The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-09-30
CAPITOL IS READY
FOR THE COMING
OF THE SOLONS
Many Repairs Made on State
House at Montpelier.
GROUND FLOOR TO DOME
Decoration Conform to Scheme Used
In Congressional Library at
Washington.

Montpelier, Sept. g9-When the
members Of the Vermont Legislature
and State officials arrive at Mont.
pelier next week for the biennial
session they will find the State House
swept and garnished for their use.
Never in recent years have so many
repairs and improvements been made
during a biennial term, and the result
as a whole Is most satisfactory to
those who have directed that the
work be done. and to those who have
had charge OF il.
Very soon after the close Of the leg
islative session of 1906 these interior
repairs and decorations were com
menced. From the ground floor to
the dome the ceilings and walls of
the corridors have been painted and
decorated the color scheme being
green, pink and gold. The large pill
lars on the lower floor have been done
In white enamel, with gold leaf at
the top The color scheme through
out is the same as It is in the Con
gresslonal library at Washington. J.
b. Williams, the decorator, who had
AAldi 80 VI AAlN WIN at iilt oldAt
House, made a special trip to Wash
ington last winter to get a general
idea Of the decorations in the Congress
sional library which have been carri-
ed out here.
Be Careful With Matches
The effect is to wonderfully bright
en- up the corridors, but at the same
time the decorations are of a very
delicate character and it Is sincerely
hoped that no member of the Legisla-
ture, State official or visitor will be
thoughtless enough to mar them by
scratching matches or other foreign
substance on them.
The offices of the state treasurer
superintendent of education, secre-
tary OF state, auditor of accounts. ad
iutantgeneral, commissioner of taxes
sergeant-at-arms, and the rooms of
the State Historical society have all
been freshly decorated, and new car
pets have been laid therein. New mat
ting has also been laid in the coat and
bird rooms and additional chairs
provided there for the use OF the
larger committees. The Office of the
secretary OF civil and military affairs
also presents very attractive APP
pearance with its fresh decorations,
new chairs and desk. The decora-
tors have also been through the sen
ate coat room and the two rooms
occupied by the secretary of the
Senate. In the three rooms last
named new carpets have been laid.
The boiler room has been oyerhauled
and the boilers equipped with new
! fues.
The carpets and draperies In the
Senate chamber ana in the hall of the
House of Representatives were COM
paratively new and did not need to be
! replaced this year. A new carpet
has been laid in the gallery of the
House of Representative and hand
some rug has been placed in the
rooms OF the State Historical socie-
ty. Another attractive feature in
this room is the decorations of por
tion of the wall with photographs OF
the mbroken line of governors from
Chittenden to Proctor
The commission appointed by the
last Legislature to investigate and re-
port on better system of ventilation
for the legislature halls spent consld
cradle time upon this. II employed
experts to furnish estimates, but
when these were received Il was
found impracticable to carry out the
plans before the session of the Leg
islature of 1908, including as they
did not only the ventilation of the
Senate chamber and representatives
hall but also the several committee
rooms which need better ventilation
even more than do the larger halls.
Considerable has been done, how
ever. to improve the ventilation OF
representatives hall. The double
windows have been placed on hinges
so that when the hall Is empty ii can
be thoroughly aired, and revolving
door will be placed at the entrance
before the Legislature convenes.
Sergeant.at-Arms Ferrin has also
voted no little time and money to the
repairs and improvements of the
grounds. Gomez etc has been laid at
the rear of the building and in the
vault of the Office of the auditor of
accounts. The store house has been
equipped with a new roof, all the UNI
slightly stumps have been dug from
the lawn The ground has been
graded and the trees have been trim
med the Dewey cannon have been
painted and even the Goddess OF
Agriculture surrounding the dome
is respendent in coat of pure
white.
Another improvement that will be
appreciated Is new mahogany rail-
ings on the stairways leading from
the first floor and the equipment of
these stairways with sufficient light
New swivel chairs have been pur.
chased for the official reporters and
assistant clerks of the House and IL
other quartered oak chairs with
leather cushions and backs have been
supplied for the several State OIL
GERS. Typewriting desks have been
furnished for State officials and water
sets provided for the Senate anc
House. New frames have also been
purchased for the groups OF photo
graphs of those VINO served In tho
civil War in Vermont regiment
which have hung in the lower cor
ridor. The total cost OF these re
pairs and improvements will exceed
$4,000
The advance guard of the legisla
tive army win arrive next Monday