The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-02-23

! their proceedings secret, as I believe,
i from May to December. more than six
months. l received a note from the
! secretary Of the committee, dated
! Barnwell. S. c.. Dec. :. 1903. but mailed
! in Coluinb bia. 11th December. giving me
! an opportunity to appear before the
commistee. ii / desired. Having heard
+ Of the proceedings in May. at which /
was told. and believed. Col. Marshall
! had been present. l decided, without
having counsel. that ] had best not
appear unless the committee desired my
presence. I had been guilty Of absolute
/ ly no wrong. or conscious neglect of
any duty to the State. but had given
my best efforts to assist the capitol
commission in the discharge Of its du-
/ ties and the proper expenditure OF the
States money. hence l had nothing TO
explain away. But knowing that l had
modified and detailed drawings in my
office not on file III the State house,
I l offered to place my office records ar
! the disposal OF the committee. In this
connection l see that my note to tie
committee has been termed curt"
wish 10 disclaim any such intention;
and if it is. regret it. and plead III eX-
t tenuation the fact that l began the
! struggle for bread early III life. and had
! not the opportunities Of collegiate edu-
/ cation enjoyed by some members OF the
; investigating committee
! But in justice TO the capitol commits
sion, which with one exception ap-
| proved my work, as we'll as to myself
and family. wish TO Say something in
regard 10 the specific findings of the
! Investigating committee, in the order
: stated.
FIRST. AS to the charge that
! ~,
! the secretary CT state We're not suitable
and complete.
! l believe this was the fist objection
made BY Col. Marshall after my elec-
. ton as architect. and was fully con-
sidered and passed upon BY the capitol
! commission in the year 1900, MIR. Mar
shall alone dissenting. At that time
! the commission had before it letters
from four of the most prominent con-
! tractors and builders of this section
F., o. the country. who. after studying
! those plans carefully to oase upon.
them bids for a very large sum OF
money. secured by a heavy bond, had
! bid upon this work. Some OF these
! gentlemen were personally known TO
members Of the commission, and tnelr
! statements were to the effect that the
drawings and specifications were pam
enough to make in intelligent bid. that
; the plans and specifications were 1CllE
understood. and were proper .or Sooo
work. The opinion Of such we'll known
contractors and builders as GUIDE &
i Walker, J. ". Bishop & Co., w. A.
Chesterman and Nicholas lttner. COM
monty known as Honest NICK must
outweigh the opinion Of Mr.. ;Marshall
and the Washington expert with any
impartial judge.
Second. That the contract fixed the
old work or the completed portion OIL
the building as the standard.
This is not true There is nothing IN
the plans and specifications which
could be so construed except, perhaps
the word prototype" on one OF the
general drawings. and this was intend
ed to apply only to style. out!ln'. 1orHl'
shape; and was not intended to Apply
| to the classification Of the workman
ship, Under each Of the headings OF
| the various classes of work the same
was fully outlined. giving the rumoer
of cuts to the inch for the different
parts of the work.
In tins connection, I may say tnat
| It was not intended to make the stone
cornice in one piece, for instance. Inc
small appropriation for the whole WORK
necessitated great economy, anu
; the scale detail ilISo SAio' -
| was to be built up Of several members,
as it was done. instead OF the more eN-
pensive one-piece cornlce.
Referring to sheet OF the general
| drawings where the note before re-
ferred to is found. it will be seen that
the work is to be the same only When
II has its prototype in the old building.
| That it does not mean that the cornlce'
! for instance. is 70 be identical with the
old work, you have only TO see sheet I
Of those same drawings. where the
t cornice is distinctly shown to be built
up of several pieces.
! Third. That the State at A great eN-
pense, in the neighborhood- OF Sl0.OVV
! had a splendid steel ceiling in the nam
| lobby, which the contractors took
and converted to their own use. where
by the State lost in the neishborhood
of $4,000.
The plans and specifications required
the contractors to cut circular OPEN
ing into the ceiling for the inner DOME
When the ceiling was cut. ana II was
thoroughly examined. 1t was founu 10
! be galvanized iron, in bad condltlon
, and difficult TO work into shape, es-
recialIy as it contained ceiling lights
! no longer Of use. The contractors said
it would require special worknlen ana
considerable loss of time TO patch IT
I'D. and would not then be as salts
factory as a new ceiling. which could
be gotten in less time, and enable them
; to be ready for the meeting OF the
| legislature, although the new ceiling
would cost them more. After full IN
vestigation OF all the facts and con-
ditions, I decided that 1t was 10
the interest of the State to accept the
proposed change. and l approved the
; ceiling they used, which harmoHlZes
perfectly with the design OF the cell
| ing under the balcony around the mann
! lobby, which was placed there unaer
Mr. Eiernsee'S supervision. AS both
! ceilings are in the same lobby and are
seen at the same time. harmony IS eS-
sent;al. Neither the cornice nor cove
mouldirgs in this lobby were interfered
with, but the new ceiling was used only
! in the field or body or the celllnS
! through which the dome is cut. The
/ contractors thought they ought TO have
; extra for this new ceiling, but l would
! not allow il. and the State got the
! new ceilings without cost.
; This item shows the fearful mistake
! the investigating committee made IN
not examining farther into the real
facts instead of giving SO much WelSht
! TO that minority report. They would
; have the public believe that it was
steel ceiling" costing in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000. when the records III the
secretary of states office show that all
the ceilings and cOrniceS, steel beams,
ap5 Sl-rljohts in the rOtunda or main