The Washington herald., 1908-03-01

second man for some months; then one
day he went 10 Taylor and in the friend
liest spirit actually talked him into the
belief that he was the one 10 leave the
firm At any rate, the partnership was
| dissolved by Taylor pulling out. This
occurred In 1891, quite some time before
Gilbert received the commission 10 build
the New York custonl-house, recently
occupied by the government
In certain quarters the opinion has been
/ held that Gilbert got the big lob because
| he and Taylor were stin partners at the
time 1t was handed out As matter OF
fact, Gilbert had no thought OF entering
a design I'm the competition for the Gus
| tom-house until he was urged to DO so
by the Boston capitalist for whom he
planned the famous New York skyscrap-
er known as the Broadway Chambers.
Then he turned out his design under high
pressure, partly because other work was
| pressing, and partly because he believes
! that he does his best work when so
keyed up.
Is Rapid worker.
Gilbert's first training in his profession
was acquired several years before ne
went 10 college. when he helped to build
a church at Red Wing. Mimi. under the
eye Of one Radcliff, a curious character,
who combined the callings OF architect
and patent medicine seller. Radcliff was
/ forever preaching attention 20 the slight
est detail. and practicing his preaching
too Gilbert has been known 10 throw
over remunerative prospective business
that he might have time 70 look after the
/ details OF work in hand. He is a phe-
/ nomenaliy rapid worker: were it not for
/ this fact. he would be compelled. doubt
/ less, 10 leave the oversight Of detail TO
| assistants. as other biz men OF bis
calling do.
/ Gilbert has a remarkable memory Let
| him catch u fleeting glimpse from a rail
road train Of a building with some now
/ city OF construction, and days later he
can reproduce it true 10 life in a sketch
or water colors. IN which he Is fond Of
working. lie has found this power OF
memory OF such great help 10 him that he
( drills his assistants with the persistence
OF an old-time schoolmaster in the same
methods Of quick comprehension and re-
tentiveness.
As a devotee OF the sport made famous
by Izaak Walton, Mr.. Gilbert has whipped
many a stream IN the Northwest When
he was a resident of ST. Paul he also got
from under business cares by helping TO
row the shells of the Minnesota Boat
Clrb 90 victory, He has "A great reputa-
tion in st. Paul for sOciablity. which he
has not dimmed as a resident OF New
York. He delights IN the company Of art
lists, sculptors. musicians, and the Ike.
and his friends say that he ever stands
ready TO assist any such deserving it, BY
way Of illustration they tell the story of
young Norwegian sculptor who, pen
niless and stricken with consumption in
MinnnnUCffC 70 u 81
again before he died. Gilbert. having ac-
eidentally become acquainted with the
sufferer and incidentally learning o. his
wish. promptly supplied the necessary
funds for the voyage home.
Builds Skyscrnpersg HntcS Them.
Small and stopped. with an extremely
prominent forehead, a clean shaven face,
prematurely gray hair. the chin OF
dOer and the eyes OF a dreamer-this is
Ernest Flagg hater Of the slxyscraper and
yet the father of the Singer Building. the
loftiest business building in the world to-
day.
Fifteen years ago Flagg was writing
vigorously against the skyscraper and do
ing all else in his power to arrest the
trend toward IL. To-day he is Just as bit
ter an enemy as ever OF the tall building,
though he builds IL on demand. and will
let business go hang for hours 20 inveigh
against IT.
One Of his pet contentious is that there
should be a law restricting the height OF
a building 10 one and a half times the
width OF the street on which II is erected.
Where skyscrapers are permitted ne be-
lieves there should be q law regulating
the height to which the building proper
may rise, and the tower should not be
al 20
the ground space occupied by the build
ing. Only in this way. he declares. can
city of skyserapers be protected frem
widespread eonfiagration, for he holds
that the average skyscraper. once IL gets
dfiTe. viii burn more rapidly than the
nonskyscraper. because. when all is said
and done, there is much more wood in a
skyscraper, what with the enormous
quantity of trim, floors, furniture. Sc.
Creator Of the new Annapolis. Mr.
Flagg says that such work, where one
has room 10 plan approaches. would be
pleasure IL folk would only leave a fell
low alone From all OF which it may be
gathered that he is man of determined
ideas and is not afraid to express them.
Educated in this country ard at the
Ecole des Beaux Arts. where so MANY
Yankee architects have been trained, Mr..
Flagg has never been in firm: he has
always worked by himself Though he
has more business than he can handle
With comfort and the assistance Of =.
large STAFF, he IS still the student. and
ne Is happiest. perhaps. when he is deep
IN some complex French or German
treatise on architecture. He devotes his
time TO and from his office 10 such read
ing ana practically al his evenings are
likewise occupied. Once in a great
While, when Mrs. Flagg gets him out to
some social function, he spends the great
eF part of the evening with his eyes fixed
on a wall, apparently seeing things"
architectural. Though he has plenty of
money which he has never worked espe-
cially TO acquire. he leads the simple
life on Staten Island: he is Thoroughly
content to let the ornate be in his work
alone.
His Speciality Is Churches.
Christopher Grant La Fargo. with his
olassmate at Massachusetts Tech" the
late George L. Helms. joint creator of the
plans Cor the famous Cathedral of ST.
John the Divine, now being erected in
New York City, is an example of a ia
nous mans son Uho has secured fame Of
his own making. His father Is John La
Farge, known on two continents as a
painter, worker in stained glass. an
art critic, and an art collector. Forty
SIX IN January. Grant La Fargo looks
like young man of twenty-five or 80.