462





Record   and   Guide.







— October 6,1894





;, • IT''-';;'

' ^,   ' !■,* iq;'.







The Ill-Mated Couitle.





lower stories, verges upon a feuiiuiue prettiness. Its neighbor
is markedly vigorous. Its vigor is carried in certain details to
the defect of brutality. This dirt'cieucc is. perhaps, emphasized
by a degree of similarity in the way the openings have beeu dis¬
posed of in the two buildings. In each alike, the wimlows are
gi-ouped in a central division, Hanked by solider iiierdike divi¬
sions. In the Postal Telegraph building these rlivisjons are
strongly marked by iirojectiou. whereas in the lloiiie Life the
parlitiou is ettedcrd merely by suiieitici;il aceeutnation. Indeed,
here we touch upon the essential distiuction between the two
designs. In the ca.se ofthe fonuer editice the desiguis slrnedtr-
esque. Il is built. Iu the ease of the latter it is, excepting one
or two parts, largely a mailer nf applique. F(u' exauqile, cnni-
pare the treatmenl nf the fnnr lower stnriesof (be two bitildinjrs.
In the Postal binldiug the " architect ure" is clciii'ly cou^^tructed.
In the Home Lite Wl^ have a quantity of np|)jied carving, taste¬
ful ill qmility, it i.s true, but forming tio more au organic part of
theedifice than .so much sgraHKto. 'We ha-sten to add that this
criticism is uot applicable, ul least in so great a degree, tn tlie
erowuing .stories nf the biulding. wliieh, in our judgineiil. form
oue of the mnst pieturesiine bils nf architeclure in tlie cilv,
Oue hesitates belnrei|ualify iug a seventeen-story " ^ky-.scrapei "
as festal; but certainly the Home I-ife buildiug has a eertaiii
rieuse air that eoulradicts the giim comnicTciali.'im of Ibe
aettiary. (hi the olhei' band, the obstrepeiousuess ot i-ommeice
fairly protrudes from Ihe Pnslnl building. Il ot1"ers no rseupe
to the peaceable |tasser-by. If one may say so, the desig-u is
written with a "commercial list." This is the defect of the
wenk. It fails upon the side of its virtues. But far more thau
is the case with its neighbor, is it nu effort at architectural ex¬
pression through consfi'ncti<m. Its defects are gross; whereas.
of the architects of the Home life buildiug we may say as Johu¬
son -said of Steele, "They have practiced ouly the "lighter vices."
The contrariety of the two designs, bnwevei', is the lunsl de¬
plorable fault of both. Either wnuld be better were the other
away. The artistic obtu.seiiess which the coufiiet bears witness
to testities to the strength of the Philistiiui iu the laud.

.1. C.





O'XE feature of Director of tho Mint Prestou's estimate of
the gold production of tbe world iu the current year has
received neauty att^'ution, and that is tlie prospect it throws out
of a change iu the relative positions of the gold producing
countnes.    Last year the United States was at fie head of the
list, with Australasia—which can hardly be reckoned as oue
country, being made   uj) of  sn  many  islands iu  the  Southeru
Paci lie. several of which are important—a close seeoud, and South
.\friea third with au output valued at about !HG,500,000 less
than tbat'of the United States.   In his estimate for 1891 Mr.
Preston gives the United States a total  pioducliou <d* ^42,000,-
"00. an increase of abtnil $(J,000,0|iO conqiared with last year;
Australasia  one  of  ff^H.s.OOO.OOU,   an   increase   nf   nbout   !\^2,-
2.".0,0(1(1, iind South Africa (me nf .^40,000.0(10, a gaiu of nearly
■-HIJ,7.'J0,000 over IbUli.   The gain for tlie.se aud other countries
all imt together Mr. Preston estimates at ft^20,.">00,000, so that
if    these    tigiires    prove     to    be    correct,    as    they   ven-
probably   will,    Sonth   Africa    will   have   a   larger   iucrea.se
than     all     the     other    gold    producing   conutvies,       (xiveu,
Ino,   a   maintenance   nt   the   iuerea.'^e   at    anything   like   the
same ratio, South Africa will lead the list of g<dd iiroduciug
countries iu 18!.lo.    As far as the United States is concerned, so
long as its gold production eoutiuues as suUstautial as it is,
."'^oulh .Vfiica's probable supremacy ill Ihis resjiect coueerus it
niily indirectly.   Bjit as iu ('iiumeratiiig   the many blessings
wliieb Providence has vouchsafed to this eouutry. that of pos-
ses.siug the largest preseut and latent treasure iu gold has been
a source of considerable pride to its citizens, the. great prolja-
bility of a chauge is wortliy of mention.   What the influeuce of
this exposiig of immense wealth will have on South Airica is a
much more iuteresting question.    The Uuited  States  is to-day
Ihe only large producer nf tlie precious metals which can iu auy
.sense    be   called   juosperous,   and    this    is   not   due   to   the
amouut    ot    gold   and   silver   it    produces.    Its    piosperit.v
is   founded   upon   its   agricultural    and    not    its    miueral
re.'Jouvces.    Mexico has for ceuturies prr)dueed silver iu large
and gold iu some .luautity, but she would not be tiikeu as a tjpe
of   uational   alttueaee.    Where   miuerjil   wealth   is   tlio   uiain