Daniel Burnham, one of the drafters of the Columbian Exposition, had the belief that even though he did not have a very successful or pleasing academic and work background, he would one day be successful at something if he could set his mind to and enjoy it. “He sought work in a field where he might be successful and took a job as a draftsman with the architectural firm of Loring & Jenney, (pg. 19 Larson).” Another example of Burnham wanting to continue becoming more successful was when he was building the mansion for John B. Sherman and was talking to Louis Sullivan. “He told Sullivan, in confidence, that he did not expect to remain satisfied doing just houses.” My idea,” he said, “is to work up a big business, handle big things, deal with big businessmen, and to build up a big organization, for you can’t handle big things unless you have an organization, (pg. 21 Larson).'” Burnham did just that too. As he and Root were the main drafters of the fairs architectural features, he worked with big businessmen. He, himself, was the business genius of the company.

John Root, another drafter of the Columbian Exposition, had the value of aesthetics/beauty of design. He was born with this gift, and Burnham always admired and pointed out that Root was the artistic genius of the firm. He didn’t have any intentions of knowing or pursuing anything on the business side. “Burnham understood that Root was the firm’s artistic engine. He believed Root possessed a genius for envisioning a structure quickly, in its entirety… At the same time he knew Root had little interest in the business side of architecture and in sowing the relationships at the Chicago Club and Union League that eventually led to commissions… Root played the organ every Sunday morning at the First Presbyterian Church. He wrote Opera critiques for the Chicago Tribune. He read broadly in philosophy, science, art, and religion and was known throughout Chicago’s upper echelon for his ability to converse on almost any subject and to do so with great wit (pgs. 26-27 Larson)”. Root loved and played music, and felt like he could see the buildings that he wanted to create in his head. He was very well self-educated in almost every subject, and had many artistic traits.

Dr. H.H. Holmes, the story’s antagonist, had fear and terror as a young boy when some of the older boys drug him into a doctor’s room with a skeleton in it, because they knew he was afraid of it. The boys thought that he would be extremely frightened, but in fact the opposite happened. He was thoroughly enthused and attracted to the skeleton, and became very curious about it. “‘It was a wicked and dangerous thing to do to a child of tender years and health,’ he wrote, ‘but it proved an heroic method of treatment, destined ultimately to cure me of my fears, and to inculcate in me, first, a strong feeling of curiosity, and, later, a desire to learn, which resulted years afterwards in my adopting medicine as a profession’ (pg 39 Larson).” This memory of how fear of skeletons turned into curiosity of the skeleton and human body, which later became his unhealthy obsession of dealing with bodies of people that he had murdered.

The timing rooms within the Hagia Sophia were prepared for the intent of keeping the time in order to instruct those within of when to pray within their walls. Prayer was integral to the Islamic traditions, which made the muvakkithane (timing room), extremely important to those inhabiting the Hagia Sophia. In part because the Islamic religion centered around praying five times a day, and with the help of time rooms keeping the time, they were able to stay on schedule and pray all five times at the correct times. In all, there are 38 timing rooms held within the Hagia Sophia complex and all were utilized for telling time and most were also used for praying due to the time being kept for that particular reason. Within a muvakkithane (timing room), can be found  muvakkit, also known as a teller of time. These were specially trained individuals whose sole purpose was to stay within the time room and keep the time for everyone else. They were well trained in the science of telling time using cues such as the sun.

As technology has progressed, the muvakkithane (timing rooms), have become less integral a part of buildings due to the invention of clocks and no need to measure the sun to keep the time. Because of this, many of the time rooms have now been utilized for different purposes, some even sold to create cafes or other public meeting places. Many of these timing rooms were the most beautiful parts of the Hagia Sophia.The timing rooms within the Hagia Sophia were prepared for the intent of keeping the time in order to instruct those within of when to pray within their walls. Prayer was integral to the Islamic traditions, which made the muvakkithane (timing room), extremely important to those inhabiting the Hagia Sophia. In part because the Islamic religion centered around praying five times a day, and with the help of time rooms keeping the time, they were able to stay on schedule and pray all five times at the correct times.

The muvakkithane were typically in the court yards of the larger Hagia Sophia. This gives them the sunlight that is needed for the telling of time during the day and night. There is also the moonlight that is let in through the windows as well that helps tell time and keep track during the night as well as the day. Interestingly enough, some of the muvakkithane doubled as observatories during the night. Depending on the level of intelligence of the time keeper, they could observe the stars at night. But if the intellect was not high enough, it was only used as a prayer room.