The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-01-01
CAPITOL OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
Facts About Building M ow Nearing Com
p1etion. a 80
Is Columbia .State. 8 3 & 4

moved, with the remark that it would
be usele,s waste Of ammunition. and
that he would ''leavs the people so
poor that they would never COM
plete it," haateping his departure
from the city, then in Smoking ruins.
Work continued in desultory man
ner, until 1890, when it was entirely
discontinued, until the session of the
General Assembly Of 1900, which ap-
propriated STE, 600 for the additions
now being made, under plans Of Ar
chitect Frank P. Milbura. A dome
was adopted in. lieu Of the granite
tower originally intended to surmount
the structure.
The granite work upon the old build
ing is pronounced by experts TO be
without exception tho finest in the
United States, not excepting the
splePdid buildings Of the national
government at Washington. The
massive square pillars in the lower
corridor are hewn from single block
of granite, and are finished in the best
manner known to stone cutters. It
was intended that the entablature of
the front pediment, which wac actual
ly quarried and on the ground at the
close of the war, but was never dress
ed, and during tbe reconstruction
period the legislature donated por-
tion of it for a monument to a negro
politician, when it was cut in two.
This 1s said to have been the largest
pieoe Of granite at that time ever quar-
ried in the United States. During
the disgraceful period which followed
the, war, when the people of the North
were endeavoring to secure tie politi-
cal rights of the negro by overriding
those of the intelligent and property
owning people Of this State, all mate
rial on the ground small enough to be
moved was appropriated, with all
Eother property of the State, by the
scalawags and thieves then. in control
1 of the government. One hundred
thousand dollars was expended In
/ furnishing the State house with
desks, etc.. that would have been ex-
horbitant at one quarter of the prices
charged, and included such items as a
silver plated water pitcher for the
governors Office at 1890, cuspidors
at s18 each, and other articles in pro-
portion. A majority of the memS Sers
of the, House of Representatives, could
not write their names, while ma
jority Of the members. Of the Senate
I weresinGths hahit!c Of settlinCStheir per-
sopal accounts Sby orders supon the
contingent fands Of the Senate. In
Guided in necessary "Bupplies' for the
General Assembly were enormous
/ quantities. ofSchamp pagne and whiskey,
which was freely dispensed in the lit
tie room on the right as you enter the
gallery Of the Senate. 1t was in this
room that John j. Patterson, elected
to the United States Senate, declared
that there .~ould be s'five years more
of good stealing in South Carolina, Z"
which became Democratic slogan.
The, beautiful Corinthian columns,
cut from q single piece of granite, are
noteworthy specimens of the stone
custers' skill, while the massive foun-
dations Of cut-stone containg many
inverted arches to distribute the
weight, are marvels to modern build
ers.
The building was tirst occupied by
the General Assembly Of 1869. Dur
ing the exciting events which followed
the campaign OF 1876, it was literally
sbcmbarded.by che opposing political
| parties, and two bodies each claiming
90. be- the legally elected house, Of
Representatives. and each with It's
complement Of officers, meeting in the
same room-the hall Of the House Of
Representatives. pitched battle was
iminent, until the recognition or the
Democratic speaker by former Repub-
licans gave decisive turn to affairs.
Scrofala, Ulcers, Cancer, Skin Troubles.
n N N = 4 H.