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write you his views to-day, and he expressed a strong desire that I should do the same.  He is really quite nervous about the situation - and even my unskilled eye could see plenty of reason for his worry.

As you know, moisture and dampness have already done considerable injury to the building, and the marble itself shows many evidences of injury incident to climatic conditions here.  Donaldson feels that a marble roof, if applied, is liable to prove faulty in the future and simply lead to a return of present difficulties.  I feel, too, that he is right.  If the structure were mine, I would certainly take off the present roof.  I would relay the parts which have been moved by contraction and expansion.  I would repaint the entire building and then recover the building with the Brown Hoisting Company's roof, and on top of that, I would put a thoroughly good course of the best asphalt and then over the asphalt, I would put a coat of white paint, and as often as necessary, I would repaint the roof merely for appearance's sake, and I would see to it that the joints are all carefully repointed at the slightest cause of failure.  Leakage and condensation are doing considerable injury to the building already, and it seems to me that if it is allowed to continue much longer, you will have very serious