Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-01-05

GERS III CHaI8e u Ihc SceCiN S1uAOJ oAiieSs'l
Of this county, appears worthy Of more
than q passing notice; especially SO when
it is considered that tie old Clerk Of the
Board and Clerk Of the Circuit Court,
Messrs Beach and CLARK, had held their
respective offices and faithfully discharged
their duties torso many years. So entirely
satisfied had been the public with their ser
vices, that scarcely any efforts had been
made for several years to superscde them
and at the late county convention, but for
their positive refusal to serve, they would
PROFESSIONALLY have been re-nomnated and
elected Mr.. Beach was elected from Bee
town in the year 81 to fill an odd year in
the office Of Clerk of the Board; the sub
sequent year be was reelected, and thence
forth was rc-nominated by acclimation by
bis party at each biennial county conven-
ton and elected, till the fall of go, when
he declined further serving the county as
clerk. AT the time Of his first election
the county records in almost every depart
ment were confused, having been in hand:
mostly since the organization Of the county
OF officers who lacked system and bushes;
knowledge. The department which he hac
been elected to fill was in a collapsed state
more so than any other, notwithstanding
the slight pains Of his predecessor to put
it in order. Mr.. Beach proceeded to ar
arrange, sort and file the bushels Of old
papers and put them in order for reference
then he planned and opened new books
listed the sale certificates and inyentoried
the county lands and other property
/ This was the work of months and required
extraordinary patience and perseverance,
especially as no pay was in expectancy tc
reward him. He aimed at perfect order
and system and by industry and patience
| the office at last became model institu
ton. Any paper or bit Of information
since sought for has been under his mo-
Inentary command, and SO perfect has
everything been kept that scarce an error
has been detected, paper lost or item OF
| information failed to be delivered-if the
same belonged to his department. His
Office thenceforth became model for the
ether offices, and his example became the
pattern for every other officer to work af-
ter. The effect may be imagined. The
office Of the Clerk Of Circuit Court was
oyerhauled. by Mr.. CLARK, who came in
shortly after Mr.. Beach. This department
also soon became perfect for reference;
new books were planned and opened
Subsequently, the Registers Office, County
Judges Office, and the Treasurer's office
were all re-organized and brought under
system. A perfect cleaning out and refor-
nation was visible everywhere. Of late
years the records, reports and orders of
tie Clerk of the Board have become laws
of the Board Of Supervisors; and such
has been the confidence Of members in his
transactions and in his opinions on the
right and wrong Of questionable proceed
ings that he became the master wheel
around which the Board appeared to re-
volye. He feared not when members got
into wiangle about trifling matters to
tell them to behave like decent men, do up
their business and 20 home to their fam
lies That oycrbearing class of men who
have managed to obtain above their share
of acres aad sections, and whose practice
ofton is to rally for the ownership Of county
officers, had long ceased to ask special and
accustomed favors of Mr. Beach, for rea-
sons best known to themselves.
On the part Of Mr.. Evans, who has held
the office Of Register fer but four years, the
public owe him the fullest thanks foI like
strict attendance to business, and for per-
fecting a system Of keeping the records
which cannot be improved. In most coun-
ties the difficulty and labor Of tracing titles
are so great as to render abstracts almost a
necessity. Not SO in Grant; SO perfect
and reliable are the index books arranged
that in a few minutes almost any property
may be traced to its patent. We learn
that for the first time iii the history Of this
Office, Mr.. Evans delivers to his successor
his index books perfected to the very date
Of his vacation The practice Of every
preceding Register was to neglect the in
dexing Of records for several months before
the expiration Of bis time--under the plea
that his predecessor had done just SO. It
is to Le hoped that in future this example
OF AIR. Evans viii be followed.
In the remaining county offices in which
changes are made, there is but little to do
Y Ia fha ,,,attar af raoop,t;o.