The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26
THE PROPOSED AGORA IN
 AMERICA'S CAPITAL CITY
BY CHARLES E EDwARD LLOYD.

The wealth of magnificent distances in the porticos will serve as luxurious promenades for the Americans as did the less extensive ones of Rome and Greece for their people.
 Three elevations of terraced esplanades, Che solaria places for basSing in the sun, of Roman times) two miles in extent, will furnish spacious room for the health giving sun baths.
 Halls of the states in the proposed Agora, one for each state in the union, would contain exhibits Furnished by each state at it's own expense) of paint ings, statuary, inventions, manufactures, and historic, poetic, artistic, architectural educational and scientific achievements, showing the great industrial, social, com mercial and educational progress of our country for hundred years.
 This American Agora would further provide much needed grand assembly hall in the heart of the country's capital , where national societies, conventions and | lodges could meet at will.
 The erowning feature of the Agora is mammoth court about COS feet by 430 feet, covering about six acres, in the center of which is a double rostrum. : ascended by broad stairways, on each side of which a speaker would deliver an | oration to thousands of people lining the porticos facing him, with the whole of congress seated before him. This great court, easily accommodating 100000 peo- pie would be an ideal place for the re- viewing of troops military and other parades, and pageants; a place for the people of the nation to meet In one great assemblage to comfortably witness the inauguration of Presidents.
 The rostrum Is a unique feature, hay Ing on it's floor a pillar bearing the shield of the state for each of the original thir- teen states. A central pillar for the Empire state supports the flag. Pillars for the other states stand outside in front of their respective halls
 The model of this Agora as described above can be seen any day in the Halls of the Ancients. In itself, it would form a most attractive exhibit at the St. Louis exposition.
 number of senators and members of congress have warmly commended Mr. i Smiths project. He especially wishes to exhibit the models in the proposed dis trict building at St. Louis and offers to lend to the district exhibit some of the rare and invaluable objects now in the Halls of the Ancients which cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world MT. Smith offers to erect a reproduction of the classic old city hall on the worlds fair grounds of fire proof concrete. at minimum cost. He is today exerting him self to secure thes upport of an infiuen- tial senator who has great influence with the appropriations committee, to induce him to introduce bill asking $10000 of the coming session of congress for the erection of this district building.
 MT. Smith Is admitted to be one of the first architects in this country. He has practically invented a building material mde of sand and Portland cement which is fire proof, economical, withstands the elements, and looks like pearl gray gran ite. It lends itself readily to all construc- tional work, foundations, walls. floors partitions and ornamentation in relief and columnar. His paper on concrete published in 1890, is now constantly re- published by cement companies. In 1890 the production of Portland cement in the United States was 9OO.O0O barrels; in 1898 it was 100000 barrels and Is constantly increasing Many of the ancient monu- ments of the old world were made of sim liar material and MT. Smith modestly speaks of his invention as a revival"
 Hon. H. B. F. Mcfarland, president of the district commission, is favorably im- pressed with the idea of having a dis trict building and exhibit The able and patriotic newspapers published at the capital will doubtless lend their cordial support to the project.