The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-22
sN1ITH PHoTo GO, ~ Monument squan
LITTLE JASPER'S BIG
CHURCH.
Great Building That Has Been for 50
Years in Course of Erection.
(From the Ohioago RECORD

(From the Chicago Record
The little city of Jasper, the capital of
Dubois county, Indiana, has church
structure which is so large that almost
any one of the indianapolis churches
could be placed inside-steeple and all.
This immense structure, dedicated as st.
Joseph's, has enough stones in it's struc-
ture to build around city of $1,000 or
20, 600 Inhabitants wall four feet high
and two feet thick, and the amount of
lumber used in the roof alone would be
sufficient to build many homes. Though
this great editce cost one-tenth as much
as the State House, it was built by the
Catholics of one of the smallest counties
of the state of Indiana, and today it
stands without a single cent of indebted
ness against it.
Three years after the Civil war closed
Father Fidelis Maute began the erection
of St. Joseph's. On September IA, 1868,
Bishop St. Palais laid the cornerstone.
After the death of Father Maute, the
work was taken up by Father Basil
Heusler, who expects to complete the
structure in 1905 when thirty seven
/ Oe"-S ~
cupled IN It's erection. Except for the
ornamentation, the materials used in the
construction of ST. JOseph's were pre-
pared and put in place by members of
the congregation, who for three decades
have been making sacrifices of all kinds
/ to realize the ambition of their lives.
Besides the vast amount of labor con-
tr1buted $50, COO in cash has been raised.
Between $25, 900 and $50, 600 more will be
necessary to complete the work.
UfokL
OF the great structure he was anxious
that 1t be built in most substantial
manner and certainly his wishes have
been followed. The roof is supported BY
huge trees, the largest in Southern 1ndi-
ana, that serve as imposing ninety foot
columns. The roof structure is composed
of forest trees used as rafters and braces
Between the outer roof and the ceiling
there is over /, 1000, 600 feet of the tine st
hardwood in the state. There Is, beside.
an immense amount of stone in the struc-
ture. The story is that after the farmers
had hauled stone for months and had all
the surrounding fields covered they
! thought there was enough for the entire
structure. Instead, there was only half
enough for the foundation.
The foundation and walls of the church
went up under the direction of Father
Maute, who, after preaching the sermon
Sunday morning, announced who had
been selected to work during the coming
week. BY this means about One-seventh
Of the entire congregation labored each
week. Father Maute not only assigned
the men to work, but he, the busiest.
directed it all. Year after year this con-
tinued until gradually the structure took
shape.
The dimensions of St. 5osephs' are
1876 by so feet. From the foundation to
the caves it is 67 feet, and from the floor
on the interior to the ceiling it is 80
feet. The walls are four and six feet
thick. The steeple, when completed, win
be 200 feet high. In it is a bell which
with it's hangings, weighs eight tons Its
sonOrous and grand voice can be heard,
with favorable breeze, at Celestine, ten
miles east OF Jasper, and at Ferdinand
twelve miles south.
The church, though the seating ar
rangements have not been completed. can
seat z, 600 people, and another 600 can
stand on the lower floor of the structure.
Father Basil Heusler, now in charge of
the pastorate, is doing all he can to beau
tlfy the great structure left unfinished by
old Father Maute. Besides putting in
a splendid heating system, there have
been added fine art windows
Over the entrance is an art window
showing Christ feeding the multitude
1t cost 5000. Near the altar is another of
the Good Shepherd that cost $475. On
the other side is the Nativity of the Lord
5ha6 cost 500. Over the centre altar is
d small window, the glass in W hich cost
$500. The other smaller windows cost
SIZE and side windows $500.
But the windows are not the most ex-
pensive part of the Ornamentation. The
three affairs are especially line, being
constructed entirely of Italian marble
The high altar with the two groups, each
seven feet high, cost $40 600, The side
affairs, one crowned with the Blessed
Virgin, the other with St. Joseph, the
patron saint of the church, cost So. OOO
The high altar has before it six great
candlesticks, each of which cost $50. The
railing separating the sanctuary from the
church auditorium is OF onyx and brass
that cost 81 ZOO. The other decorations
are proportiOnate in expense and beauty.
When Father Maute died he had failed
10 make any provision for heating and
hghtlng the vast structure. At present
candles are used for illumination, but
soon the building will be equipped with
electricity.
The congregation of ST. Joseph S in
Guides $50 families or about 5000 com
mun1cants In the city of Jasper so Der
cent OF the Inhabitants are Catholics and
DUBOIS county is in the strongest Catho-
TIC district In the state. They have made
many sacrifices to construct this magnifi-
cenG edthce. The monastery at ST
M9lnrad has received considerable aid
from these people. 1t is thought that
5ne aggregate amount of Catholic prop
er1y IN the county OF Dubois is ST. 900, 900.
The Man Of 1t.