Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-06-11

Williams, grand sword bearer; A. M.
Hicks, grand lecturer; Frederick
Speed, grand secretary; Thos. B.
Franklin, grand treasurer; w. B.
Boyd, grand pursuivant; w. D. Den
ton, grand marshal; ]. A. B. Jones,
grand chaplain.
| Spread out in front Of the big build
ing was a perfect sea Of humanity,
only small portion of whom could
view the exercises.
Those Who Spoke.
| After the cornerstone ceremonies
were concluded the vast assemblage
was addressed by Hon. ]. F. MeCool,
who spoke on behalf of the Masons OF
Mississippi; Bishop Charles B. Gallo
way, who turned back the pages of
history and reviewed the wonderful
progress of the State; Chief Justice
Whitfield, of the Supreme Court, who,
with poetic grace, paid a charming
| tribute to the women of the South;
Rabbi Brill. of Greenville, who pre-
sented the portrait Of Judah P. Ben
| jamin to adorn the walls of the capt.
tol. which was accepted on the part
| of the State by Dunbar Rowland, in
we'll chosen words.
After this the immense concourse
was dismissed, and the most auspi-
cious event of Mississippi's existence
as a State passed into history.
| Description of the New Building.
/ No adequate conception of the mag
nifieenee and the completeness of Mis-
| sissippi's new capitol can be formed
without personal inspection or study
/ of the photograph of the structure,
and after all, the exterior view does
not begin to do justice to the elegance
| of the interior design. The plans and
| the specifications were drawn by Mr..
| Theodore Link. of St Louis, the ar
| chitect who designed the magnificent
! Illinois Central depot at ST. Louis, and
who has prepared the plans for some
of the handsomest buildings being
erected on the exposition grounds OF
| that city. They were passed upon by
Mr.. Barnard Green, the famous con-
| sulting architect of Washington, who
was here today. and who made few
/ suggestions of changes, save such as
were needed to bring the cost within
/ the reach of the appropriation of one
million dollars. wherefore the build
| ing is practically as Mr.. Link planned,
and has been built under his direction.
The building occupies the highest
point In the city of Jackson, and can
be seen from all the railroads entering
/ the town. The material is Bedford
stone, brought here from the quarries
in Indiana. but millions of brick, man.
ufactured at Fernwood. La, also enter
/ into it's composition, and these are
/ al +ol fro, ho ha arc
along the silvery Pearl-a stream that
has been immortalized in story and in
song The site is that upon which
was located some sixty years ago the
/ State penitentiary, and TO get rid of
which the citizens of Jackson contend
| ed for decade with the legislatures,
but Intellectually until it was decided
/ to pitch the new capitol there. The
/ location is four blocks from the old
capitol: right in the heart Of the pref
tiest and most desirable section of the
| city. II is convenient to the electric
car lines, the depots and the business
! districts.
The structure is not only the most
expensive. but the most imposing in
the State. The entire length is 402
feet by about 200 feet wide. three sto-
ries and basement, the whole being
| surmounted by a central dome on
which is perched a monster gilded
eagle, with wings outstretched. and
though fifteen feet from tip to tip, so
| great is the elevation-1i5 feet above
| the level-that at short distance it
seems very ordinary bird. Each of
| the two wings of the building are sur
mounted by smaller Gomes. from