Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-01-01
EUROPEAN STONE
FOR NEW CAPITOL
COMMISSION DETERMINES ON
MATERIALS FOR INTERIOR
FINIsHINGs.
EcHAILLoN MARBLE To BE
USED FOR ASSEMBLY CHAM
Der WAINscoTING.
JOSEPH w. MITCHELL OF MADl-
SON GETS WREcKING AND
TUNNEL CONTRACTS.

! European stone will be used for the
interior finishings of the new capitol.
The capitol commission at meet
ing in the governors office yesterday
selected the materials for the interior
fnishings of the west wing OF the
new capitol, awarded contracts to
Joseph w. Mitchell for the tearing
down of the east wing of the old cap
itol and the construction of the half
mile tunnel from the separate heating
and power plant to the new capitol
and rejected all bids recently submit
ted for furnishing the machinery, boil
ers and other equipment for the heat
ing and power plant
| The commission selected gray
colored marble and light yellow stone
as the materials for the principal
fnishings in the west wing of the cap
itol. The marble is Echaillon and Ma
poleon and will be imported from
France and Italy. The stone is what
| is known as Kasota stone and is quar-
ried in Minnesota 1t is largely used
in the interior finishings of the new
Minnesota capitol. Some Wisconsin
granite will be used for pillars and
balustrades in the badger capitol
Assembly Chamber furnishings.
The wainscoting of the assembly
chamber, which viii occupy the sec
ond, third and fourth stories of the
west wing of the capitol, will be Of
Echaillon marble and the corridors
Heading to the chamber also will be
faced with it. The department OF
state, which win occupy the main
floor of the west wing. viii be finished
in Echaillon and Napoleon marbles.
As the exterior walls Of the west
wing are nearly finished and tho struc-
ture will soon be rooted and enclosed,
the commission decided to advertise
for the interior work as soon as pos
sible. This work will be divided into
a dozen or more parts and bids asked
on each job. The commission expects
to be able to award these contracts
early next year.
Cost of Interior Work.
The commission expects TO be able
to spend about $4,000 on the inter
Iior work of the west wing. It esti-
mates that 1t will cost about s425,000
to pay for the exterior walls, steel
frame and other contracts now being
carried out. BY law the commission
lis limited to 100000 for each of the
four wings of the new capitol.
Mitchell Gets TWO Contracts.
! The contract for tearing down the
east wing of the old capitol and :or
constructing the half-nile tunnel from
the separate heating and power plant
to the new capitol was awarded to
Joseph w. Mitchell, a well known
building contractor of Madison. The
cost is to be s42,500. He offered sep
arately to tear down the old wing for
$500 and build the tunnel for $4,000,
or to do the jobs together for $42,500.
The commission accepted his COM
lhined bid The tunnel, which is to be
completed by Sept l next, is to be
mine feet wide and eight feet high and
protected by heavy concrete walls.
The stone and other materials in the
east wing will be used "a he man
holes and certain other part; Of the
tunnel. Since the capitol fire in 1904
the east wing has been used to house
the legislature, the senate occupying
the main floor aud the assembly the
lsecond floor.
West Wing Ready in Year.
Secretary l.. F. Porter of the capitol
commission said that the west wing
would be ready for the use of the leg
lislature a year from now and that the
new east wing would probably be en-
closed by that time. The main floor
of the new east wing is to be occupied
by the governors chambers and law
library The senate chamber will be
on the second floor of the new south
wing, which is now used by the rail-
road commission, superintendent OF
public instruction and banking COM
missioner.
Machinery Bids Rejected.
The commission rejected all bids for
machinery and other mechanical
equipment for the separate heating
and p9wer giant, which were opened
several weeks ago. because they were
considered too high. The commission
lecided to divide up the work and
Iaward the contracts by private bids,
hoping to get better prices thereby
The bids submitted ranged from $751;
600 to nearly 100000 for the whole
LOB. BY rejecting the original bids
FOR the granite for the exterior walls
of the capitol and personally negotiat-
ling with quarry owners, the commits
Ision saved the state s450,000 on the
granite contract. IT hopes to make
corresponding saving by dealing di-
Iract with the manufacturers Of the
machinery needed.
The members of 'he commission
lpresent at yesterdays meeting were
10. II. Ingram Of Eau Claire. president;
Governor Davidson Of Madison. Colo
incl W. F. Was OF Madison; and L. r.
Porter of Madison, secretary. The two
lotner members OF the commission, ].