Taylor looked over the
Cyclorama site and others east of Delaware
street and said they were somewhat out of
the way. He also considered an elaborate
plan advocated by an evening newspaper
TO buy. the south half OF the University
just across Ohio street and build the post
office there. Ohio street would be led
around the building. He made no remark
when the scheme was explained to him. The
University Park site took most OF Mr. Tay-
| lors attention. and IL was known that he