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Show HE ODTVVITTED THEM. Th Clever Manner in Which the E!u" lira A rein toot Scored a Faint on the Oomtnittee. PLANS THAT FAIL TO PLAN Mr. Apponyi Leaves a Poathumus Chapter Chap-ter to Haunt Those Whom Ee Hoodwinked. Now It dawns that the city has paid for goods that were not delivered, and that the wary Mr. Apponyi has again outwitted them. Several days ago tho secret unlocked its fetters and leaked out. It was held by a close corporation for some days, but it was too good to keep from the reporters. re-porters. Apponyi came here as an importation im-portation to furnish plans and specifications specifi-cations for the projected new city hall. There was a flourish about his work that tickled the Ribs or Eitrarag aace. and the eye of the fastidious. A contract con-tract was made with him. His work smacked of Venetian elegance. Ho was tin ally employed to superintend the erection of the structure that thus far is confined to a hollow excavation and tho gorgeous tracings on the canvas. can-vas. A question then arose as to the adaptability of the architect's plans to the structure that towered before the municipal mind. Experts were recruited re-cruited and tho plans were critically scrutinized. They advised that Apponyl'a Kanolful Work be set aside, that they be fired into the potential waste basket as unsuited for the purposes in view. The building committee over which Councilman Hall presided took the matter under consideration. They held the plans up to the light and found a flaw. They lid not lire them but fired the artist i who in turn struck a defiant attitude ' and threatened to drag the city into interminable in-terminable and expensive litigation. Already the architect had drawn lavishly lav-ishly on the municipal till and when the matter began to grow more complicated compli-cated a compromise was taken under consideration. It was the opinion that while Apponyi had Made a llotrh of It the plans could be patched up. To this the architect assented, and for $.00 in baud paid he agreed to turn over the plans. T'-Je compromise was recommended recom-mended to the connoil, Apponyi delivered de-livered what purported to be the plans, . got an order on the municipal ex- ' chequer, cashed it, and disappeared in the path of lleeting time. A chapter, however, was revealed in the case a few days ago when the plans were again consulted. It was ascertained that the plans did not lan any more than the ifel tower would have supported itself upon the bosom of the air. Apponyi bad simply delivered the structure on which ho had Lsrlehed lilt Skill by night and day in installments. He had turned over only about one-third of what he bad contracted to do. The remainder re-mainder of this rosy architectural apple fell into other hands. No, dear reader they did not go with the architect. They remained hero to haunt the committee com-mittee whom he had outwitted. This is true if the assertions of responsible responsi-ble parties who claim to know all about it are true. They are in town and for a reasonable consideration might be induced to come from their moorings and supply The Missing Links. Jn the batch. The policy of the committee, com-mittee, however, has been to remodel, reviso and to eliminate all objectionable features in the plans, ana to force them if such a thing is posssible, into active service. Can they do it? Competent architects say not. All that can be derived from the plans they contend con-tend would be a bad batch to p;itch up at exorbitant rates. From the llr.it they were criticised severely by contractors. contrac-tors. Mr. Coots, who is in thecity today and who has the contract for building the Omaha city ball at a cost of $1,500,-000, $1,500,-000, says they represented such a nightmare night-mare and such An Air Castle that he sent them back and declined to bid. Nor, says he, the contractors never have been admitted to the details of Apponyi's plans. They were in the dark from the start. Architects who itudied them and their specifications stat that they called for a structure that could (jave cost no less than $400,-000, $400,-000, and that some contractor groping in the dark placed bis bid at 289,000, a figure that would surely have literally wrecked him tinaneially. This figure did not include the Cost of the Tower. Mr. Kletting is said to have stepped in now and volunteered to patch up the work to furnish the missing links in the plaus and to furnish a duplicate of what Apponyi had failed to turn over In his compromise. This, at a cost of $2000, would be an expensive tribute to the memory of importation who came without with-out duty and went forth as a voluntary exportation. He was n lily championed by Mr. Hall and Mr. Half is a formidable formida-ble champion when Hit Heart is la the Work, ' But the whole affair is a botch' and it is better to retrace ami begin a new beginning. Kow give the local architect a chance. Apponyi, as prime judges will testify testi-fy dil not enjoy any monopoly on the architectural skill of the universe nor of Salt Lake City. |