Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1898 [PAGE 192]

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192

UNIVEKSITY OF ILLINOIS.

[Sept. 21,

T h e F i n a n c e C o m m i t t e e reported b a c k t h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n with regard to a g r e e n h o u s e (see p a g e 186) and advised its adoption. Mr. S m i t h moved t h a t t h e p l a n s for a g r e e n h o u s e made by Messrs. L o r d a n d B u r n h a m and t h e i r proposition for t h e erection of t h e s a m e be accepted; t h a t t h e sum of $5,000.00 be a p p r o p r i a t e d for t h e cons t r u c t i o n of t h e b u i l d i n g , h e a t i n g a p p a r a t u s , l i g h t i n g , a n d walks, a n d t h a t t h e C o m m i t t e e on B u i l d i n g s and G r o u n d s , P r e s i d e n t D r a p e r b e i n g associated with t h e c o m m i t t e e in t h i s matter, be instructed t o proceed at once with t h e work. T h i s motion was adopted. Mr. R a y m o n d r e p o r t e d from t h e F a r m C o m m i t t e e r e c o m m e n d i n g t h e a p p r o p r i a t i o n of $100.00 for the W i n t e r School in A g r i c u l t u r e , and $800.00 for t h e erection of a s u i t a b l e b u i l d i n g for a wagon-house and t h e shelter of farm machinery, etc. T h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n of t h e committee was adopted a n d money was a p p r o p r i a t e d in a c c o r d a n c e therewith.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.

T h e following report from t h e C o m m i t t e e G r o u n d s was received a n d ordered p r i n t e d :

on

Buildings

and

To the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. GENTLEMEN:—Your Committee on Buildings and Grounds begs leave to make the following report of its actions on the matters in its hands. The Committee has had charge of the improvements ordered by the Board, which have been more extensive than usual. The committee has had several meetings from time to time during the summer at which most of the members were present. Library Hall—The library building was completed and accepted the first part of August, and settlement made with the contractors. Mr. Gleason, the sub-contractor for the brick and stone masonry, filed a claim for about $5,000.00 for extra work and damages for delays caused by the general contractor. It seemed very probable that the settlement of this dispute would go into the courts and delay our settlement with the contractors unless we could make other arrangements. Your committee, therefore, ordered the payment of all the bills of sub-contractors in full, except that of Mr. Gleason, and the taking of a bond from the contractors to the amount of $10,000.00 to make good any losses that might fall to the University in the settlement of the disputed claim. The final settlement on the library building can not be made until the dispute between the general contractor and Mr. Gleason has been adjudicated. The building itself seems very well built and your Committee and the architects are well pleased with the work done by the contractors, The H. M. R. Construction Company. Decoration of Library Hall—Early in the summer the Committee took up the subject of decorating the library building. The architects laid before the Committee several designs in competition from prominent decorative artists t which the Committee considered very carefully. As a result of the competition Professor N. M. Wells, of New York, was engaged, to do the decorative work for the sum of $3,500. The members of the Committee were very much pleased with Mr. Wells's designs and have no doubt that when the work is completed it will be admired by all who visit the library building. This work is going on now, the more elaborative decorative features to be finished later in the year. Apportionment of Booms in Library Hall—It was decided by the Committee that the new Library School should be given the room above the book stacks and that an iron stairway be put in that story to the book room below. The west basement wing was set apart for the Art Gallery, the east basement