[Illustration: {uncaptioned}]
Nebraska’s capitol, designed by Bertram Goodhue, is one of the beautiful
buildings of the world. Twenty years ago, disputatious words were
circling round its budding tower—derogatory, complimentary, acrimonious,
laudatory. But the capitol rose silently thru this swarm of words and
today stands superbly in completed perfection. Controversy has died
away, and there are probably few Nebraskans who are not proud of the
capitol’s majesty and timeless beauty.
Opening a forgotten drawer recently we came upon the dusty drawings of
Mr. Goodhue’s rivals in the capitol competition of more than twenty
years ago and found them yawn-provoking. Only the one chosen seemed
alive, rising into the sky, even on its yellowed paper background, as
tho from some inner compulsion.
The capitol has many moods. Sometimes she wraps a dark cloak somberly
about her. The next time one turns to look, she shimmers in a cloak of
light. The capitol is beautiful in all her moments—silhouetted against
the blue, against storm or twilight, or against the limitless background
of night.