Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-09-16
Montana's Beautiful Capitol Building

In a short time the necessary amount
was pledged by the members of the asso-
citation and Bell 81 Kent were given the
contract on March 10, 1898. for complete
plans and specifications for a building
whose. estimated cost should not exceed
$275 eco, they having five months In
which to prepare them.
"At the meeting OF April 81, 1898,
Thomas Cruise Of Helena made the COM
mission a proposition to take the entire
issue of bonds at par, deposfting the
money with the state treasurer. HIS
proposition wa sat once accepted and
| the commission felt that the real obstacle
In It's way had been removed. The public
spirit and far-seeing judgment-whtch
| some call luck-of Mr.. Cruise had rem
dered possible the Carrying out Of the
| acts of the legislature. He ooh the bonds
| when all others had declined them as
an insecure investment, and yet a good
many have since been wondering why
they thought that a first lien OF 1872, 900
acres of selected Montana lands was
poor security for $500 900 Of 30-year
bonds, bearing 6 per cent annual interest.
j. C. Soss Awarded Contract
During the summer of 1898 the plans
were perfected and on Sept. 13, 1898, the
contract for the erection of the present
building according to the plans and
| specifications was awarded to j. G. Soss
for $3.50 $40. his bid being the lowest,
though at least two others were rather
close competitors. Mr.. Soss at once, with
the consent of the commission, assigned
the contract to the Montana Building
company of which H. l.. Frank was presi-
dent and whose name was q guarantee
for the fulfilling Of the contract. In JUS
tice to him, it should be said that on, his
shoulders has rested the financial our
den of the enterprise, and the commits
sion feels that he has honestly sought
to carry out every part Of the contract
and to give the state q building unmarried
by sighted workmanship, though hi
knew q long time before its completion
that he would be many thousands Of
dollars loser.
work on the foundation was com.
menced about Sept. rs, 1893; the corner
stone was laid with appropriate cere'
monies on July 4, 1899, and the building
was accepted from the contractor by thu
commission and passed under their con
troll Jan. 20, 1902.
1.-THE super structure was to be o
sandstone procured within the state, bu
as not q single quarry OF that materia
had been opened sufficiently to know
to a certainty that the amount of ston,
needed could be procured of uniform
texture and color, the matter of selection
was q difficult one; the selection possibl,
a chance after the most thorough exam
nation. The commission visited most 0
the accessible quarries Of any size II
the state n on March 20, 1899, ~selecte,
the stone found at Columbus as mos
suitable in quality and color and mos
likely to be of sufficient extent and uni
!, formity. Developments have proven tn
choice to be a fortunate one.
Contractor Reimbursed for Loss.
THE delay In selecting the stone an
ttraA pnnnrco,u m oman I'm fhn njfarf
made 1t impossible to complete the build
! ing in the time specified In the contract
which was May /, 1900. Other unlocked
for delays from one cause n anothe
apparently could not be hastenec
Enough ha dbeen done, however, whe,
the legislature met in January, 1901, t
show them that the structure was to b
a credit to the state. and they generousl
made appropriations for the interior dec
orations, the electric light fixtures an
for completing the grading OF the capitc
grounds, none Of which had been In
cluded in the original contract. The
appropriations rendered 1t possible t
finish the inside in an attractive form.
Up until the building was dedicate
in 1902, S490,465 had been expende
upon 1T, of which S350,000 had bee
raised through the sale of bonds. TIL
balance had been provided by appropria
lions from the general u and othe
state funds. However, the Montan
Building company was "holding the sack
for a considerable sum-, so the legislatur
which met the next winter 1903) az
propriated S57. 1888 TO reimburse that con
pany for its losses.
In 1909, the Legislature appropriate
$500, 900 from the state capitol bulldln
fund for the erection of wings on the. eai
and west sides OF the capitol. These WEI
completed In 1919. and the west win
was first occupied by the Legislature l
January, 1913. Thus the capitol props
today stands as one OF the most beautif'
In the west, having been constructed