TIIK OMAHA SUNDAY 11KK: FEBRUARY 27. 1910.
I)
AFMINGTON 8 Birthday
I A M m.trked t.y the Hying of the rnr
Vy I nerstone of Douglas) county's
new i .ipm.ni) court hoii.
According t- rontraet with the
builders, Messrs Caldwell
Drake, tho beautiful structure should re
rejdy for wnpai)"' bv Mnv da v. I'M!.
Twenty months' time was specified fur the
building .f the new official home of the
county- xecutlve and udiulnlxti I Ivo staff.
Actual woik on tin" oftstru 'tlon l"cin
September 1. 1WI. eseevattori work having
bcrn stardd In M;irrh of t!tr .nu v.r.
When completed, Imuirlit county wilt
Iihvb one of the ni"st Imposing and mot
modern county J 1 1 1 1 " I n . in (he country.
Unlit of rtf'l and white tnnrble the struc
ture will hp a magnificent official home
for the Douicln county s rvant of thn
public. The location itself, on the te of
the olil court home, i nioM d'slrnhle.
.Mthouah much of the old hill hia h'-cn
cut down to permit the construction work
the main entranc- to the building on Kar
tmm street will b" from a pi and stairway
of stone, reaching in the top of the tercice.
Thus the beautiful eff't of the hill l',
mill rrmulns. .
All the finest effort of the rr.'if txmnn
will (To to make up the beauty of the struc
ti.ie. Of mammoth construction. In the
lirst place, the tame principle of grand
eur In to he carried out In the Interior.
Tlx re w III he spacious court room, officer,
cot rl.lors and waiting room. i;wrr room
lu the. building will ,c well lighted by the
sun, for ample prnvlHluii Iihh heen nmde
for windows. Interior decoration will he
(-iniple, yet appropriate for a public building.
John l.Ht.iiMT la the architect for the
leiv hflldlng. The structure ItFelf mrui
ure r6txl&0 feet. In the center of the
building extending from the main floor to
the roof I the rotunda, fifty-six fe.'t
square. The hall are spacious, the main
one being twenty-five feet wide, and tha
main corridor, extending east and went,
being 128 feet long. Although there If
simplicity In the decorative scheme, the
marble work alone In the Interior will co.-t
JllO.onO. This Is for the floors, the stair
cases.the panels above tha floor and the
Krand step.
Five elevator will erve the building.
,T hroe of these will be for general pas
senger service, a fourth will be used an
an entrance to the county Jail and the
fifth Is for the Jail kitchen. The Jail will
bo on the fifth floor. Prisoners will ba
i fcorted to the building; from the Seven
teenth street side. The patrol wagon may
bo driven Into tha building at the base
ment entrance. A space sixty feet square
Is provided. In order that the vehicles may
turn around. Above the fourth floor Is a
mezzanine story, seven feet high, devoted
entirely to piping- for tho Jail quar
ters. The hot water, cold water,
uaa, electric light, sewerage and heat
ing apparatus arm all confined to this
mezzanine floor, thus leaving- no exposed
piping- In the Jail. There Is no communi
cation between the court house proper and
the Jail except by the prisoners' elevator
and the kitchen elevator.
Below the main basement there Is a sub
basement, to be used exclusively fop pip
ing, electrlo wire connections and" sewage
p'pes.
BENNY HAVEN'S REAL HOUSE
Haa West l?oint Worshiped at the
Wrong: Shrine?
WHAT ABOUT THIS DISCOVERY t
Kiitleno that the Fsmoai Tavern,
Instead of Havingr Bean Burned
Down, la Still Standing;
Among; tho Hills.
WEST POINT. N. T., Feb. 23,-Down by
the shore of tha Hudson river under the
cliffs which terminate Just south of Butter
milk Falls there stood formerly a little
w eatherbeaten . house long known in the
neighborhood as the famous Benny Ha
vens tavern, which for over half a century
waa tha rendezvous of cadets from tha
nearby Military academy. When a little
over two years ago It was destroyed by
fire it was generally thought that the last
had been seen ot the famous tavern.
Very recently efforts were made to
obtain photographs of this old house in
order to perpetuate its memory in some
Permanent form. The search for photo
graphs led to an investigation regarding
.he authenticity of the structure. There
resulted the interesting discovery of evi
dence, first, that thla was not the Havens
house at all; second, that the original
house was pulled down about thirty years
ago, and. third, that the original house
still existed.
for? of the Tavern.
It was found that over the site occupied
by the tavern now pass tha rails of the
Weat Shore railroad, whose' construction
in the early '80s brought about the demo
lition of the Havens hoMse. Old residents,
however, have recalled that the building
was not destroyed at the time; but was
carefully taken apart and carted up the
hill. What happened next was recently
told by two sons of the man who bought
the Havens house and took It away. They
aided In the work and are still living in
the vicinity of the Havens site.
Their father owned a farm five miles
buck In the mountains southwest of the
military reservation, and there the house
was set up again and still stands, nearly a
hundred yeare old, in surroundings very
different from Its original situation. How
within three, or four years of the death
of Ilonny hlmseff it should have gone on
Its travels without attracting any special
attention is no less curious than the trans
fer of public attention to an entirely alien
structure.
The writer recently visited the new site
and i'ound the house to be according to
the statements of men who knew Havens
and have been entertained beneath his
1x11 f, essentially the same structure Wiat
stood on the river bank. The original brass
knobs are in tha doors, the iron hooks
from which hung lamps are In place In
the ceilings and even the don:ier window
near the roof, according to the testimony
of the present owner, Is out of plumb
just as It was In the first place.
The bar is gone, needless o say, and tha
basement where the drinks were mostly
h rved. and which was originally a long
open room haa been divided into several
rooms. What was formerly tha kitchen
wing of the house has betn transferred
from the north t tha south end of the
house. With these two exceptions thera
I no Important change evident. The p azza,
with Its railing and two flights of steps,
is said to ba the Identical one which once
ftonted tha Hudson.
Now It fronts the green floor of a quiet
mountain cove. Behind the house rises
Ixmg Pond mountain. Across the valley
' and a lake lie l.lvlening Hill, a part of
tha four or five hundred acre mountain
farm, mostly under forest, to which the
dwelling now belongs. Southw etwardly tha
valley winds gently among tha ii 11 la for
a few miles to Forest of Dean, where the
old Iron ininrs are, close to the northern
projection of tha tract recently offered
by Mrs. Harrlman as a state park.
In tha opposite direction one looks from
a, baud In tba road near tha houe dowa
iieh Grand Master Bowlino
M
One of tha Features of the construc
tion Is the arrangement of vaults. All are
large, well lighted and specially built. The
vault for the treasurer and register of
deeds Is sixty feet long, nineteen feet wido
and extends through two stories. Every
room In the building wtll be well lighted.
Double windows are provided and all
partitions are to be double. The rotunda
and hallways are trimmed with marble
wainscoting, seven feet above the floor.
The two main stairways will be of mar
ble with a wainscoting four and a half
feet high.
The third floor will ba divided Into four
quarters. These will be divided Into suits
and occupied by the four principal offices,
the treasurer, the clerk, the register of
deeds and the comptroller. The second
floor will be similarly divided and will be
occupied by the district clerk, the county
commissioners, the county Judge and the
Juvenile court The third and fourth floors
are the court rooms. The third floor has
two court rooms to the west and two to
the length of Long Pond and directly Into
the military reservation of West Point.
Sketch of On Burned.
The only sketch of the Benny Havens
house the writer could discover Is one
made for the cadet's camp Illumination
of 1907 by a graduate of the military acad
emy who Is now a brigadier general, re
tired. It was drawn partly from memory
and tha influence of the little house re
cently burned Is seen in the location of
the house In the sketch at a point on the
bank approximately the same as that oc
cupied by tha house long supposed to be
tha real one. It happened that tha artist
was awara that that house was not the
Benny Havens tavern, but for some rea
son ha does not seem to have communicated
his knowledge to hi brother officers to
any great extent.
Actually, according to the new witnesses,
the Havens house stood a little south of
the more modern structure and on the
extreme edge, of tha bank, so that it
almost overhung the water. Its front and
piazza in fact rising directly from a pier
whose pilings, finding a precarious foot
hold In the steep slope of rock at the river
bottom, were anchored In places by stones
and further held In position by re-enforcing
crossbeams. The land drops off so sharply
that large vessels could safely pull up to
Haven's dock.
To the north of the house a little stream
tumbled down the bank and beyond a
precipitous mass of rock rose well above
the treetops. The steep hill back of the
house was and Is still covered with thick
woods. Such was Benny Havens' nest.
In the old days when the woods overhung
the river it must have been an Ideally
beautiful spot and even the coming of the
railroad has not entirely driven away its
charm.
Some years before the railroad in
truded Havens' son, who had gone to
New York, entered a bank and apparently
prospered, developed a fondness for the old
place and spent money on it renovating
the house, building the present road which
leads to the river, and, not long before
Benny Havens died, constructing the flight
of stone steps seen in one of the Illustra
tions which lead down the hill along the
side of the cliffs.
Benuy an Institution.
Fully to understand who Benny Havens
was and why his name Is so closely asso
ciated with West Point it would be neces
sary to visit a class reunion or similar
gathering and hear the ringing song of
"Benny Havens, ohl" Havens was ,a
veteran of the war of 18li being flrat
lieutenant of a company organized and cap
tained by a resident of Highland Falls.
Shortly after tha war ha established a
place on tha military reservation where he
sold liquid refreshments of various kinds
and sundry eatables. It soon became the
thing among tha members of the cadet
corps to visit Benny's, and those visit
were not necessarily confined to tha limited
daytlm hours of reaplte from academic
duties.
Last tape frequently meant, not bed, but
Benny's. He is said to have dispsnscd
good cheer in comparative eeorecy for a
long time In his little retieat, bring vir
tually a aquatler on the national domain,
but the authorities of the military academy
were finally unuble to overlook him longer
and he waa expelled. Then it was that he
took up his residence at the river bank
location a mile or more further south.
There were three things In part'cular
that drew the cadets to Benny's tavarn. it
la not to be denied that the character of
the libations offered there was not the
Ifast of them. Neither, perhaps, was It
the gieatest. Almost equally famous W;th
the flip were tha pancakes and the other
edibles offered by hla board. Tha carieu
were some times glad to get a squurj mial.
or at least one that wu uppetlzin,?, fur
mesa in the old days was the opposite of
that of today with its high class kitchen
arrangements. Mess wa described during
the Havens' regime as being 'almost ex
clusively of beef, boiled, roasted or baked
for dinner; cold, sliced or smoked for
breakfast and supper; soup twice a week,
and bread pudding with molasses on soup
days." And so, although the orders were
torbiddeu u go U lieiiney'g the prohibition
op the Douglas County C
the east with the Judges' rooms and Jury
room facing Farnam and Harney streets.
By this meuns the court room are re
moved from the noise of traffic on Farnam
and Harney streets. Tho fourth floor has
two court rooms on the east and on the
west side I a double court room to be
used for criminal cases. The sheriff's of
fice Is located to the north.
The entrance to the building I through
three twelve foot entrances, thence to a
25x50 vestibule, thence Into the center of
the rotunda with the two marble stair
ways flanking right and left the three ele
vators, located Just south of the central
front entrance.
W ith moderate weather and unhampered
by the delays over which the contractors
have no control, the builders hope to have
the building ready for delivery early in the
spring of 1911. A large force of men Is now
at work placing the steel and utone and
as fast as building materials can be brought
to the site the big building will assume Us
true character. Stone by stone the mam
wag not effective, and great became its
fame as the feeding place.
Ills Personality.
A third reason why they went there was
the personality .of Benny himself and
this has become the great source of the
tavern's fame. He was a host of tha old
fashioned kind and was looked, on as a
friend and crony. As may be guessed, tha
hero of a song whose verses are legion
and are sung today all over the globe, was
a good deal of a character.
Old residents of Highland Falls who
knew him as a neighbor, with that short
ness of vision common when a prophet
arises, describe him as a plain, ordinary
sort of man, but he was unquestionably a
host of unusual parts and is said to have
been an accomplished raconteur. It Is re
lated that Poe, when a student at West
Point, waa Infatuated with him and would
steal away from the academy and spend
hours conversing with him. In later years
Havens told many a story in turn about
Poe, then famous.
The fame of Benny Havens is recorded,
of course, primarily In xhe endless army
song, "Benny Havens, oh!" Seldom, If
ever, is it found in published foAn Intact.
There is the official version and then there
is what may ba termed the unexpurgated
version. To the former It has long been
the custom to add a verse a year; to the
latter there is no limit.
Dr. O'Brien, originally an assistant sur
geon in the army, is credited with beins
tha composer of the Initial verses. With
the aid of others these grew to five In
number, and the number has never ceased
to grow.
First Verse of Famous Song-.
O'Brien had Just been commissioned a
lieutenant In the Eighth infantry, and be
fore Joining his regiment he stopped at
West Point to visit a friend, Major Ripley
Arnold, then a first class man. They mado
many excursions to Benny's, and thou
arose the sung, which was set to the tunc
of -The Wearln' o' tho Green," and of
which the opening verse Is:
Come, fill your glasses, fellows, and stand
up in a row,
To singing sentimentally we're going for
to go;
In the army there's sobrk-ty, promotion's
very slow,
So we'll sing our reminiscences of Benny
Havens, oh!
Oh, Benny Havens, oh! Oh, Benny Havens,
oh!
We'll sing our reminiscences of Benny
Havens oh!
A reminiscence relating to the death of
the author and of Benny's manner of re
ceiving the news Is one of the many etorlcs
which cluster about the old house now
standing In exile back in the mountains.
The description of tho condltiona under
which the cadeta had gathered at the tav
ern throws also an interesting light on
tha charm which made the riverside re
treat popular.
The time was midwinter and the hour J
one oeiore midnight. Three or four of the
Cadets had come down to tha place by
land, and as the snowcrust would not sup
port their weight had followed the road at
risk of detection. Instead of the course
through the woods, sometimes taken. Two
or three others had made their way from
barracks to Gee's Point, where tha light
house stands, and there put on skates and
glided a mile and a half down the frozen
Hudson to Havens' dock.
Inside the house they sat around a log
fire "that crackled Its merriest Christmas
carol on Benny's hearth." while "the flow
of old and holiday wine, the still more co
p'ous flow of Benny's paternal soul and tha
audible somerraults of the buckwheats,
punctual to the hour, preparing in the next
apartment, bade avaunt to the hobgoblin
of discipline."
Death of O'Brien.
Soon the singing began, and finally came
thla vere, dedicated to the originator of
the Benny Havens sons, who had Just died
for his country in Florida:
There comes a voice from Florida, from
Tampa's deadly bhorc.
It Is tin wail of tiallunt men, O'Brien is no
more:
In the land of sun and flowers his head
lies pillowed low,
No more to sing "Petite Coqullle" at
Benny Havens, Oh!
As all uncovered the hoet, "with that
ante pipe whose stem was rroportlim-
atelv u shrart mm hlmjiplf .nil ..ha t
Invariable emblems of his Identity, con
tracted that burlzoutaJly . axpauslva vuun-
of Nebraska.
ex
moth structure must ba pieced together.
For over twenty-seven years since Oc
tober 25, 182 the old court house has
served the people of Douglas county. The
growth and population and progress of
Omaha and Douglas county generally
sounded the call for the new building and
thn razing of the old.
The rock upon which the new county
building will rest was placed In position,
according to the beautiful ritual of ma
worry. Although Washingtons' birthday
was one of the coldest days of the winter
the ritual was carried out In its entirety,
although there were no addresses. All day
long the mercury havered about the zero
mark and to add to tlie frigid weather a
wind from the north swept over the city,
cold and piercing. It was one of those days
when the wagon wheels crunch and
squeak as they roll over the snowy pave
ments. The elements prevented a large
public demonstration, but, nevertheless, a
goodly crowd gathered about the northeast
corner of the block and tarried for a brief
i
.lV'V
u.n';.
BENNY HAVENS.
tenance that always appeared to have made
a treaty of peace with all mankind in
general and all reckless cadets in partic
ulu,r into a preponderance of vertical di
mension, drawn downward by a sincerely
heavy heart." Who w-ns the relator of this
Btory In the Weat Point scrap book Is not
generally known, but It might have been
any army officer later become famous, for
scarcely a man who studied at West Point
during Benny's days failed to cultivate
his acquaintance.
One Benny Havens Story.
The large majority of Benny Havens'
stories hao never found their way Into
print. One of those has to do with a
certain cadet who later became a generul.
He was captain of his company when a
member of the first claaa. which in itself
Is evidence of high standing. A few- days
before ho was to be graduated ha paid a
visit to Benny Havens and got caught.
He was not dismissed, but reduced to the
ranks.
Tha final dress parade, when the mem
bers of the first class march out on the
plain for tho !at time as a body, waa
carried out with tha disgraced cadet
marching In the ranks Instead of leading
them. It was very successful, and im
pressive, and one of the board ot visi
tors remarked that 'it could scarcely have
been finer, adding that he doubted, how
ever, whether tho members of the corps
could do so well unaided by the officers.
The superintendent of the academy took
up the Issue, asserting that the parade
would have been quite as well carried
out had anyone of the young men tha
visitor saw before htm taken charge.
"In order that you may have proof of
this," ha said, "I beg ou to pass down
tno line of cadets with me and pick from
the ranks any one of them you may ba
pleased to select, and If you are not too
tired we will then have the parade all
over again under thla cadet's command."
The visitor, though somewhat taken
back, could not very well refuse. When
he came to the dlsgraeied cadet, who was
holding his musket very rigidly, ha was
attracted by his military bearing and said:
"S'upposo wa let this young man take com
mand?" The cadets were almost convulsed at this
unexpected turn of affairs. In response to
an order tha cadet chosen stepped forward
and assumed command. He put the cadets
through every movement and evolution, and
never before, It U said, was such a parade
seen at West Point, to the unbounded ad
miration of the board of visitors and his
own partial restoration to favor. And it
was all due, Indirectly, to Benny Havens.
Jrff llivli' Kiiirrlrser,
One of the earliest men to suffer punish
;':' :rV': i-t,L. f:
ii:Mft ' mil -J
Masows Set the Corner-stone
ourt House.
half hour while th ceremony was In
progress.
Flags floated from the dome of the old
court house and flags, too, were hung
about the platform, where the services
were held. From the pinnacle of the
huge derrick that held the big stone sus
pended above it resting place the Stars
and Stripes swung In the cold wind. On
Hie platform fires had been kindled by the
workmen in the sheet iron stoves In order
to make the work for the masons mora
pleasant.
At noan on the appointed day the Dou
glas County Association of Nebraeka Pi
oneers gathered for its annual midwinter
picnic, planning to view the cornerstone
services. Owing to the severity of the
weather the pioneers gave up thi plan
of marching to the court house In a body,
remaining in session In their warm rooms
during the service. A delegation was
elected to bo present on the platform with
the masons during the service. The de
tachment was headed by W. I. Klerstead
ment for visiting Benny Havens was Jef
ferson Davis. At one time, according to a
story, Davis fell over a high cliff while
making a hasty escape from Benny's upon
the approach of an officer, and was almost
killed. On another occasion ha and five
companion! were caught there and . four
of them were expelled In consequence,
Davis may possibly have escaped because
of the logic of tho defence he Is said to
have offered, to the effect that "It is better
a hundred guilty should escape than one
righteous person be condemned,"
Although It will appear quite evident that
Benny was, officially, persona non grata
at West Point, even tha powers do honor
to him today. It is to be suspected that
not all of them, privately, frowned upon
him in the days of his reign. In the fly
leaf of one of the later descriptive books
on West Point, written by a former mem
ber of the Instructing staff, is the senti
ment: "To the memory of 'Benny Havens,
oh' this littlo volume Is fondly Inscribed."
In the Army and Navy club hangs his
painting, done by Julian Scott. And even
the library at Wt Point Is to shelter a
memento of the well loved tavern keeper.
Is It any wonder, then, that the old tavern
Itself should have become somewhat of
shrine?
Tribute to Benny.
Havens died on May !!S, 1877, in his 90th
year. It was not long before this toast
was added to the song:
But now the soften'd summer winds come
whispering to us low
That ha ot whom we oft have sung
Death's hand lie on his brow!
These granite hills surrounding us, by sun
all set aglow,
To them, our guardian angels, and to
Benny Havens, oh!
At hut deuth a mem'ber of the class of
1837 wrote th following, which reflects
much of the affection In which Benny
Havens was held by those who knew him:
O'Brien's harp was sweetly strung
And gave us Joy, long, long ago.
While we wltn union voices sung ,
Tno worth of "Benny Havens, oh!"
That harp now hangs on willow branch
And h of whom it sang lies low.
No more our stt:pa will seek his ranch
To gi asp the hand of "Havens, oil!"
For ninety years his eye shnije out,
And friendly smiles met friend and foe.
But now the spark of life's gone out,
No more we'll gro?t our "Havens, on!"
We lay his whitened locks beneath
The harden'd earth no pomp, no show
But granite rocks give burial wreaths.
And soft May winds chant "Havens, oh!"
He ran his course we all do that
God crowns the victor, high or low!
To him we pray Requlesoal
Jn pace "Benny Havens, oh!"
Some of the Hons.
Hera are a very few of the countless
verses of the famous song:
To tba ladles of tha Empire state, whose
hearts, and albums too.
Bear sad remembrance ot tha wrongs wu
stripling soldiers do.
Wa bid a fond adieu, my boys; our hearts
with sorrow flow;
Our loves and rhyming had their source
at Benny Havens, ohl
To tha army's brave commanders, let now
our glasses flow.
We'll drink to Grant and Sherman and to
the subs also;
To Thomas, Meade and Sheridan (these
come in a propoa).
Who hesitates to drink to them at Benny
Havens, oh!
To our comrades who have fallen, one cup
before v e go,
They poured their life blood freely out pro
bono publico;
No marble point tha stranger to where
they rfst below.
They lie negllcttd far away from Benny
Havens, oh!
When you and I and Benny, and all the
others too.
Are called before tha "final board" our
course of life to view,
May we never "feiis" on any point, but
straight be told to go
And Join the army of tha Blest at Benny
11
lavens, oh!
'TIs said by commentators, when to other
worlds wa go
We follow tha same handicraft we did In
thla below;
If thla be true philosophy the sexton ba
eaya "K0"
What daya of ong and danca we'll have
at Benny Haven, oh!
A Bachelor's Reflections.
Woman suffer and man groans
Going Into politics la climbing a greased
pole.
Tha time a man want to back fits Judg
ment the hardest 1 whn it's wrong.
There are few things more exhausting
than having to pretend to be amused by a
funny man.
The fascinating tiling about an argument
1 j our hope that w lien the other follow Is
iiyot you in'sht make somebody think he
la wrong New loik I'tess.
and Included Judge I-ee Kstelle. Fred B.
Loe, Ooodley BrucKer, Joseph llcdman
and John Drexel.
At 2:46 o'clock In the afternoon the pro
cession formed at the Masonic temple and
moved thence to tha northeast corner of
the site. Hughes' band, playing a lively
march, headed the procession, followed by
a delegation from the pioneers and the
lodges of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons. The masons were headed by
Alpha Morgan as marshal of tha grand
lodge and by Krnest H. James as marshal
of Nebraska lodge. No. 1. Officer of tha
grand lodge had complete charge of the
ritual of cornerstone laying. Grand Master
Michael Howling, clad like the others in
the full regalia of the order, presided.
Owing to the severity of the weather
there were no speeches. First there was
read the Invitation from the Board of
County Commissioners to the Masons, ask
ing that the stone be placed according to
the ritual of Masonry. The county com
Brandeis Theater
(Continued from Page Three.)
the space above, heightened by the slender
lines of an Ingenious system of alectrlo wir
Ing and controlling cordage operating the
flies. A wobden floor of wide, roomy ex
panse covers the stage surface, and, by
the way, this Is tha only bit of wooden
flooring in tha house. Tha walls whloh an
close the three sides of tha stage contain
only Iron, concrete and brick. In front
hangs a stout asbestos curtain of excep
tional weight. Tha stage Is covered only
by tha roof above, a utretch of skylight
In prismatic wire re-enforced glass. In
this covering are two broad movable sec
tions which can be raised by a, simple
mechanism. Thus the stage represents a
space enclosed with walls ilka those of
furnace, with an opening at tha top. In
the event ot fire, the only Inflammable ma
terial would be enclosed there by the fall
of the asbestos curtain. The sections In
the roof would open and the scenery could
go up in smoke with the audlenoa sitting
before It in as much safety as at the grate
fire In the sitting room.
The switchboard which operates the elec
trical appliances and Illumination of both
the stage and tho auditorium Is the most
complete yet devised. Row after row of
shining copper switches and controller
handles give it a most business-like ap
pearance. The equipment of "dimmers,"
devices for the graduated dlmunltlon of tha
lighting current has been multiplied In the
Brandeis switchboard to three times that
ot the ordinary board. The arrangement
permits the electrician to graduate the
light from the palest glow of the incan
descent bulbs to the full dazzling glare at
the utmost limit of their power.
The lights of the theater are wired in a
wonderful system of connections permitting
the ready and Instantaneous control of
any Individual group. The workmanship
of the electrical fittings embodies the most
efflcent that engneers have devised. Tha
work ot the theater stage requires a
peculiarly effective system of insulation
and positive contacts. It a single series
of lights should fail the picture before the
audience would bo spoiled. There must be
no mistakes, no failures.
Those suspended banks of lights, known
in tho vernacular ot the stage man as
"borders," which hang above the scene
end from their concealed position cast the
Illumination on the actors below, have
been Installed In doubled allowance In tha
Brandeis stage. Four border light banks
carrying on each enough gloves to permit
the use of two colors on each of the double
row of lights, thus affording eight possible
variations In color alone, have been made
u purt of the fittings. With the dimmers
thrown on these circuits an endless number
of effects are within the grasp of the man
who handles the little ebonite levers on the
switchboard.
The big walls above the stage are marked
by the zigzag lines of the iron stairways
that lead to the fly galleries and
to the fire escapes which connect
with every aperture, even to the
topmost. The platform from which the
files are handled Is a broad Iron flooring
some twenty-five feet from the stage floor.
This runway is protected by sturdy Iron
ratlings.
The counter-balanced hangings above will
permit of the suspension of eighty-five
pieces, If the settings of any scene should
make this unusual demand. Here as In
other appointments the equipment Is
planned with a large factor-of safety. There
Is plenty and to spare.
t'nlque In stage construction I a big
elevator from which an automobile or a
team of horses, even a locomotive. If tha
situation demanded it, can ba driven from
tha street into tha theater and lowered to
the stage. This elevator Is a big platform,
about tha size of tha floor of a box car,
yet Its operation Is silent and certain.
The dressing rooms are. to the north of
the stage, connecting by an ample stair
way. Thn dressing rooms are brightly
lighted and cheerful. There has bean
thought taken for the comfort and con
venience of the actor folk there. Tha star
dressing room I quite a little palace of
Itself. Each of these numerous dressing
rooms haa Its proper appointments and
fittings. Tha bold concrete walls have
their strength cloaked with bits of decora
missioners Fred Pru
runlng. O. 3. Plokaid. i
... k m A . a "
T. J. Trainer and Jeff W. Bedford w: 4
preent on the platform. Very Rev. Qeottl
A. Beeehcr, chaplain of tha day, read U
xxlv 1'salm and pronounced the Invocation,
following which a quartet sang "Tba
Txcellrnt Master." Net the list af rtiolaalx
placed in the cornerstone oil raad. Tb
the huse stone was slowly lowered Into
place, the trowel being handled br Orand
Master Howling. After tha quartet aang
"The Flag Without a Pt.tln." Mr. Dowllng
gave the formal explanation of tfca) Imple
ments of Masonry. Thi n followed tfca fat
ing of the stone, the announcement th It
had been well laid and the singing of
"America" by the audience.
During the few hours preceding the lay
ing of the stone there was a scramble t
get re -ords deposited In the new utone. All
the articles that had been taken tioin the
old cornerstone were lianKfeired to the.
new receptacle and In ndiiltlou vile j:c "l
copies of the Omaha " ! i . of I'd ruuiy
copies of most Of Otriilui' i.uio ..in! v,ai u
publications, list ot u II .n:i.c.vs ,:i thn
county offices, the io-uc. oi cty o.'i.oia V
the las of Free Mnsonry und the fi'll o?
varlom Nebraska oianLrati jinn, '."lie cop
per box placed wllhln the stone is tuna
the slzo of the receptacle In vhe old cotnc -atone,
measuring lHxlHtlo Inches. I.IK I
predecessor. It was made b Milton T'.ogei i
& Sons.
In transferring the coniri.: of the uM
cornerstone to the tu-w tlieic enter a b't
of sentiment. After an untllstui bed tet '
twenty-seven year the old store ui piled
from the wall and conveyed to the 1 001114
of the Board of County Ovnmlsslonor.
there to be opened. Tim bo had been
hermetically ealrd and cold chisehi ku.I
file were necessary to break the cover.
Contents of tho box were Just a fremi
and crisp as they wero when burled In
1W2. Copies of The Omaha Hco, the Herald,
the I'ost and Telegraph and llepubllcan and
the Nebraska Watchman were Just as ncV
as though they had Just been run off the
press. Tho full typewritten address ilu
llvered by Andrew J. Poppleton tho day lit
the dedication was also in the box. It waa
iso In the box. It was
h and the imprint Jusrr
It had Just been sun-'
unstained and smooth
as good a though It
mltted by the stenographer. There were a
number of Japanese, Chinese and Other
coins that had been donated by Juliui
Meyers. An Interesting feature was the
old "shin-plaster" paper money in small
denominations running from I cents 10 M
cents.
In the bottom of the box was a thin brass
tablet or sheet on which had been engraved
the history of the court house and tha
names of state and county officials at that
time. It stated that $188,000 had been ap
propriated for the building of the county
building. Tax payers have since learned
that It cost them one-fourth more than that
amount. On the Insldo of tha top lid was
the engraving, "Made by C. F. Berger, with
Milton Rogers & Sons, Omaha, Neb., Oato
ber 18. 1881"
Daniel Shane, who was superintendent of
the construction on the old building and
who also has charge of the building of
the new structure, was present when lis
box wa opened.
tive work and plaster. There Is no unfin
ished or neglected corner. Special atten
tion has been devoted to the sanitation ot
the section and even the lowliest chorus
girl In the back row is assured of a clean,
oomfortable dressing room well lighted and
ventilated.
PRATTLE OF THE YOUNGSTERS.
Papa Mamma says you were a good boy
taday. so here's a penny.
Little Fred Make it two, papa, an I'll
be gooder tomorrow.
"Nellie," said the teacher, "you may tell
ma bow to make a maltese cross."
"Step on its tall," answered Nulle
NbiU
r
promptly.
Old Gentleman (as funeral procession Is
passing) My good boy, can you tell me
who Is dead 7
Good Boy Ye, sir. The person inside
the hearse, sir.
Teacher You don't know what this
word Is 7
Pupil-No.
Teacher What Is your ooat made of?
Pupil Father's old pants. '
"Well, my little man," queried the min
ister who was making a call, "do you al
ways do as your mamma tell you?"
'You bet I do," answered the precocious
6-year-old, "and so doe papa."
Mother (sternly) Tommy, who drank the
milk In tha pitcher? Tell the truth, now!"
Tommy I drank It, mamma. I wanted to
see If It was sour.
Mother Wall, suppose It bad been tour;
what then?
Tommy Why, then I wouldn't have drunk
it, see? ,
"Why are we admonished to cast out
bread upon the water?" queried the teacher '
Of the Juvenile Sunday school class.
T-anuA thn fishes hivi to he fed." re
plied a small pupil.
Aunty," said little Constance, "don t s
you want some of my candy?"
"Thank you, dear," wus tha reply.
Sugared almonds are favorites of mine."
"The pink or the white ones?" aojt
the little tot.
"The white ones, please."
There was silence until the last piece
had disappeared.
"They ra all pink ! first, aunty."
remarked Constance.
"Wall, Harry," uid the minister, win
was making a call, "do you think you
will be a bettor boy this year than you
were last?"
"I hope so," replied the little fellow. "I
wus sick mors than halt tha time last
year."
Utile BessieMamma, how'll I know
when I'm naughty?"
Mother Your conscience will tell you,
dear.
Little Bessie I don't care about what
it tells me will it tell you?
Joe was a delicate little feilvw who had
never had any associates of hi own ag. ,
Then, too, ha waa vary modest. Missing
htm one day his mother went out into
tha back yard and this is what she saw;
Tha turkey gobbler waa strutting arounil
with every feather stretched to Its limit,
and little Joe waa trotting behind, slap
ping htm gently ones In a while and say
ing softly, "Put down your clothes! Put
down your clothes!"
There Is a lad of 10 living In a Pennsyl
vania town where tho schoolmasters still
employ tha rod In order that tha child
may not be spoiled Who found him salt
liable to that form of chastisement at tha
hands of his teacher, ( d
As tha youngster appro hed tha princi
pal tha fierce aapeot of tha la. tier" a coun
tenance, together with tha sight of t tie
upraised cans quite undid him and ha be
gan to blubber.
Than, Innocently, and doubtless with,
soma vagua recollection of a visit to tha
dentist, ho stammered:
"Please, air; may may I takl iuf