The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-08-06
Fur the fiats CITY.

Court MoMse and Jati at Keokuk
n TO THE CITIZENS OF Ktokrx The Legis.
lature of Iowa, at Its late session, enacted
that the County Judge OF Lee County should
erect in the City Of Keokuk Jail and Are
proof Hall of Record, Tor Court House -
Certainly nothing could be moro just and
proper than that the chief commercial city
OF the State, as well as Of the county, where.
from the large amount OF business transact.
cd, it's location at the foot Of the rapids and
the head of uninterrupted navigation, avery
large amount Of civil and criminal business
naturally concentrates, should possess such
public county buildings as may be necessary
for the transaction of the public business,
and in their location, style of architecture
and surroundings be an ornament to the city
and the pride of the Empire County of Lee.
These conditions shoald be insisted upon,
and nothing short of them should be ap-
proved or accepted BY you. Now read the
following:
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.
Council RooN,
| Aug. 2, 1858.
The Mayor, from the committee appoint
ed to confer with Judge Boyles in relation to
the building of a Court House and Jail,
made the following report
Gentlemen Of the City Council:
In accordance with your direction your
committee in connection with myself have
conferred with Judge Boyles in reference to
the building Of Jail, Court House and Of
ices, and have instructed me to report
That We have effected an arrangement
with Judge Boylcs, by which he willAgree to
proceed without delay to erect large and
substantial Jail, upon the rear ends Of lots
7, 8 and 9, in block 20, and that be will erect
Court House and Offices Of approved plan,
upon a part of same lots of the city fronting
upon 4th street, on the alley.
| Provided, the city will convey to the coun-
ty, for that purpose, one-third OF the three
lots owned by the city on thecorn OF John
son and 4th streets; the county paying there
for one third Of the original cost of said lots
with the interest thereon.
Fellow-c citizens, are you willing to ratify
a sale to the county of one Of those lots--on
which, one Of these days, you will want to
erect city hall at the ridiculous price
agreed upon by your Mayor and the County
Judge, viz six hundred dollars--the origin
al cost some years since, aud interest since,
amounting to perhaps one hundred dollars
more--not one-tenth of the sum the lot
might have been sold for last year, or of
what 1t will bring in year or two from this
time? But, however this may be, main.
tain that even il the price named were the
full value Of the lot, that the city ought not
to sell it, but should reserve it for city pur-
poses, and that the county ought not to pur-
chase it for the reason that the quantity OF
ground is entirely too small for this purpose
the lot being only 46 feet inches front on
the street by $50 feet in depth; on this are to
be erected court house and Jail, with Office,
for the use OF the county. Now, what kind
OF a court house can be built on frontage
Of 4G feet inches, if you are to have nny
light or ventilation from the sidesy To be
sure you would have one side Of your court
house on narrow and perhaps filthy alley
but if built in the usual style of court
houses, with Offices on the first floor and thu
court room above, you would be subject K
have the light upon the other side entirel,
excluded by the erection of buildings al
joining. In addition to this, there would b,
the danger from FIRE, surrounded as the cour
house would be, on every side, with othe
buildings.
say nothing Of the location Of the Jail
, which would necessarily be in the rear o
1 the court house, on the alley. 1t is no
usual TO consult the wishes, comfort o
health of those whose crime or misfostun
make them the unhappy inmates Of such in
I situations, and it is probable that with car
n in its construction il might be rendered n 0
/ much, il any, worse than the celebrated Bias
!. tile Of Paris.
II you refuse to sell this lot on the term
1 proposed, the County Judge, with grea
2 magnanimity, presents you with another al
i tentative. We quote from the report Of tn
= Committee Of Council;
n Or Judge Boyles will erect the Jail an
\ Court House upon any other site in the cit
; between End and 9th, and Bank and Concel
o streets, provided two full and suitable lot
y are procured for that purpose, at cost nc
d exceeding eprice Of !he first named ground
/. Whereupon Alderman Smith offered the fol
y lowing:
l. Resolved, That the report of the commit
10 tee be received, and that said committee b
Q and are hereby authorized to close the con
= tract for building tho same upon the pla
proposed in the report just submitted. Al
D. derman Bishop moved to lay said resolutio
D upon the table till next meeting.
r Resolution carried.
q "oh ye Gods and little fshes,"
!. Two lots, ''fuH and suitable" in the City Q
h Keokuk, between End and Sth and Bank an
a Concert streets, sat cost not exceeding
!. about three hundred dollars ssa piece, pa
. much less as you please. Property holder
. in that highly favor region will please nc
II oil speak at once = every one fai
!. chance, and don't g. 1t under" too much i
price. Owners Of property on Main stre.
are particularly besought not to take any IN
9 due advantage Of the Judge by getting thei
!. property of to the county at such an extravs
d giant, price.
A Three hundred dollars each for two lots
IN . n 4 4