The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-16

architects fees, etc, and 1t was ordered that the proceeds of the sale of town lots in Jackson should be used in de- fraying the building expenses.
 The selection of an architect was left to Gov. Abram M. Scott, and after con siderable trouble he secured the vices of John Lawrence of Nashville, Tenn, who was recommended by Gov ernor Carroll of that state. Governor Scott died in 1S33 with cholera. which was epidemic, and was succeeded by Charles Lynch for the unexpired term, after which Hiram c. Runnells became governor. In 1885 he became dissatis- fled with Architect Lawrence, and ap- pointed William Nichols as his sue cessor. The cornerstone was laid in the presence of great crowd, the planters from the surrounding country coming with retinues of Servants and we'll filled commissaries to participate in the festivities.
 The legislature of 1898 made an ad- ditional appropriation of $12O,000. and work was pushed. The material was all Grown in Mississippi" something thas cannot be said of any of. the ma terial in the new capitol. The brick were made in Jackson, the timbers were cut from adjacent forests and sawed into lumber. the stone was quar- ried from the hills near Raymond. and is there yet.
 Though uncompleted. the new capi- tol was occupied in 1859, A. G. McNutt being the first governor to hold office therein. The legislature of that year made additional appropriations and had investigations as to what had become of some of the money already spent. The total cost of the building seems to have been s400.000.
 Seventy-five eventful years have passed since the first occupancy of this old structure, and had it been carefully cared for and protected when leaks first began to appear, 1t would be as sound today as any mark could wish The walls are massive and ex- cept on one corner seem as substantial as ever they were-good for another three quarters of a century if attended to even now. The finish, the style, the architectural beauty, the magnifi- cent dome are all there. They could not be replaced today for what the building cost. and yet there are those who for business reasons" would dy- namite them out of existence. The private individual able to own and to hold such a piece of property would never have permitted 1t to go to such decay, but having once gone because of adversities and scarcity of funds. he would. fortune having smiled on him again. make haste to restore it to
  have been poverty stricken when the old capitol needed attention first, but not now, no matter what the calamity howlers may say.
 Housed Many Celebrities If these old walls could speak. what
 wonderful stories of past grandeur they
 might relate. what glorious chapters of history they could recall! It was here that Andrew Jackson. the hero of New Orleans, was received on the oc- casion of his second visit. with an out burst of patriotic enthusiasm.
 Henry Clay. the patron saint of the whiR party, was a guest of Mississippi lin 1914. and addressed distinguished gathering from the balcony of the old capitol.
 Jefferson Davis the fearless colonel of the First Mississippi in the war with Mexico. was welcomed home with in the portals of this moss-grown build ing. and It's rafters have rattled with the eloquence of Prentiss. McClung, La mar and others of great renown.
 1 It's legislative halls have resounded Il to many fierce debates on political and other subjects; several of the most in- Itensely Interesting conventions the state have ever known. or ever will