The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-04-05
Capital Building Out OF
commissioners Hands.
ACT PERFORMED SATURDAY.
No Changes Are Expected i'm the Force
OF Employees Until the Legis-
liture AJiOurns.

The state board of capitol commits
sioners on Saturday turned over tn.
| care of the new capitol to Governor
johnson, in accordance with law
passed by the legislature two years ago
| under which the commission was in
trusted with the care and maintenance
of the building until April |, 1907. The
commission, however, viii not pass into
| history just yet, as there are still q
few things to be done about the build
ing before it is completed
From now on the governor will have
the appointing of the capitol employees
but owing to the pressure of business
due to the session of the legislature he
states that there will be no immediate
changes, and probably none until after
| the session closes. 1t is possible, how
ever, that before that time custodian
or superintendent of the building will be
appointed, aud the person most promi
nently mentioned for this position is
Thomas Downs of Minneapolis, sergeant
alarms of the senate for several SEES
sions. Mr.. Downs is a republican, but
one of the johnson republicans, and his
appointment is considered probable as
a recognition of the services of republi
cans for the present governor. L. e.
Pendergast, who was the democratic
candidate for lieutenant governor last
year, also is mentioned for the place.
While the number of. employees in the
capitol varies, being larger in the win
ter than in the summer, the average
number is about forty nine, not includ
ing the scrubwomen, of whom there are
generally three to five. The. monthly
payroll of these employees amounts to
about $3,40O. Added to these figures
will be the superintendent and possibly
an assistant, with their salaries. The
position of superintendent is now held
by Secretary Frank +. Hanson of the
capitol commission.
One of the important features of the
building, which has delayed the turning
over of the building by the commission
is the quadriga over the main entrance
This has been housed for several
months while the workmen have been
gliding the figures. The work is now
about completed and the house will be
removed i'll a few days, revealing the
quadriga in its finished state. The last
of the pictures for the governors re,
ception room was hung a few days ago
and there remain but a few minor de-
tails before the building can be consid
cred entirely finished, when the commits.
sion will make it's final report and pass
out of existence after career of four
teen years.
Three bronze memorial tablets were
placed on the walls i'll the main corridor
Just inside of the main entrance yes.
terday, giving the historical data with
reference to the building of the CAPT
tol and the former capitols of the state
the names of the men connected with
its construction and illustrations of the
building, together with its dimensions.
One of the tablets bears an impress
with floor plans of the main and secont
floors in the upper corners and the fol
lowing inscription beneath:
Cass Gilbert, architect.
Total appropriation for building and
site, $4,5O0,OOO.
Greatest length of building, 434 feet
Greatest width of building, 229 feet.
Height from ground to top of dome
223 feet.
Exterior diameter of dome, SO feet.
Interior diameter of dome, 60 feet.
The inscriptions on the other tablets
| are as follows:
This building was constructed under
the supervision of the board of state
capitol commissioners.
Claiming Seabury, vice president and
chairman.
Eben E.. Corliss, John De Laittre
GEORGE a. Du Toit, Charles H. Graves
Henry W., Lamberton, James Me
Hencb, Daniel Shell, Edgar Weaver.
Frank E. Hanson, secretary.
Governors of Minnesota and ex-offici
presidents of the board during construc.
tion:
knute Nelson, David NJ. Clough, John
Lind. Samuel r. Van SAINT and John A
johnson.
The first capitol building constructed
in Minnesota was on the site bounded
by Exchange, Cedar, Tenth and Wa
basha streets. IL was begun July 81
1851, completed in 1852 and destroyed
by fire March 1, 1881.
The second capitol building, ON the
same site, was begun in 1881 and com
pleted in 1883.
Ground was broken for this building
May @, 1896. The cornerstone was laio
lby Alexander Ramsey, first governor OF