The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-08-13
FORMAL CEREMONY
MARKS BEGINNING
OF CONSTRUCTION
Governor George E. Skater
Takes Three ShoveIfuls
of Sod From Site
THOUSANDS At PROGRAM
Clubs Present Volumes on Pic.
neer Mothers to Histori.
cal Society

Construction of North Dakota's new
$4,000 900 state capitol building was
begun Saturday forenoon when Gov
ernor George F. Shafer took the first
shovelfuls of sod from the site. Just
few rods from the remnants of the
old Dakota Territory and state capt.
toll structure. Several thousand per-
sons attended the ceremony.
Cameras clicked and the motor Of
an airplane overhead roared as the
governor took three shovelfuls Of dirt.
tossing the third clump of sod high In
the air.
I'VE are beginning a new chapter
in the history OF the government Of
the state and commonwealth Of
North Dakota on the ground that -
years ago the citizens OF Bismarck
contributed as a site for the territor-
ial capitol" the governor said in .
short talk before officially beginning
excavation work for the 18-story
structure.
Almost within the shadow Of the
remnants of that building, which
served as the capitol for six years
during territorial days and for 43
years since statehood, we now begin
the actual physical labor incident to
the building of the structure for which
preparations have been under way
since the old capitol building was
burned by fire Dec. %, 1880.
1T is almost 40 years to the day
since construction of the old capitol
was begun" he remarked.
Governor Shafer briefly traced the
steps taken since the fire toward con-
struction of the new building, outlin-
ing the work of the state capitol
building commission.
Commission Not Here
Members of the commission, George
A. Bangs, Grand Forks, Fred L. Conk-
lin, Bismarck, and Adjutant General
G. Angus Fraser. Fargo. and the COM
mission secretary, Major Frank l..
Anders, Fargo, were unable to attend
the ceremony because they were In
Chicago winding up affairs in con-
nection with the signing Of the gen.
eral construction contract.
Next week the Wachter Transfer
company and S. F. Lambert company.
excavation sub-contractors, will begin
the work of digging 10000 yards OF
dirt and distributing it around the
building site as required by the plans.
Paul A. Wachter, Of the Wachter
company, said 80 men, seven teams OF
horses, and steam shovelS will be en-
ployed in the work, which will take
more than three weeks.
He said excavation cannot begin be-
fore the arrival here of John Davis,
who will supervise construction work.
After excavation is completed, the
Bicknell company, Chicago
contractors who will build the CAPT.
toll, will begin construction work. The
Lundoff-Bicknel bid on the project
was $1,463,755. Completion Of the
structure is expected within the next
10 months.
Bugle Corps, Band Play
Music for the formal program was
presented by the drum and bugle
corps of Lloyd Spetz post Of the
American Legion, Bismarck, and q
band. National guardsmen from
Company A, Bismarck, served as coll
or-bearers under the command Of
Major Harold Sorenson.
The program was conducted In q
roped-off square, with Supreme
Court Justice A. M. Christiauson
serving as chairman.
Prominent on the program was the
to the state historical
society by the North Dakota Fedora
ton Of Women's Clubs of a collec-
ton OF so books on the lives Of
pioneer mothers of the state.
In the roped-off square were Gov
srnor Shafer: Judge Christianson;
six officers Of the state federation
If women's clubs; Colonel G. b. Lit
lie. Bismarck, who accepted the
on pioneer mothers in be-
half Of the historical society; John
Burke, former governor and now su-
oreme court justice; o. F.. Bryant,
secretary to the governor: Major
5orenson and the bearers: Rev.
opie 8. Rindahl. pastor OF Trinity
Lutheran church, who delivered the
invocation: and Rev. Walter z. Water.
pastor Of McCabe Methodist Epis-
opal church, who asked benediction.
Six Women In Group
Club women here for the program
we're Mrs. Albert e. Jones, Lisbon.
president Of the state federation:
Mrs. H. w. McArdle. Fargo, chair.
nan Of the pioneer mother project
Ind federation director: Mrs. Jan4es