The Topeka state journal., 1905-10-08
HOCH APOOR HAND
Makes a Failure at Using a
TrOWel.
Workman Helps Out in Spread
ing Mortar.
Y. NC. A. STARTS RIGHT
Immense ThrOng Present at
Laying of Corner Stone.
j. B. Larimer Tells of Work of
Association.
Z. N. c. A. STARTS RIGHT

The cornerstone to Topeka s
Christian lighthouse" as DR.. J. Will
bur Chapman denominated the mag
nidcent $4,000 Young Mems Chris
tian association building at the corner
of Ninth and Quincy streets, now in
the course of erection. was laid on
Saturday afternoon just a few mo-
ments before 5 o'clock.
Governor z. w Hoeh, arrayed
faultlessly in a gray business mans
suit, with a dotted crash vest and a
large Lawson carnation in his but
tonhole, handled the trowel. He
made fifteen minute speech. He
stepped forward, took hold of the
bricklayers' chief weapon of offense
just as if he had been born to it, un-
mindful as he advanced that he dug
the toe of his highly polished shoes
into the cake of mortar in front of
him, and said: Il am ready"
Slowly the large wheel on the crane
began to revolve under the stren4
uously working biceps of three men,
and the large Silver Dale block of
4 limestone from Cowley county, two
feet five inches in height and of the
weighing $500 pounds, began to
ascend.
I'm getting to be quite a mason. -
shouted the governor to the laughter
of the crowd. He had just told the
audience that he had laid a corner
stone to an educational building of
the state at Hays City the day before.
/ Usually there are six bosses to one
workman" he continued. Here there
are thousands" This was a reference
to the concourse of people who
/ blocked the corners of Ninth and
Quincy streets, almost three thousand
in number.
Slowly the stone came to its place,
about twelve feet above the ground.
Two men We're ready to swing it into
line.
Spread on the mortar, governor, -
said one of the workmen.
Shows the Governor How.
The states chief executive dug his
trowel into the mixture of lime and
sand He splattered great gobs of it
/ onto the foundation stone. He kept
up his splattering until the space was
Z covered. Then he began some fancy
I movements with his trowel in the
I mortar after the order of a woman
fixing up a lemon pie.
Tell me when I have enough" he
said to one of the workmen.
You are spreading on the mortar, -
was the quick reply. This was the
first joke on the governor in the pro-
| ceedings. but a better one came a few
minutes later.
Hoch stopped. dropped his trowel.
and Strengthened up his big broad
shoulders. Now if there is anyone
here who can do a better a job than
I that" he said, ''let him come and
do it
Scarcely had he finished his words
than one of the workmen picked up
the trowel, threw on a few lusty
/ chunks of mortar and Strengthened out
/ the heap in an expert, proper man
ner 1t didn't take the big crowd
a minute to catch onto the joke. It
/ roared and whoOped with merriment
/ The mortar was quickly smOOthed
4 by the man who was doing it and knew
/ how, and the cornerstone swung into
/ place It settled down easily without
a hitch or mishap. The use of a level
soon put it in line with the fOunda-
/ ton. and a few quick strokes with the
4 troWeI along the edges did away with
/ the surplus mortar which oozed out.
DR.. Chapman stepped forward and
with uplifted hands quieted the crowd
/ Then he spoke in feeling words the
/ benedictiOn and the ceremony was
/ over.
The crowd was a notable one. It
numbered not less than 5000. As
many Of the subscribers to the build
ling as came were accomm Odated with
/ seats on an inprovised platform just
/ back Of the cornerstone. The large
/ heaps of lumber on the sidewalk fur
nished resting places for many more
! Hundreds stood in the street and on
| the neighboring lawns.
Vehicles loaded with people stood
considerably north of the building on
4 Ouincv. street, west of the building on
Ninth street and east of Quincy
street on Ninth street. It was such
an audience as one seldom sees in con-
eregatfon. Men from all walks of life
were there business men, bankers,
merchants, lawyers, doctors, preachers.
Almost one-half of the audience was
COMPOSED of women. Prominent
among the latter was the aged Mrs.
o. 1Ta a
$4,000 to the building fund. Promi-
nent among the men was Judge julius
T. Clark, who made the first contribu-
ton. property at 922 Kansas avenue,
,,hicago. secretary of the International
Y NJ c. A Judge SeIden Spencer of
St. Louis was unable to attend.