The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-05-15
IMPROVEMENT Of
CAPITOL GROUND
E. |. MAsoUERAY MAY BE RE.
TANNED SUPERINTENDENT.
he DREW TIE EXTENSION PLANS
Should he be Engaged he VIII Have
Charge of the Grading and Lay.
Ing Out Of Grounds and the
Location Of Memorial.

Des Moines, May 12.-E. L. Mas.
queray, of New York City, will pro-
badly be retained by the executive
council of Iowa to superintend the
capitol ground improvement g.,
The plans adopted by the legisla-
ture for the improvement were
drawn by Mr.. Masqueray, but strange
ly enough not for the state and from
the state he has not received cent
for them. If contract is made for
him to superintend carrying out his
plan he will then receive remunera.
ton. All that he has so far receiv-
ed is nominal sum from the Allison
Memorial Commission. 1t was for that
commission he made the ground
plans, merely to show what would
be an ideal location for the $4,000
Allison monument designed by the
sculptress, Miss Evaline B. Lang.
man, which is TO be erected here.
The manner in which Masqueray
became connected with the Iowa
capitol ground extension plans is in
teresting. Shortly after the death
of Senator VIM. b. Allison a commits
sion was created to raise funds for
the erection of a suitable monument,
which according to the Legislative
provision SHOULD be placed on the
capitol ground or some extension
thereto" After the money was rails
ed and the monument decided upon
the commission sought advice as to
what point would be most advant-
ageous for its location. They turned
to the National Sculptures Society
in New York for suggestions. That
society appointed as committee to
suggest location Mr. Masqueray as.
an architect and Mr.. Crafty, of Phila-
delphia, as a sculptor. These two
men went over the grounds and came
TO the conclusion that to attempt to
place the monument on any of the
limited Capitol grounds detract from
limited grounds would detract from
capitol itself. They then went over
the surrounding territory with the,
commission and pointed out what they
believed would be. an ideal extension
and location OF the monument and
other buildings. The commission ask
ed Mr.. Masquearay to make them a
ground draft of the suggestions. He
did this and the commission paid him
for this work. ~
The plan made such decided i'm.
pressionswith Governor Clarke that, in
his message to the last legislature he
suggested the purchase of the land
outlined in the Masquearay plan for
a Capitol extension. The MaSqueray
plan was exhibited in the governors
Office and later when bill was draft
ed and introduced the ground plan
was included and printed in the
Journal. The legislature approved
and passed the law providing a one.
mill tax for a period of ten years TO
carry out the plan. This tax, it has
been estimated, will raise about two
million dollars.
Now inaSmuch as the state adopted
the plans prepared by the architect
Mr.. Marqueray for the Allison Men,
Orial Commission the executive coun-
ell Is considering employing him to
superintend the improvement under
his plans. He held q conference with
the council here last week, but as
yet no contract has been entered in
to.
Should he be engaged, which now
seems quite probable, he would have
charge of the grading and laying out
of the grounds, and the location OF
the Allison Memorial, relocation of
the Soldiers Monument, power house,
etc. according to his original plans.
Mr.. Masqueray is recognized as one
of the highest authorities and is now
engaged in experimenting the con-
strnction of the Two Million Dollar
Cathedral at st. Paul, Mimi, where
he maintains q branch office.