The Topeka state journal., 1900-05-31
ATLAST,ATLAST!.
Plans Made to Complete Main
Floor of the State House.
Unsightly Corridors Will Finally
Be Eliminated.
END OF FOOLISHNESS.
Floors Seen by Every One to Be
Finished.
Talk Of Agricultural Exhibit in
the ROtunda.

The state architect is now at work
on plans for the completion of the state
house corridors and the interior of the
dome on the floor occupied by the gov
ernor and other state officials.
In doing this the legislative floor of
the building is passed but it is prob
able that the next session of the legis-
lature will make sufficient appropria-
tlons for the completion of the unfinish-
ed portion of that floor.
In accordance with the provisions of
a law enacted at the last session the
recent improvements on the interior OF
the building have been made on the
noorS above the legislative halls. This
included the completion of the attic
floor which has furnished the state
house with an endless array of com
m1ttee rooms and hooks and corners
which could be adapted to the same
purpose. In fact, there are so many
rooms on the upper floors now COM
pleted that the question what is to be
done with them remains unanswered
The advertisements for bids to COM
plete the main floor have not been pre-
pared but it is expected that work will
begin there before two months elapse,
as the plans are nearing completion, af-
ter which the work of advertising and
awarding the contracts will follow.
The work which is now being done on
the upper floors seems to be first class
and no deviation will follow in the work
to be done on the main floor. On this
| floor the principal state offices are To-
Gated and it is there that the majority
| of people bent on sightseeing congre-
| gate. This corridor will be we'll finished
| and the rotunda is to receive special
attention.
The state board of agriculture wants
| to gain the consent of the council to
| make a, display of Kansas products in
| this part of the building The exhibit
of this department is now on the ground
| floor and 1t is not as complete as Secre-
] tary Coburn would like to make it. Fol-
/ -fr1<r n f- cs11e~c ff0,ae
| last annual meeting adopted a resolu-
| tion asking the council to set apart this
space in the rotunda, after its compile
tion, for the use of the board, the pur-
! pose being to provide a suitable dis
| play of grains and grasses in glass
cases becoming the dignity of the place
which the board has asked for.
Although there has been no definite
| understanding on this proposition it
| is believed that the council is likely to
| act favorably upon this request, coming
as it does from the board officially.
| The wall work on this part of the
| buildine will he Of a hieb cbaractar
| probably similar to that which has been
done on the upper floors. There the
most modern frescOing and marble floor
| tilIng and marble wainScOting has been
| put in and the change which has been
effected is something wonderful. The
marble work is superior to former con-
tracts, too because expert marble lay
erS have been doing the work. On one
| of the previous jobs men worked for
five days after the marble was laid,
smoothing down the joints. Some of
these joints are still rough and the
edges project far enough to catch the
soles of ones shoes in walking over it.
The work of this character which is
now being done is far superior in this
particular. 1t is smooth all over and
there are no projecting edges or up
turned corners.
When this kind of work is put on the
main floor and the board walks which
are now used to protect the concrete
foundations for tiling floors are re-
moved, the appearance of that floor
will be greatly improved. When the
center of the rotunda is open, as it is
intended to be permanently arranged
light will be admitted to the cavernous
darkness of the ground floor. There
electric lights burn part of the time
and then it is almost too dark for peo-
pie to pass over the rough walks safely
J. NJ Mickey of the late court of vista
tion had a fall there some months age
and so injured his leg that he still suf-
fers from the accident.
The executive council hopes to be
able to entirely complete this floor and
perhaps the ground floor by the first
of the year. BY that time the legis-
lature will be due and sufficient appro-
priations to complete the unfinished
: parts on the legislature floors will be
asked for. This will probably be grant
ed and the close of the coming year is
likely to see the state house completed
The legislature will also be asked tC
furnish the newly finished rooms.