The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-06-07

When the st. Paul Council of the
Knights of Columbus was organized on
February %, 1899, it was the first
Council west of Chicago. Since then
the organization has had a phenom-
ernal growth. 1t has spread not only
westward to the Pacific slope, north
ward throughout the Dominion of
Canada, and southwark into Cuba,
Porto Rico, Mexico and South Amer
lea, but it has flung it's standard of
knighthood across the weary leagues
of ocean that lie between the United
States and the Philippine Islands and
has established it's outposts among
the Catholic inhabitants of those
distant lands.
With this numerical growth there
has been a corresponding develop
ment of ideas in regard to the pur-
poses of the Order and the work
which it is expected to accomplish in
behalf of Church and State.
st. Paul Council Pioneer.
The st. Paul Council was one of the
first to realize the necessity of having
a permanent home which would serve
as a center for the carrying on of it's
work. Indeed, the local Council was
the first in the United States to Sc
cure and equip club rooms for it's
members. AS it grew in numbers
larger quarters were opened and these
in turn became too cramped for the
needs of the Council. During these
years the Council looked forward to
the time when it would be able to
build home of it's own and furnish it
with all that was necessary to enable
| it to carry out the educational and
social program which it's leaders had
in view. Now, at length, it has
reached the goal of it's aspirations,
towards which its efforts have been
directed during the past few years.
Its new home on Smith Avenue was
formally opened last Tuesday even
ing with impressive ceremonies.
The first step towards the realiza-
ton of this project was taken about
three years ago, when the Council
acquired possession of a plot of
ground, 12O by $50 feet in size, on the
corner of Smith Avenue and Fifth
Street, at cost of $4,000 To finance
the undertaking interest-bearing bonds
were issued to the members, and so
generous was the response that the
Columbus Hall Association which had
charge of the project, under the Chair
manship of DR.. Buckley, Supreme
Physician of the Order, prepared
plans and finally let the contract for
the construction of the building to
Lauer Bros, for the sum of $105, 300.
The work of construction began the
first of April, 1912, the cornerstone
was laid by the Most Reverend Arch
bishop on July IA, and the completed
building was turned over to the Co.
lumbus Hall Association on March 81,
1913.
The new Club House has a frontage
of one hundred feet on Smith Avenue
and extends back one hundred and
twenty feet. 1t is three stories high
with full basement. 1t is built of
brick with stone trimmings The IA
CcSuO 10 NOly IAS 1OuCu Case
ment windows giving club-like effect
to the whole structure. The entire
cost of the building and the furnish
ings will be about $15O,OOO.
The Club Rooms.
The entrance to the first floor is
from Smith Avenue through a massive
archway opening into vestibule, fif-
teen by twenty feet in dimensions. A
fight of marble steps leads to the
front door, through which one passes
into a lobby sixteen feet wide by
thirty-two feet long, finished in oak
, with heavy beamed ceiling. The first
J floor is reserved exclusively for the
, use of the members of the Council To
the right of the main entrance is a
billiard room, twenty-eight by thirty
feet in size, equipped with three bill
, lard and two pool tables. Adjoining
it is a large card room, and next to
this a private Office for the Secretary
and cigar stand. To the left, on
entering, is waiting room for women,
, reading and reception room, twenty
three by thirty feet in size, and a
library, fifteen by thirty Both rooms
are finished in oak, panelled. and fur
nished with heavy imported Spanish
furniture, leather finished. The cell
, ings, in ornamental plaster, are artis-
tically decorated and the waked floors
covered with rugs. The electric light
fixtures in these rooms, as Elsewhere
throughout the building, arr all spe-
cially designed and decor Rted and
arranged to give the best lghting ef-
fects.
The Auditorium.
From this floor broad iron stair
way leads to the second sttry, where
the principal feature is an auditorium,
or Council chamber, one of Ehe largest
and most artistically finished in the
Northwest 1t is eighty feet long by
: sixty-five wide, with stagi twenty by
thirty, and a thirty-foot broscenium
r arch. The seating capadty is one
thousand. The auditoriumlis finished
in ornamental plaster, thi walls be