The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-08-09
RAILWAYS PAY GREAT COST
New Capitol Is Declared to Be Model
for Other States in Union--N Notable
Ceremonial to Mark It's Completion
Laid over Account of World War.


Wisconsin - new state capitol mas
been completed at an expense Of APP
proximately ,$7,044.0OO, including fix
lures. When the unpaid bills are set
tied and account is taken of the money
voted to repair the old building for
temporary use, the sum will reach ST.
100000. This sum is eight times the
amount that had been spent all told on
previous state capitols erected on the
same spot. The new capitol reaches
completion just eighty years after the
first capitol building was started on
the same ground.
There doubtless will be formal ded-
ication of the new capitol, when the
war is over. Senator Timothy Burke
Of Green Bay, had bill in the 1917
legislature for that purpose, but it was
Withdrawn when the war was declared.
Nothing better illustrates the prog
ress of the state in the past eighty
years than the building and changes
necessitated in the capitol buildings at
Madison. The first territorial legisla-
\ ture, meeting at Belmont in the fall Of
! 1886, through the influence of James
Duane Doty, then a prominent figure
in territorial affairs chose Madison as
the site for the permanent seat of gov
eminent. Judge Doty and Stevens t.
Mason, governor of Michigan territory,
purchased 1000 acres of land, now the
site of Madison, from the government
and Offered corners, where the four
sections of land met comprising nearly
fifteen acres, for the capitol park. Tt
was accepted and the land on which
the capital is now located, the hub of
the city Of Madison, was decided to the
territory on Jan. 6, 1889.
Early in the spring of 1887 the first
house was built in the city of Madison,
for it was paper town when accepted
as a capitol site, and on July 4, 1887,
the corner stone of the. first capitol
building, costing $4,000, was laid with
appropriate ceremonies. Tt is on this
same site that the new state capitol
building just completed is located.
The progress of the state in twenty
years made the first little capitol mad
equate, and the 1857 legislature was
called upon to provide for engagements.
Work was started in the fall of 1857,
just sixty years ago, and progressed
slowly year by year until 1869 when
the dome was completed.
Even this enlargement was insuffi-
cient within thirteen years, and the
legislature Of 1882 appropriated $780,
600 for the construction of two trans
verse wings on the north and south
sides Of the original building While
the wings were BEING constructed, the
south wing fell, on Nov. s, 1888, and
eight workmen were killed. This ac-
cident led to long Investigation by
the legislature UP to 1904 the total
appropriations which had been made
for the construction of the capitol build
ing and engagements and for park i'm
provement were 100000.
Even this capitol soon grew made
ouate The legislature of 1908 appoint
ed a committee to consider again the
question of capitol improvements and
engagements, but a fire on Feb. 81,
1904, cut short the activities of this
committee and made the building of
new capitol imperative.
The new capitol building is larger
than any of the other buildings. Tt is
built of Bethel, VT, granite and stands
diagonally in the center of a square,
containing 144 acres of land and is
situated on a crest that overlooks Lake
Mendoza and Monona
According to statement just filed
with the secretary of state there has
been spent in construction of the cap
itol building proper, $5,444, 1863 .S3-or
over half million dollars less than the
limitation fixed by the 1907 legislature.
Decorations have cost 1904, 9S3.77; fur
niture. $23s, SS0.72; grounds and ap-
proaehes, S354,71s.45, and the heat,
light and power plant is located half a
mile from the building and connected
with tunnels, $500, 1862 For the i'm
provement of the old capitol after the
fire the state spent $4o,663.77, making
total expenditure to date of $7,0S4,-
S5196 From the appropriations of 81
255,9l766, there is cash balance Of
$l7l ,065,7o, but there are unpaid bills
amounting to 95,3327l, leaving cash
balance after all accounts have been
settled of $75,73299
OF the total $7,255,91766 appropriate
ed for the capitol only $1,350,0O0 was
levied by direct taxes, $450,0OO for