The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-01
He Thinks 1t would BE Better to
Spend 100000 More ON Building
than i'm Beautifying Grounds.
1NTIMAT1oN TO CITIZENS
TO MAKE THEIR WISHES KNOWN
THROUGH CONGREssMEN.
accommodation OF Senator's md
with the House Committee.
aft Correspondence of the Journal.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3l-The people OF
Indianapolis will be allowed the privilege
OF determining the kind of front they want
on the New York-street side OF their new
federal building Chairman Mercer. of the
House committee on public buildings and
grounds, made this statement this after .
noon. Mr.. Mercer visited the Treasury De-
partment this morning and had a task with
Supervising Architect Taylor about the diff
ferent public buildings that are being
erected over the country. Mr.. Taylor ex-
planned to Chairman Mercer that 1t is the
plan of the department to leave the matter
of design of the different parts of the In
dianapolis building to the architects. Rank
in & Kellogg, who are in charge of the
work. Mr.. Taylor also explained what
sort Of changes from the first plans would
be made as regards the north front of the
building. One of the important changes
provides for the building on the north front
so that the skylght over the mailroom of
the postoffice cannot be seen from the out
side. This seemed TO be one of the chief
objections to the design. and it is the most
important change contemplated. The SUI
pervising architect further explained that
ii was planned to convert the north front
of the yard into an attractive landscape.
He thought the city might be prevailed on
to improve University Square. so that
when both were completed there would be
a generally artistic and uniform ofser-t.---Il
was the idea or the supervising architect
that this park idea could be carried out so
that the landscape would be sufficiently at
tractive TO offset any harsh effect the north
front itself might have
Chairman Mercer declined to agree with
Mr. Taylor on the proposition. He con-
tended that il would require many years
I In h
height TO have the desired effect Beside s.
he contended, to carry out the plan of the
department. II viii cost about $4,000. the
amount asked by Mr.. Overstreet, and there
would be no saving after all. Mr.. Mercer is
\ in. favor of giving the building regular
| front, having the same artistic effect as the
! Ohio-street side of the building. He holds
! that if $400.ooo is to be expended in corsls
/ pleting the building the people might as
well have an attractive north front. What
| the people want to do he said this after
F, noon, lis TO get together and decide what
! kind of front they want. Then they must
present their views to their senator's and
representatives and the committee viii see
what can be done" Mr.. Mercer is much
| in favor of a fancy front, and he thinks
if the people will say what they want there
| will be "A good chance Of getting a. favor
able report from the committee Mr.. Mer-
/ Ger recalls that similar situation existed
at Cleveland in the erection OF the new
| federal building there, but the people got
together and had satisfactory change
made.
I
United States Treasurer Roberts to-day
received letter from a Tippecanoe county,
Indiana, woman. who does not give her
name, asking for the loan of $500 with
which TO buy farm. She says she desires
to purchase a home for her invalid mother
| In postscript the writer says: You have
more money there in Washington than any
place 1 know of. and you surely loan
| mo hat rl1llC /
L can use ii by next Friday Treasurer
Roberts regrets that he Will be unable 10
| advance the loan. The writer offers TO give
/ per cent. interest on the loan and a
mortgage on the farm.
XXX
Senator Fairbanks to-day arranged with
the War Department for an extension of a
furlough granted to Homer Z. Cant. of
Greenfield. Cant is a member OF Troop +.
Thirteenth Cavalry, and is at present at
his home on a twenty days furlough. Sen
ator Fairbanks received word that the
young mans mother lies at the point OF
/ DEATH and that the son would have to leave
home Jan. If his furlough was net ex-
tended; The matter was promptly attended
the bedside of his mother
Representative Steele to-day arranged for
an additional clerk for the Logansport
postoffice.
Letters have been received in Washington
In the interests of the candidacy of Gurley
I Brewer, an Indianapolis colored man, who
! desires TO represent the United States i'm
/ Liberia Brewers candidacy is backed by
/ the Indiana Republican organization.
| Xxx
Miss Maud Weldon. OF Terre Haute. has
been appointed 10 a position in the gold
/ room at the Government Printing Office.
Mr. and Mrs Jesse Overstreet arrived
from Indianapolis this afternoon. and will
( be at the Driscoll. Mr. Overstreet is the
first of the Indiana cOngr essmen who went
! home for the holidays TO return
Mr. and Mrs. Perry S. Heath have ar
rived i'm Washington and are staying at
the Raleigh.
Representative Richardson, the Demo-
cratic leader of the House. gave the opinion
to-day that the contest in the next national,
Democratic convention for the presidential
/ nomination will be between Senator Cor
( man. Judge Parker OF New York and Mr.
i Olney of Massachusetts,. Mr.. Richardson
| thinks he can leaning in Mr. Bryan
4 toward Mr.. Oiney- c. "A. G.