Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-12

tiny water color of the building; below
this is embossed an American shield sur
mounted by the eagle and forming part of
the initial letter of the text. Encircled
Withln this letter is a miniature of the
president. The wording of the text Is
beautifully illuminated, Respondent in color
ana dainty in execution. TO the right of
the text, and filing the rest of the space, is
border OF Persian work, as well as sur
rounding the picture of the building, ex-
quislte in design and handling, blues, reds
goids, white enamel and silver embossed
us Driliiancy is finely blended into a sub
dued, harmonious background to the text
On the left are the binding ribbons of red
white and blue, held in place by the great
soiu seais OF the state of Illinois and of the
city OF Chicago AT the bottom of the page
anu upon nVe succeeding parchment pages
are tne signatures of the governor, mayor
ana 21O members of committees
All these are Enclosed in a hound cover of
handsome morocco and fastened in by gol-
aen cords and tassels. Upon this cover is
hammered gold monogram, wv. Mex"
surrounded by silver wreath, modest but
most excellently executed, and the cover is
lined with white MORE satin deeply water
ed.
Only little less magnificent are the in
Vltations to Mrs. Mckinley the cabinet and
other guests Of honor. Upon each Is
dainty water color of the building and a
miniature of the recipient, the Persian
border replaced by an embossed gold line
lntaglfo upon a vary-tinted ivory back
ground. The invitations are signed by the
governor of Illinois, the mayor of Chicago,
the chairmen and secretaries of the gen.
eral and the invitation committees, and are
fnclosed within covers of satin, lined in
white MORE. No two are alike and some
most gorgeous satins have been used. Upon
some are embroidered the monograms in
silk of the recipients.
Thirty of these special invitations have
been made. Besides the cabinet and Su-
preme Court, Generals Merritt and
Wheeler, Admiral Dewey, President Dtaz Of
Mexico, the governor general of Canada
and other dignitaries foreign and domes-
tic, will receive them, and most of these
officials have already signified their ac-
ceptance of the less formal invitations ex
tended through committees or consular
officers.
Then there will be 25,OOO other invitations
chaste in design, but handsomer-so con-
noisseurs claim-than anything that has
been prepared in that line before. These
are to be sent to legislators. governors Of
states and their STATS, leading citizens of
neighboring states, etc.
These invitations were made in Wash
ington. Mr. F. w. Fitzpatrick, the assist
ant architect of the building, designed them
all and personally executed the thirty elab-
crate ones.
The New Building.
The new Chicago building will be the
most costly and important federal build
ing the country has undertaken for years.
The foundation was completed last year
and the steel framework is now up to the
fourth floor, and soon the granite covering
will be begun. The building covers an en-
tire square, 400 by 2S6 feet; will contain
10, 800, 900 cubic feet of space; 10000 square
feet of available Office room, and will use
up 17,0o8,0oo pounds of steel and 500,O9J
cubic feet of granite-nore granite than
has ever been used upon any one building
in the country. 1t is eight stories high and
cross-shapen, with the four arms of the
cross abutting at central dome 100 feet in
diameter, that in itself is office build
ing eight stories higher than the main
building, and whose corona stands 300 feet
from the street-just above the height of
our Capitol dome.
AS the illustration indicates it will be as
handsome as it is big, and is from the de-
signs of Henry Ives Cobb, the special ar
chitect appointed by the treasury under
direction of Congress, to have sole charge
of that structure.