The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-02-21

SPLENDID QUALITY
~ Can Be Attested by Citizens and
Others-Buildings Erected from
Tt Are Durable.

The matter of deciding upon the
Handsome to be used in the erection of
sthe new state capitol building is caus-
ing the capitol building commission no
little amount of trouble. The material
Iii to form the walls above the founda-
Zion and directly above a t~wenty-inch
base Of onyx. The architects, as we'll
IS the commission, seem to think that
none Of the sandstone in this state is OF
sufficient strength to hold the immense
columns, and besides that the quantity
bf stone is not sufficient nor the blocks
large enough. The commission visited
Billings a few weeks ago to inspect the
billings sandstone and quarry. They
Spent about five minutes at the quarry
land then it was when the owner, Mr..
Field, was not present, the commission
ahaving failed to notify him they were
Rcoming. Mr.. Field says that he has
tine quantity, quality and size which
Twill be needed in the capitol building,
land that if the commission will visit
1.-THE quarry again he will convince
fthem of the fact. This certainly can
3be borne out by our citizens and any
awho have had anything to do with the
sandstone, The First National bank
Twas erected seventeen years ago with
this same sandstone and the durability
tof the stone today seems to be greater
Ethan when first built. The Billings
sandstone, along with any other of the
same kind, when placed underground
Id this valley, crumbles on account of
the alakli penetrating it, but when
placed above ground it makes as strong
n wall as many hard stones. Yegen
Bros. store was built from the same
stone ten years ago. During the big
fire in Spokane a few years ago two Of
the buildings in the fire were built
from Billings sandstone, and the walls
withstood the heat while all others
gave way. The new court house at
Anaconda is being built from Billings
sandstone and it is giving complete
satisfaction.
G.. S. Haire, the Helena architect
who has several contracts in this city,
has used the Billings sandstone in each
one. He says that it is as good if not
better than any other sandstone that
has come under his observation, and
he is of the opinion that it would serve
as we'll as any in the walls Of the new
capitol building.
.'Of course said Mr.. Haire. II do
not know what the probable extent of
the quarry is, but am of the opinion
that there is an unlimited amount of
stone in the bluffs and the commission
need have no fear Of an insufficient
quantity. I suggested the use Of Bill
ings sandstone for the Ursuline Sisters
convent at Miles City, but having a
local quarry they decided to use their
own product and are now sorry fer it,
as it is not meeting the requirements.
Professor Traphagen Of the Montana
Agricultural college at Bozeman. has
studied the Billings sandstone ques-
tiOn, having made an inspection of the
bluffs last year. He says that there is
any quantity of the stone and it is a
splendid quality of such material. He
is also quoted as saying that if oiled be-
fore being placed in the ground it will
repel the alkali and thereby stop all
chances of crumbling.
The capitol commission, before de-
Gliding upon the stone they will use in
the building, should visit Billings
again and give u stone a fair trial.
They have not done SO up to the present