Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-03
STATE: HOUSE.
The Executive Rooms Now
Ready for Occupancy.
The New Council Chamber Is Not
Surpassed Anywhere.
Railroad Hearing, Today-Assessors'
Rcoms-Vis;tors.

| tie summer and fall, that there is little
new to say. But now that everything
| is; in place and the furnishing are COM
:lictc. il IS possible for the first time to
gct u satisfactory idea of their attrac-
tiycness. The whole department has
been built over, and there is nothing
except the shape of the rooms and loca-
lion of the windows to remind one Of
the old executive quarters. While the
work Of hre-prooting WIS the principal
81 iect of the change, the new finish
ncW decorations and new furnishings
have been incidents OF no small i'm
l;crtaTce.
The heavy carpets, the rich drapcries
tn Uniting and shading of the walls
The elaborateIy punelcd ceilings, the
h: ntisome mahogany finish with all the
t%ks and chairs and sofas of the same
ma terial aud made to match, make 4
combination beautiful and pleasing to
the eye. and the Office Of Names gov
error and the meeting hall Of the eX
ccltive council will doubtless compare
most favorubly with similar depart
mvnts in any state Capitol III the
country.
The Legislature appropriated $4,000
.'I lIit WI - III LUIS tlitDit '''''t va
H.. iloor overhead where the assessors
Office IS now located, and the changes
Save all been made by Colonel stevens
within that figure, leaving Il small
a1,;nlus on ,land. OF the total appro-
ur-..tipn. about tWo-thirds WAS spent
% The work of making tire-prDof tn.
rH.; utit-c department amt the Ollie of
thu ;!secSs"Fs, putting in new ll""rs,
CO. i.t-1. iti:.h. "tr., and the rymninnG
one miro. or ul.Jljt $l10O VAS used in
furnishings. Woodbury. q Leighton Of
Boston had In main contract, and did
Il most thorough job. HI" floor Gf tho
council chamber is made heavy enough
| 10 sustain IL freight locomotive and i:
| the building should be destroyed by
| fire ana the dome fall in, the records i'll
| the secretary of State's office. b"loH
| this chamber would tie perfectly
secure The floor Of the third story
~ Owe the executive department, is also
| fre-prool and very heavy, but not 81"
| heavy as that OF the executive floor.
! The furniture for the rooms was
| u-a made by William G. Stafford of
| Boston, from plans drawn 10y Archi-
| tcct John Calvin Stevens of Portland.
The 20 chairs 10 DECKS and three SOFAS
| are beautiful pieces Of work. Tho
| desks are All panneled in Keeping With
| the panneIing of the high mahogany
| wainscottins around the rooms. In tho
| first Office there are new dcsks fGI
| Private Secretary Purinton, ana for
Miss French, the stenOgraph"r Of the
! department. And here also is Il heavy
lrnahogany sofa, upholstered in leather
| upon which those can make themselves
lc0mforta Bile who are waiting - see the
| Governor.
| Within the Governors private Office.
| there is in the center Of the room Il
| chair and heavy flat-top desk. There
| are also long, leathcr-c0vcTtd sofa q
| wardrobe and case for the Maine Re
ports, AID chairs whose only danger is
that tn" arr. SO comfortable that
| visitors. may linger too long. In the
outer Office are hung numerous group
pictures Of recent executive councillors.
ThnS" OF III" last two councils have the
autographs of the members written
lnnder tie PICTURES. Here, also is a life
azc pict ure Of Governor Hill hanging
over the dcSk OF Colonel Purinton.
| Within TIKI private office hang pictures
81 SrratorS Hale and Frye, and Con-
cress!n;'H Burleigh. In the Council
cl:'inhcr hang small oval pictures of
~ q II, n who have been governors OF
Airiue, til" pictures being arranged in
groups Of FIVE or six around the four
walks
The prevailing color in this room is
= rich green which blends finely with
the mahogany finish and furnishings.
Tie walls are of green, and this too is
the color of the heavy draperies, and
the prevailing color in the carpet.
There are individual desks, not large
but very tasty in design, for tbs seven
members of the council, arranged in Il
semi-circc facing the governor, whose
chair is in it's former location in the
east of the chamber. In this room
there is Il third sofa and numerous
chlirs for visitors. all upholstered in
leather while Secretary. Of state Boyd
hrs new desk ard bookcase in the
southeast corner. The new chair for
the governor is one Of the handsome
things in the rooms, with its high
back. having the State coat-of-arms
carved ut the top. upholstered in
llathcr and studded with great brass
, lacks.
The electric lighting fixtures are
tpattit C!iflE handsome, ana Inc even
ing effect when the ceiling is lighted is
very beautiful. Each Councillors desk
= has its individual light, concealed so as
TO throw light only upon the desk.
| The three members of the State
hoard of assessors. Messrs. Simpson
Potue and Hayford We're at theiI
room, yesterday, for their regular
monthly meeting, though there were
only routine matters to attend to. This
board is justly proud of its new
quarters. and feels that no office in the
building is more attractive or will be
better furnished than this will be wher
| finally settled. This room. in common
with the executive department, is bsins
wholly refurnished. Two handsome
sofas and a full length mirror hav,
| been placed at the west end of the
room. and d large table for the center
is expected soon. and also large stee
fling case for the north wall. A new
| carpet is also coming and complet.
furnishings for the pleasant private
Office