History of Sangamon County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 47

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > History of Sangamon County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 47

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The floors of this story are supported by wrought iron beams, properly braced with angle irons, all well secured with rivets. The spaces between the wrought iron beams are filled with brick arches, the whole of which is covered with concrete, having wooden strips imbedded, to hold the wooden floors, in the rooms only. The floors in the halls and corridors are all maible, chequer- ed by alternate squares of different colors.

The principal entrance is at the east side, by an immense flight of stone steps, seventy-three feet wide, landing in a grand portico.

We will ascend the front steps, enter the east portico, pass along the grand corridor, over the glass floor in the rotunda, and continue west to the foot of the grand stairway, which we ascend to half the height of the story, then turn about, either to the right or left, and ascend to the sec- ond principal story. The floor of this story is constructed exactly as the one described below. Keep in mind that the entire edifice retains the form of a grand cross-first story, principal story, and second principal story. It is the floor of the latter on which we are now standing.

This story is forty-five feet from floor to ceil- ing. Let us enter the north angle or arm of the cross. Here we find the Senate Chamber, sixty- two by seventy-five feet, with the desk of the presiding officer at the north side. In the ex- treme north end of this wing, we find rooms properly arranged for the Speaker, Chief Clerk, Enrolling and Engrossing Clerks, Seargeant-at- Arms, postoffice, and folding room; with corri- dors on the east and west sides.

We will now pass out south, around the ro- tunda, and across the corridor into the hall of the House of Representatives, in the southern

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angle of the building. This hall is sixty-six by one hundred feet, with Speaker's desk at the south side. The desks here, as in the Senate Chamber, are in a semi-circular form. Here we find, under somewhat different arrangements, rooms attached 'for the same offices as those connected with the Senate Chamber. In both halls there are cloak rooms, wash rooms and water closets conveniently attached. Both are lighted in the day time, principally through the roof.

The east wing has rooms for the Canal Com- missioners and committee rooms, with cloak and other necessary rooms attached. Between these rooms and the rotunda there is a lobby 26x104 feet, extending across the wing from north to south.

The west wing has rooms for the State Library, the Librarian, a reading room, and an audience room each for the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives.

The Senate Chamber and Representatives' Hall have each a gallery, extending around three sides, half way from floor to ceiling. A portion of the gallery in each house is set apart for the use of reporters of the press. On a level with the galleries, a floor extends over all the office rooms connected with both houses, the Gov- ernor's rooms, State Library, reception rooms, and all except the two legislative halls. This floor is divided into a great number of small rooms, for the use of committees of both houses, and is designated the gallery story.

To impress it on the mind, I will here reca- pitulate, that the body of the edifice above ground consists of the first story, principal story, second principal story, and gallery story.

The roof on all the wings is of the Mansard style, covered with slate on the sides and copper on top. Above all this rises the stately dome, surmounted by a lantern with a ball on the pin- nacle, three hundred and twenty feet from the natural surface of the earth, being forty-three feet higher than the Capitol at Washington. The lan- tern is sixteen feet wide, and twenty-four feet from bottom to top. The frame work is of iron and the sides of glass. The floor of the lantern will be two hundred and eighty feet above the surface of the earth. An iron stairway ascend- ing inside the dome will afford access to the lantern. The means of communicating between the basement story and the legis- lative halls will be by the grand stairway and two other public and three private stairways.

In addition to this, there will be two steam hoisting apparatus, or elevators, by means of which persons can ascend or descend from one

to another of the floors, by simply stepping on and off a platform.

For heating and ventilating the building, there will be ten boilers, forty-eight inches in diame- ter, and twelve feet long. A steam engine of twenty horse-power will be used for running the elevator, and a fan, twelve feet in diameter, to produce sufficient circulation of air to ventilate the building in a proper manner. There will be 193,500 lineal feet of pipe, used to conduct the steam to all parts of the building.

The principal material used in the edifice is cut stone. Of this there will be nearly three- quarters of a million cubic feet, including the foundation. About one-half the stone is finely dressed, or planed. This does not include the marble, of which there is an enormous quantity. In addition to the stone in the walls, there will be about twenty millions of brick. Of wrought iron there will be one million, four hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and one pounds, or one thousand, two hundred and seven tons; and of cast iron three million, three hundred and seventy-three thousand, four hundred and fifty-six pounds, or one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-six and one-half tons.

The rotunda is seventy-six feet in diameter; from the glass floor, where the grand and main corridors cross each other, to the fresco painting, just beneath the dome will be two hundred and seventeen feet without any obstruction to the view whatever.

The three porticos, at the north, south, and east sides, are to have ten columns each. These columns are to be forty-five feet high, without the plinth block, which is four feet high. The base and cap pieces are to be cut separate; the two make nine feet of the height. Deduct this from forty-five, leaves thirty-six feet as the height, and four and a half feet diameter, as the dimensions of the columns. Thirty of these are to be cut in single pieces each, from stone in the quarry, if any such can be found.

Let us take our position in front of the east portico. It is ninety feet wide. From each of the front corners rises a turret to the height of one hundred and thirty-two feet. That on the right, or to the north, is to be surmounted by a statue of Lincoln, and the one on the left, or to the south, by a statue of Douglas. This, as I have stated, is the principal front, or entrance.

I have thus described, from the working drawings and the book of specifications of Coch- rane & Piquenard, superintending architects, the merest outline of the new Capitol of Illinois, now in course of construction, as it will appear

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

when completed. Let us see what has been done towards carrying out the designs laid down on the trestle-board.

WORK COMPLETED.

The excavation for the foundation on which the great dome is to rest is twenty-five feet be- low the natural surface of the ground, and at the bottom is a solid ledge of stone. The area is circular, and is ninety-two and one-half feet in diameter. The foundation was commenced by covering the entire space, to an average depth of six feet, with conerete-that is, broken stone, cement, clean sharp sand, and water. This con- crete receives the heavy stone walls, of an av- erage of seventeen feet in thickness, till brought to the level of the first floor, which is twenty- four feet above the concrete. These walls are not made of heavy stone on the outside and filled in with small ones, but they are all large; some of them two, three, and four tons weight, each. Think of the thickness of the walls, standing on a solid ledge of limestone, and per- haps you can comprehend their solidity!

The excavation for the outer walls around the entire building is twelve feet beneath the sur- face, and nine feet wide. The walls are com- menced with two feet depth of concrete all over the bottom. They are eight feet and eight inches wide at the bottom, and run up, with offsets, to six feet three inches at the ground-line. Parts of the walls are seven feet nine inches at the bottom, tapered to five feet four inches; and yet other portions, ten feet and eleven inches at the bottom, and eight feet six inches at the top, or natural surface of the ground. The stones in all the foundation are large. Not a single one is put in place by hand-they are all moved by steam derricks. One of these machines will take a stone of many tons weight, lift it from the ground, swing it to its place on the wall, and lay it down as easy and gently as a child would take a peach from the floor and lay it on a table.

The foundation was commenced by laying the first stone June 11, 1868, and finished in August, 1869. This ineludes the foundation for the dome and the outer walls around the entire building- two hundred and sixty-six by three hundred and fifty-nine feet, with all the buttresses on the outside and the inside walls and piers. The su- perstructure to rise on these walls is to be of heavy stone, with brick backing. To the top of the first story, which is twenty-five feet above the ground-line; they are five feet thick. All the walls are now completed to that height. Viewed

from all sides, now, it begins to disclose its vast proportions.

From the top of the basement story to the cornice, sixty feet, the walls are to be four feet thick. The brick backing is so constructed as to make them hollow, for the purpose of keeping. the interior dry.

W. D. Clark is the assistant superintendent, under the architects. Ile has done the civil en- gineering, also; having set every stake and laid every line.

A great outery has been made by some par- ties that the work was defective. Those who make such charges are either ignorant of what they say or write, or they have some less worthy object in view than to subserve the interests of the State. To those who know Mr. Clark, such a charge seems utterly absurd. They would be no more surprised to hear that he had put his hand in the fire without an object, than to learn that he had permitted a piece of defective ma- terial or workmanship to enter into the eon- struction of the edifice.

The entire outer surface of the building, below the Mansard, will be planed Illinois limestone. It is taken from the quarries near Joliet. By a law, enacted in 1869, the work of preparing the stone is confined to the convicts in the State penitentiary. The contractors have, at all times, promptly discharged their obligations.

EPITOME OF THE LEGISLATION FOR THE NEW STATE HOUSE.

The laws of February 25 and 27, 1867, to pro- vide for the erection of a new State House, ap- propriated $450,000 to begin the work; declared that the total cost should not exceed $3,000,000; named seven Commissioners and one Secretary to carry out the law; limited the amount of ex- penditures and liabilities they should incur within the amount appropriated, and declared that everything in excess of that should be deemed unlawful.

Laws of March 11 and 27, 1869, legislated the seven Commissioners and Secretary out of office; provided for the appointment of three Commissioners, by the Governor; ordered that all stone, iron, and labor for the new State House that could be procured at the peniten- tiary, in Joliet, should be obtained there, and at no other place; required the new Commissioners to have a new copy of plans, specifications, and estimates made in detail; and when completed, to notify the Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives on Public Buildings and State Library. And said Committee were

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instructed to hold a joint session, to examine the plans, specifications, and estimates; and in the event of their being satisfied that the build- ing could be completed within the limit of $3,000,000, in addition to what had already been expended, they were to order the Commissioners to proceed; appropriated $650,000, to be used in carrying forward the work on the new State House, but prohibited the use of it until the above conditions were complied with.

Under the law of March 11, 1869, Governor Palmer appointed Jacob Bunn, James C. Robin- son and James H. Beveridge as Commissioners to continue the work of constructing the new State House. The board organized April 12, 1869, by electing Jacob Bunn President and James H. Beveridge Secretary. The Commis- sioners at once caused detailed plans, specifica- tions and estimates for continuing the work on the new State House to be prepared by the superintending architects. They notified the committees of the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives, and a joint session was held in the Senate Chamber at Springfield, April 27, 1869, and a copy of the plans and specifications was laid before them. At a meeting of the com- mittees, on the 12th of May, it was

" Resolved, That the State House Commis- sioners be and they hereby are authorized to complete the foundation of the new State House under existing contracts, and to expend the balance of the appropriation first made, or as much thereof as may be necessary for the pur- pose."

The work was commenced immediately and the foundation completed early in August, as previously stated.

The total estimates of the superintending architects, submitted with plans and specifica- tions, amounted to $2,650,885. The joint com- mittee deemed it advisable to have the opinions of parties who were not interested, called to their assistance Augustus Bauer and Asher Car- ter, architects, and W. C. Deakman, master builder, all of Chicago, and had them make an estimate in detail, according to the same plans and specifications, and their estimate was $2,737,940.86-no greater difference in propor- tion than two bidders would make on almost any piece of work.

The joint committee did not complete their investigations until August 26, 1869. They then ordered the Commissioners to go forward with the work according to the plans and specifi- cations, with certain alterations recommended

by the superintending architects and master builder. They publicly expressed the belief that it could be finished within the $3,000,000, and that "when completed it would be a beauti- ful, convenient and permanent structure, worthy of the State."

Thus the best part of another season passed away with such hindrances as prevented the Commissioners from prosecuting the work as energetically as they desired to do.

The Convention called by the people of Illinois, for the purpose of framing a new Con- stitution for the State, recognized the fact that the Capital had been permanently located at Springfield by legal anthority, and that a posi- tive law required the work of all State officers and all legislative enactments to be done at Springfield, as the Capital; and that laws had been passed by two previous legislatures, making large appropriations of money for building a new edifice in which to transact the business of the State; and that a design had been adopted on a scale of grandeur and magnificence in pro- portion to its wealth and influence, deemed it wise to insert a clause in the new Constitution to guard against abuses too often practiced in connection with works erected at public expense.

The Constitutional Convention, therefore, in- serted under the miscellaneous head the fol- lowing:

" Section 33. The General Assembly shall not appropriate out of the State Treasury, or expend on account of the new Capitol grounds, and construction, completion and furnishing of the State House, a sum exceeding, in the aggre- gate, three and a half millions of dollars, inclu- sive of all appropriations heretofore made, without first submitting the proposition for an additional expenditure to the legal voters of the State, at a general election, nor unless a majority of all the votes cast at such election shall be for the proposed additional expenditure."

With this provision in the new Constitution, it was submitted to the people July 2, 1870, and adopted by an overwhelming majority.

The appropriation of February 25, 1867, was $450,000, and that of March 11, 1869, $650,000, making a total of $1,100,000.

The expenditures have been as follows:

From beginning to December 30, 1868. . . .. $354,126 12 From December 30, 1868, to March 11, 1869. 16,657 07

Total expenditures by first Board of $370,783 29 seven Commissioners.

The Board of three Commissioners appointed by Governor Palmer, under the law of March

34-

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11, 1869, have carried the work forward, and their expenditures-

To November 30, 1869, were .. .$156,876 76 From November 30, 1869, to November 30,

1870 277,543 13

From November 30, 1870, to February 1,

1871 77,918 79

Total to February 1, 1871. $883,121 87

From February 1 to April 14, 1871. 53,096 91

Due for iron on the way from Belgium. 12,895 30

Total. $949,114 08

There is due on existing contracts, for mate- terials and for work, enough to bring the total expenditure up to about $1,000,000, leaving about $100,000 of the appropriation of 1869 unexpended.

Early in the session of the General Assembly, which convened January 4, 1871, a bill was introduced in the Senate, appropriating $600,000 to carry on the work of the new State House. It passed that body by a very small number of dissenting votes. In the House of Representa- tives it was read a first and second time, and ordered to a third reading, but was not reached in the regular order of business, when the legis- lature adjourned temporarily, on the seventeenth of April.

The sessions of the General Assembly being biennial, each alternate year brings, to a large extent, a new class of men together in the legis- lative halls. The public has been so accus- tomed to hear of fraud in connection with buildings of this kind, that men coming for the first time, and looking upon the collossal pro- portions of this edifice, take it for granted that there must be jobs and peculations, and, without investigating the subject, there are always those who are ready to cry out, "Rings! Rings! Steals! Steals!"

By these devices, one of the two years con- nected with each legislature has been frittered away from the commencement, and this order of things seems destined to continue. From this cause the year 1867 was one of inactivity; in 1868, work was done; 1869 was one of idle- ness; 1870 work, and 1871 is likely to be one of idleness also.

The Commissioners, Jacob Bunn, James C. Robinson and James II. Beveridge have passed through two years of investigation out of the four since the work commenced, and in each in- stance have emerged from the ordeal without the smell of fire upon their garments. Should the present year prove to be one of inactivity, it will be no fault of theirs; and their works are

the only vindication they need, concerning which they take pleasure in giving all the in- formation in their power.

The following quotation from the law, which has been strictly complied with in every particu- lar, is a sufficient refutation, in the estimation of all honest men, of the ridiculous charge that Mr. Bunn is using the money appropriated for building the State House in his banking busi- ness:

"The accounts of the expenditures of said commissioners shall be certified by said commis- sioners, or a majority of them, and the Secretary of State, und approved by the Governor. The Auditor shall thereupon draw his warrant upon the Treasurer therefor, to be paid out of the fund herein before provided, in favor of the party to whom the accounts shall be due."

It will thus be seen that Mr. Bunn, like all other citizens, cannot receive a dollar of the State House money except for services rendered, or materials furnished, and then only when his bill is allowed by his associates in office, certified by the Secretary of State, and approved by the Governor.

It will not be considered exaggeration by any man who has honestly endeavored to obtain cor- rect information on the subject, for me to say that the work on the new State House has been as well done, and the duties of all connected with it as faithfully discharged, as they have been with any similar undertaking on the American Conti- nent.

It will be such a magnificent structure, and so well adapted to the uses for which it is designed, that the people can afford to be patient. The work is now about one-third done, and if this should prove to be the last year of idleness, it may yet be completed in time to use it in cele- brating the first Centennial of American Inde- pendence. It will be well worthy of such a christening.

Some changes were made in the plans as given by Mr. Power in the foregoing statement. The excavation underneath the building for the heat- ing apparatus was never used, but a building was erected for that purpose about one block north. The room over the State Geologist's store room is now used by the Agricultural De- partment, and the Geologist's museum occupies the room intended for the library. The library room is now between the Secretary of State's office and the Index Department of that office. There are only two galleries in each Represen- tatives' Hall and Senate Chamber. The gallery on the north, in the Representatives' Hall, is de-

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

signed as a ladies' gallery, and the one on the south for gentlemen. The gallery on the south in the Senate Chamber is for the ladies, and the one on the north for gentlemen. The Reporters' stands are on each side of the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate respectively.

The building has never been entirely com- pleted, but has been occupied since 1877. In 1876 the question was submitted to a vote of the people as to whether an additional appropriation should be made of $500,000 to complete the building. In consequence of the hard times

then existing, and the fact that many were preju- diced against the State Capital, a majority of the people voted against the appropriation. Since that time an area of prosperity has dawned upon the people, and many thousands have visited the Capital building, and went away resolved should the question again be sub- mitted, to vote for the appropriation. Com- pleted according to the plans given in the fore- going pages the 'State House will be an ornament to the State and the pride of the people.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY.

CHAPTER XVI.

TEMPERANCE.

The cause of temperance is one that has always enlisted the services of the moral and benevolent of earth. As far back as the history of the world can be traced, intemperance has ex- isted. Laws have been promulgated against it, warnings have been given over and over again, and yet man will continue to use the intoxicat- ing cup, notwithstanding Solomon, the wise man, has said, "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth the color in the cup, for at last it biteth like a serpent and sting- eth like an adder," and a greater than Solomon has added, "That no drunkard can inherit the kingdom of heaven."

In the first half of the present century, but few large distilleries existed, while every neigh- borhood must have its "still." A new settle- ment was no sooner formed than an enterprising individual would ereet his still, and commence the manufacture of whisky, pure and unadulter- ated. The surplus corn of the country could be used in no other way; at least, such was thought to be the case. Every merchant advertised whisky as one of the specialties of his store. The whisky jug was thought to be an indispens- able help in the harvest field, or at house-rais- ings, log-rollings, and corn-huskings; nor was the decanter, with its exhilarating contents, gen- erally wanting at social gatherings. Liquor bought by the gallon, and even by the barrel, was kept in the house for daily use. Before partaking of breakfast, the glass was passed around and partaken of, to give an appetite, and in the evening it was used as a "night-cap before going to bed. When bittered by some herb or drug, it was used as a sovereign rem- edy for most of the ailments flesh is heir to, and often as a preventive. Liquor being one of the specialties in the early country stores, some merchants were wont to treat their customers, especially when making large bills, and often

previous to purchasing, in order to sharpen their appetite for trading. One store at the county seat was in the habit of treating a customer every time a purchase was made, be it large or small. An old toper, taking advantage of the generosity of the proprietor, had occasion to make a great many small purchases, then help- ing himself from the decanter placed at the dis- posal of customers. His calls became so fre- quent as to become a bore to the young salesman in the store, a nephew of the proprietor. The young man determined to try the "heroic rem- edy" on the old toper, to cure him of his fre- quent visits. Accordingly, on one occasion, just about the time he was expecting the regular visit of the man, he emptied all the whisky out of the decanter but enough for one dram. Preparations were no sooner made than in came the visitor. Purchasing a small plug of tobacco, he stepped around and picked up the decanter. Noticing the small quantity in it, he said:

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History of Sangamon County, Illinois, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 47

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company Number of Pages: 1084

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Inter-state publishing company
Number of Pages: 1084