The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-31
CAPITOL PAINTINGS
WORTH THE MONEY
Artist Garnsey of New York Is
Stirred by Des Moines
News Special

ssIf q putty-headed kalseminer down in
Des Moines, Iowa, is to instruct the peo-
pie of Minnesota about the value of the
interior decoration on their new capitol
well, if they accept his opinion, I'm ser
ry fer Them.
Elmer E. Garnsey, the New York artist
who designed and executed NEST of the
interior decoration of the marble capitol,
made the foregoing comment last night,
when he told, on request. the source of r
statement telegraphed yesterday from
Des Moines concerning alleged profits ON
his Minnesota contract. In the trial at
Des Moines of an injunction suit brought
TO restrain Mr.. Garnsey from carrying
out contract to decorate the Iowa cap
! itol, it was testified. according to the
published statement, that the cost of Ia
Dor on the Minnesota contract was s49.
500 and that, las local artists" assert
ed. material would cost is per cent of the
laber-thus bringing Mr.. Garnsey's .ac-
tual expense to So6,925, although the
value of his contract was $125,000.
Mr.. Garnsey was speaking last night in
| the presence of Claiming Seabury, chair
man Of the capitol commission, and CaSS
| Gilbert, architect for the commission.
Mr.. Seabury said that the suit at Des
MeineS was of the same nature as the
suit brought at st Paul some months
ago. in the interest of local painters and
decorators, to prevent Mr.. GaFRSey from
decorating the Minnesota capitol. The
| Injunction then asked was refused by
agreed with the state that only an artist
| of Mr.. Garnseys reputation was fitted
to undertake the task demanded The
case was not appealed.
Tells of Des Moines Case
''Three years ago. said Mr.. Garnsey,
| of the work needed at Des Moines, but
this was merely at the request of an
| Eastern artist who had been consulted
| Last spring. while was mere at your
cor fol tn mn WI n
| looking about the building He said ne
4 was Mr. Coming, of the Iowa capitol
| commission. He asked If would 90
1 some decorating down there L put MN
off. Later / met Mr.. Coming and Senator
| Funk, chairman of the Iowa commission
They repeated the request After aWalie
met their architect, Mr.. Schoentgen.
.'But l was unwilling to undertake the
| work. | didn't consider the Iowa capltoi
| to be upon the same architectural Level
as the Minnesota building. / felt l should
| find little inspiration for work on the DeS
Moif?es capitol while the st. Paul capitol,
sincerely believe. is one of the great ar
tistic buildings, not only of America, but
| of the world.
| s.But at last, on visiting Des AIoines.
I agreed to do the decorating there for
S61,500. Not long after we. signed the
contract q Des Moines printer ia?a.ia naiaea
Chamberlain, as a taxpayer, petltlened
/, for the injunction But the real plalntlff
| who no doubt. is the author of the tefe-
gram published here, is Des MONIES
| '.They put me on the witness stand last
Week-the first time 1 was ever in court
| in my life. As the result of cross-aues-
tioning l told, willingly enough, the time
! my men had worked here. the number OF
men and the highest and lowest pay that
| they received. The house painters rlsSed
| this for their calculations But their
/ statements are ridiculous. They say. fo1.
/ instance, that the cost of material IS 1o
4 per cent of the labor. That is, If a
painter gets So a day he must spread 4,
cents worth of paint, or about TWO
quarts only, in whole day.
Many Things Not Told
| .T didn't give them the totals of my
! payrolls I didn't mention that l had
| paid $1,000 here for. scaffolding. 4 l. Sl sald
| nothing about the vast quantity OF GID
| of Providence, r. l., who furnishes this
| gold leaf-it's gold. not bronzing-men-
/ toned to me some time ago that was
using more gold leaf than any other Inan
| in America l didn't mention that l have
! painted nearly fifty canvases for your
| capitol. These are figure paintings on
| for a gallery. They include ferty-two
| nude human figures, some of them twelve
! feet high didn't tell that began work
| irg on your capitol designs two years ago
| and have devoted more than year OF
personal attention to the contract.
/ 'Stoner, the Des Moines decorator, had
| heard of the Sistine chapel. put ne
| couldn't remember who painted its cell
! said he had once been consulted on the
| mural decoration of an eight-room school
! house in Greenbush. Iowa.
| Mr.. Seabury said the Des Moines
| charges were absurd. The Minnesota
! commission had been lucky to get the
1 first estimate had been S146,090.
1 Mr.. Gilbert said Mr.. Garnsey had deco
/ rated. among other buildings, the national
tnn nl1blic library. the Rhode Island state
hhouse. the New York, Stock exchange, the
Carnegie institute af Pittsburg and the
| United States pavilion at the Paris eX7
|