The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-19

The public library board met yester-
day and ratified lease of a portion
OF the Market building to Lennon &.
CO.. new clothing concern, which is to
open store in st. Paul next summer.
The firm will occupy the Wabasaa
street front of the building, running
PACK 100 feet on Seventh street and
10 feet on the north side of the build
ing.
This lease is to be for five years at
an annual rental of $4,000 or $4,000
IN all, and TO bind the bargain Lennon
q co. have deposited $1,000 with the
library board. This is triumph for
EDWARD F'eldhauser, who has all along
claimed that, if the public library
could secure possession of the building
1t could rent the lower floor to good
advantage. Mr.. Feldhauser found a
number of persons who disagreed with
him in the matter, and now he feels
that he was fully justified in his con-
hdence. The entire lower floor will be
rented for stores, and Mr.. Feldhauser
says the annual income to the library
from this source alone will be at least
So, 0c0
The library board intends to begin
the remodeling of the building with
out delay. Lennon & Co. will advance
the money necessary to remodel that
by them. The improvements will be
marked 1t is intended that the Wa
basha street front shall be as hand
some as any building in the count v
The store front will be almost entirely
of plate glass and will be modelled af-
ter a store in Chicago. The corners
will be of rounded glass
Immediately in the rear Of the cloth
ing store will be a space reserved by
the library for the juvenile department
where children may read and enter
tain themselves without getting in the
way of older persons. They will have
no occasion to use the stairways or
the elevator, which is to be put in the
building, and will be in no danger of
being injured.
The balance of the floor will be cut
up into stores, which will be fitted I'D
to suit the taste and needs Of the ten
ants.
Adjoining the building on the north
side will be a new one specially con-
structed for the Northwestern Manu-
facturers' association. which viii be
Obliged to vacate its present quarters.
This new building will be an arcade,
having two stores on Wabasha street
and two on st. Peter street The ex-
position hall will occupy the center Of
the building, $50 feet of which will be
two stories high. 1t will be connected
with the hall in the Market building
by bridges. This building, besides be-
ing suitable for expositions, will also
be available for conventions and meet
ings Of any kind.
The corridor will be wainscoted al
white marble, and an iron stairway
with marble treads and an elevator
will enable people to gain access to the
library and hall on the upper floor
The library will occupy the east half
of the upper floor. There will be a
reading room 40x45 feet. with a 24-fGot
ceiling; stack room 72x74 feet and a
24-foot ceiling; a reference room 35x72
feet and 14-foot ceiling, and rooms
for the directors, the librarian and
students. There will also be a dozen
alcoves for the use of persons reading
on special subjects in the library A
file room will contain all the newspa-
pers and periodicals of the day
The assembly hall, on the west side
of the building, will be retained, but its
entrance will be changed to the north
corner on st. Peter street. The floor
of the hall will be slightly raised, and
the stage will be greatly improved
Committees will start Immediately
TO solicit subscriptions for the library
building fund, with which to make the
repairs and alterations contemplated.
The new building for the Manufactur-
ers' association will cost about $4,000,
which the members of the association
will undoubtedly raise, but about $25.-
600 more will be required for the bal
ance of the work. The library board
does not intend to spend a dollar Of
its present income from the city for
these changes in the building.
The building committee has appoint
ed Walter Stevens architect, and he
will proceed immediate ly with his
plans. 1t is proposed to have all the
alterations completed by Sept. l. Len
non 6, Co. Will move in about Aug. L.
E Lennon, of this city, and William
M. Gibbons. of Chicago. Financially,
1t will be one Of the strongest in the
Northwest.