The age-herald., 1900-07-08

,,,,o., r,,tbor Maute conceived the idea
 of the great structure he was anAioue ~ 'ii's
 ii be built in most substantlai Ihaiitii
 nnd certainly his wishes have been TOT
 lowed The roof is supported py nuse
 trees the largest in southern lndiana' that
 serve as imposing ninety-foot coluiiiiS The roof structure Is composed or iorest trees used as rafters and braces. bet"een
 the outer roof and the ceiling there IS over
 1 GOO GOO feet of the finest hardwood III the
 State There is, besides, an immense
 amount of stone in the structure. Ine story
 is that after the farmers had hauled stone
 for months and had all the surfouhoihs
 fields covered they thought there was enough for the entire structure lhsteau'
 there was only half enough for the iouiiu"7
 tion. IL, h,,roh went up under the direction or 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 or the entire congregation labored each week. Father Maute not only assigned the men to work, but he, the priest, directed 1t all Year after year this continued uhth srau ualy the structure took shape
 The dimensions of St. Joseph's are l96 by eo feet From the foundation to the caves | 1t is 67 feet and from the floor on the , m | terior to the ceiling 1t Is 9o teet' 1ne walls are and feet thick. The steeple' when cOmDleUeQ, Will DS AVV ISNe ti'Sii' l it Is a bell which, with its hanglnSs, weighs eight tons It's sonorous and grand voice can be heard, with 1aVoraple breeze, at Celestine, ten miles east or Jas | per, and at Ferdinand, twelve miles south' | The church. though the seating arrange ] ments have not been completed can seat
 2,0OO people, and another 1000 can stand on | the lower floor of the structure.
 | Father Basil Heusler now in charge or
 the pastorate is doing all he can to beau | tify the great structure left unfinished py l 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 1 the multitude It cost $500. Near the altar | is another of the Good Shepherd, that l cost S475 On the other side is the Nativity | of the Lord that cost $45O Over the cen | ter altar is a small window, the glass In | which cost SS00 The other smaller win | dows cost $175, and the side windows S5oo. | But the windows are not the most eX- | pensive part of the ornamentation. The | three altars are especially fine, being con l structed entirely of Italian marble. The | high altar with the two groups each seven | feet high, cost S19 900. The side altars, one | crowned with the Blessed Virgin, the other | with St. Joseph, the patron saint Of the l church, cost $6,000. The high altar has be- | fore it six great candesticks each or | which cost $50. The railing separating the | sanctuary from the church auditorium IS | of onyx and brass that cost I,ooO The
 other decorations are proportionate in ex- | pense and beauty.
 When Father Maute died he had failed to | make any provision for heating and llght- ing the vast structure. At present canoies are used for the illumination, but soon the l building will be equipped with electricity
 The congregation of St. Joseph's includes
 3SO families, or about 5000 communicates
 In the City of Jasper 90 per cent of the
 inhabitants are Catholics, and Dubois
 County is in the strongest Catholic district in the state. They have made many sacri-
 fees to construct this magnificent edifice
 The monastery at St. Meinrad has received | considerable aid from these people. It is
 thought that the aggregate amount oi
 Catholic property in the county of Du'
 bois is $1,000,000.