New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-23
KNOWS NOT BURROUGHS.
PAINTINGS IN CITY HALL.
alderman Wants No Words OF
Strangers on WaU.

Mayor Low and the City Fathers are watch
ing with a good deal Of interest the finishing OF
what IS expected TO be the most ambitious and
snowy piece OF art work in the City Hall. Taber
Sears. after obtaining the commission in COM
petition with other local painters. is painting an
OvOid shaped canvas. 16x26 feet. for the ceiling
OF the sldermen's chamber in the City Hall.
Three pieces Of canvas are being used for the
purpose. it being impossible to get single piece
large enough in this country. The artist is to
arrange the cOloring so that the seams viii not
show.
The painting IS designed to typify New-York
City as the gateway Of the New World. Against
a background Of the globe floating in space IS
seated a wOman's figure. To tire right and left
smaller male figures representing Europe.
Asia, Africa and Oceanica. with products OF
those countries. Down in the foreground Is a
boy holding a shield. on which Is the coat OF
arms Of the city. At the bottom Of the picture
IS distant view OF the harbOr. with the bridge
towers. Madison Square Garden tower and the
sails OF shipping. The colors generally are
opalescent. 20 give the ceiling effect OF height.
On the four sides Of the ceiling panels
with memorable quotations from utterances by
Washington, Jefferson. Lincoln and Grant The
quotations in order are as follows:
Our commercial policy should hold an equal
Equal and exact justice to all men OF what
ever state or persuasion.
A government of the people. by the people. and
for the people
Let US have peace.
The inches over the windows 70 be re-
served for busts. and the spaces between win
dows will he devoted 20 oil paintings.
Back Of the presidents desk Will be a back
ground Of dark robins egg blue, on which VIII
be painted in conventional pattern little beay-
ers the idea being borrowed from the city's
coat Of arms.
templated by William Martin Aiken. the super
vising architect. but when it suggested to
a well known Tamr0anv alderman ne said:
Who in - is John Burroughs? Why not
put some one we know"
This was more or less Of n shock to Borough
President Cantor. who humorousy suggested TO
Mr.. Aiken that il might be possible to make his
subjects too deep for the aldermen. in view OF
the Tammany members inquiry about John
Burroughs
The old council chamber is getting an over
hauling. and Will be ready for reOCcU-
panCy. The ceiling is painted in French gray
and the side walls are a dark green The plat
form IN the west end or the room has been en-
larged, so that it viii hereafter accommodate
the big round table for the use Of the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment
Mr.. Aiken, the supervising architect for the
borough. exploded q myth yesterday when he
said: Some time ago there were some wonder
stories about unCOvering secret staircase lead
ing from the council chamber TO the rooms be-
low. 1t was said that this staircase used
IN the Doodle days by the aldermen when they
wanted 10 disappear There was nothing in il.
The sO-Called secret stairCases We're really
inches built into the walls for ornamental effect
when the building was constructed. They used
10 set the stoves back into these inches The
intact, showing that there could not have been
any staircase"