The Kevin review., 1927-09-15

In short time the necessary amount
was pledged by the members of the asso-
ciation and Bell & Kent were given the
contract on March 10, 1898. for complete
plans and specifications for building
whose estimated cost should not exceed
$2750 900, they having five months Ia
which to prepare them.
"At the meeting Of April 21, 1898,
Thomas Cruise of Helena made the COM
mission proposition to take the entire
issue Of bonds at par. depositing the
money with the state treasurer. His
proposition wa sat once accepted and
the commission felt that the real obstacle
in its way had been removed. The public
spirit and far-seeing Judgment which
some call 1uck-of Mr. Cruise had rem
dered possible the carrying out Of the
acts OF the legislature. He took the bonds
when all others had declined them as
an insecure investment, and yet good
many have since been wondering why
they thought that first lien on 1872, 600
acres Of selected Montana lands was
poor security for $350,000 of 30-year
bonds, bearing 8 per cent annual interest.
j. C. SOss Awarded Contract
During the summer of 1898 the plans
were perfected and on Sept. 10, 1898, the
contract for the erection of the present
building according to the plans and
specifications was awarded to j. c. Soss
for $289, ,810, his bid being the lowest
b4OuBu al lcaSI TWO OCQ6rSs were TdB06T
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 a guarantee
for the fulfilling of the contract In JUS
tice to him, it should be said that on his
shoulders has rested the financial bur-
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 building unmarried
by sighted workmanship, though he
knew a long time before its completion
that he would be many thousands Of
dollars loser.
Work on the foundation was COM
menced about Sept. 25 1898; the corner
stone was laid with appropriate cere-
monies on July 4, 1899, and the building
was accepted from the contractor by the
commission and passed under their con-
troll Jan. TO- 1902.
The super structure was to be of
sandstone procured within the state, but
as not single quarry Of that material
had been opened sufficiently to know
to q certainty that the amount Of stone
needed could be procured Of uniform
texture and color, the matter Of selection
was difficult one; the selection possibly
chance after the most thorough exam
nation. The commission visited most of
the accessible quarries OF any size in
the state and on March 20, 1899, selected
the stone found at Columbus as most
suitable in quality and color and most
likely to be Of sufficient extent and uni
Iormity Developments have proven the |
choice to be fortunate one.
Contractor Reimbursed for Loss.
1.-THE delay in selecting the stone and I
lime necessary to open up the quarry /
made 1t impossible to complete the build /
ng in the time specified in the contract,
4f<.1- ~.
or delays from one cause and another
apparently could not be hastened.
Enough ha dbeen DONE however, when
he legislature met in January, 1901, to
how them that the structure was to be
credit to the state, and they generously
made appropriations for the interior dec
rations, the electric light fixtures and
or completing the grading Of the capitol
rounds, none Of which had been in
luded in the original contract. These
appropriations rendered it possible to
Inish the inside in an attractive form .
Up until the building was dedicated
q 1902, $40O,465 had been expended
pom it. Of which $350O00 had been
aised through the sale of bonds. The
alance had been provided by appropria-
ions from the general fund and other
tate funds. However, the Montana
3r q considerable sum, SO the Legislature
Thich met the next winter (l9O3) ap-
ropriated S57, ,238 to reimburse that COM
any for its losses.
In 1909, the legislature appropriated
100000 from the state capitol building
md for the erection Of wings on the east
nd west sides Of the capitol. These were
1mpleted in 1912, and the west wing
as first occupied by the legislature in
,uuary 1919 Thus the capiU0l proper
,dav stands as one Of the most beautiful
the west. having been constructed at