Life — May 10, 1894 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

302 A BLACK EYE FOR BUFFALO. R. JEREMIAH O'ROURKE is the Supervising Architect of the United States government. He, with Mr. Carlisle, Secretary of the Treasury, who possibly knows even less about architecture than Mr. O'Rourke, are responsible for the impressive monument whose por- trait we present here- with. It will serve as a post office for the ! city of Buffalo, but as the reader can see for himself it bears more resemblance to a court house, an apartment hotel, a college, or almost anything else than to its destined object. Mr, Jeremiah } O'Rourke has done the best he can, but he knows no better. Mr, Carlisle, from Kentucky, knows even less of architecture, but he does as Mr. Jeremiah O'Rourke tells him, The building will cost a great deal of money, will take a long time to build, and guiltless Buffalo will be the victim, Following is the letter sent to the Secretary of the Treasury by the American Institute of Architects, in relation to this monument: “oth January, 1894. To the HonorasLe Joun G. CARLIsLe, Secretary of the Treasury. Sir: Atthe annual meeting of the directors of the American Institute of Architects, held in New York on January 8th, 1894, a cut from a newspaper was submitted by its Buffalo Chapter, purporting to represent ‘a design adopted by the Hon, Secretary of the LIFE ‘Treasury for the proposed new Federal building for the city of Buffalo.” The Directors of the Institute believe it to be their duty to their profession, and to the whole community, to protest. Any structure of the general character of the design represented by the cut in question, if carried into execution, will be found absolutely wanting in the fundamental elements which go to make a public building, and will be condemned by the community, We therefore respectfully urge that you use your power to pre- vent the construction of this design. We have the honor to be Very respectfully.” This letter was signed by D. H. Burnham, President; George B. Post, as First Vice-President; Levi P. Scofield, Second Vice-President; Alfred Stone, as Secretary, and several other members of the American Institute of Architects. It is a melancholy thing that all this money should be spent upon so unworthy a structure, simply because a third rate architect happens to have a pull with an irascible politician, HE Pall Mall Budget, after asking which is the oldest tune in the world, proceeds to answer the question, and says: “Most people would guess the Delphic Hymn to Apollo, which was dug up the other day. But they would be wrong. It is the tune which is now wedded to the words ‘We won't go home till morning.’ Napoleon's soldiers played it in the shadow of the Pyramids in 1799, and the Bedouins who heard it wept for joy. It was found among the children of the desert by the Crusaders. I have no doubt that it was howled by Chaldwan chappies when they were merry with wine. It is—according to experts —the elemental, protoplasmic tune. And when you come to whistle it to yourself, it #s simple.” fa i ~~ 9 Tae Beas 13 rae a AAA ARAN : PROPOSED POST OFFICE FOR BUFFALO comicbooks.com