The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-02-09
A 100000 LIBRARY
The Noble Structure az Madison
Will be Finished by June.
1T is A DREAM IN WHITE STONE.


of Wiring support 1000 lights Ionic
in Design = Reading Room 40 Feet
Long-C1ever Italians Do art Work.
Madison, Wis, Feb. 6.-The new Ii
brary Of the university campus for
which the legislature has appropriated
100000 will be finished by July /.
Indeed, the present contractor will be
out before that Then the furniture,
desks, carpets, etc, will go in and the
books, and then the reading public will
be able TO enjoy this superb structure
at the opening Of the college year.
| went through the building the
other day. 1t is on the lower campus
at the base Of the college hill, the I0ca-
ton being a mistake the best judges
think. 1t would have been in noble
position further up the hill, and not
block the academic view as one APP
preached the university.
The building itself is satisfactory. It
is an 0blOng Of white, severe but grace
full, with great columns and colossal
fret work. IL the moonlight, when I
enjoy looking at it, it. seems a fairy
cloud structure, yet strongly anchored.
The frontage is 212 feet and the build
ing is 60 feet high. 1t is built of Bed
ford, Indiana, limestone, a near APP
prOach to the mort expensive marble
This stone lends itself we'll to classic
uses. A majority of the classic public
buildings Of the country, the Chicago
library among them, arc made from
this Indiana limestone. The Milwau-
kee library is a little larger, costing
100000, but that is COrinthian, rather
than Ionic in treatment. The latter
carries more dignity of expressions; it's
surfaces are more plain and sedate.
-
AS one approaches this Madison IL
brary he cOnfronts ten great cOlmns
80 feet high and 3 fit. 6 in. in diameter.
They cost about 800 each. These are
not solid, but are quarried and worked
into four-feet lengths. 1t is a curious
fact that in order to correct the visual
error and to cause these columns to
appear at a distance erect and of uni
form size, it is necessary to make
them smaller at the top. One may
imagine the skill required to flute and
match these fourfOOt lengths in this
tapering form The ancient Greeks
knew we'll the Importance Of this arch
itectural deception.
Entering the building. there are two
halls or corridors running the full
length and interSecting at right angles.
On the south end OF the building (near
State street, are the quarters Of the
state historical library, with museum,
etc. That library has q wing to the
rear Of three stories or six half-stories,
in which to house it's books. The uni
versity library at the opposite end Of
the building has no such wing in the
present structure although q place to
put it in is provided in the plans and
the wall left "blind." Consequently
any books the college library owns
must be housed wherever in the build
ing a place can be found. In other
words, the legislature must apprOpri-
ate for this wing at some future time
But it can never be done so cheaply
as now while work is going on. Prob
ably $4,000 would do it. 1t is unfortu-
nate.
The commission are working hard,
even sacrificing some good things. in
order to keep within the appropriation.
Of this commission Senator Stout is
chairman. Mr.. L. S. Hanks, the Mad
ison banker, is vice president of the
commission and on him as chairman
of the executive and official committees
has rested large part of the response
bility and to him is due much of the
credit. <Of course Librarian Thwaites'
suggestions have been constant and
valuable. The excellence of the build
ing is a subject Of general approval.
T o11o rIoh oy +lo
plant by the day have said in I'M
guarded conversation that the best of
workmanship was going into it.
-
The main reading room, on the sec
ond story, is a delight to look upon.
It is 12O feet long and so feet wide,
and it's 80 feet height capped by a
skylight of stained glass This is sup
plemented by twenty-five great win
dows looking east, giving abundant
light. There will be twenty reading
tables on this great floor. each accom-
mOdating twelve persons; and from
above a visitors gallery, fenced in by
columns, will look down on the busy
but silent spectacle Of youth absorb
ing knowledge. Nothing could be
finer or more symmetrical or better light
oQ IUdu lulS great EOOIu.
In the historical library at present
patrons are allowed large liberty in
going behind the counter and prowling
around among the books. 1t is glori-
GUS privilege to bOOk-lOvers, but in
modern libraries it is not so. In this
new building the patron will face a
handsome counter and meekly express
his wishes, after which swift messen-
ger boys will disappear in the wings
where books are kept in long steel
racks (the bookshelf must gO) and
bring back the one book wanted.
Whether Il favored few of us with a
pull Of acquaintance or admiration
will be allowed to paw over Mr..
Thwaites' treasures or not remains to
be seen.
An indulgence of decorative luxury
are two posts on the logia or colon
made. each II feet high, and on these
will be fastened globes of opalescent
glass In these twelve electric lights
will sputter and sparkle, making a
bewitching effect, especially on COM