The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-11-03
That Appropr,aa,on.

to submit the proposition to the voters Of
this county for the improveme Mt Of our
present court house and to build an addi-
ton thereto. 1 have been requested to
say something through your columns in
support of it.
In the first place, drew the petition
by request OF some OF our largest tax pay
ers. complied with the request as best
could, and think the petition contains
sufficient reasons for at least submitting
the proposition to vote Of the people,
and but comparatively few having seen
the petition, L herewith insert copy OF
it which reads as follows:
To the Honorable Board OF County
Commissioners of Lyon county Kansas:
On account Of the unsafe condition of
the Records and papers Of the several
county officers Of this county as to dam
ger Of fire, as the safes for their protec-
than cne-haif of them at the present time;
and en- account OF the want and necessity
Of more room for the officers; and on ae-
count OF the disagreeabieness and I'M
healthfulness Of the jail and jaiIor's resi-
dence; and on account OF the great need
of fire-proof vault for the safe keeping
Of the records and papers Of the seVe raj
county officers; and on account OF the
present low price Of material and labor,
we, electors and tax payers OF this coun-
ty, would respectfully petition your hon
orabie body to submit proposition to
the voters OF this county, for the purpose
OF authorizing your honorable body, or
your successors In office, 30 appropriate
or cause TO be levied and collected a suf-
1cient amount OF money to build an adj
dition to the present court house. and to
Fe-arrange and repair the present court
house in manner to meet the demands
as herein set forth and prayed for, said
amount not to exceed six thousand dol
lars.
We think the above arguments enough
for those acquainted with the facts as
above stated. But for the benefit of those
not SO well acquainted with them we
would say for their information that there
is but one (if any) Office Of record in the
county that more than one-haf the pa
pers and records in them have any protec-
ton from fire, and one of the most respon-
sibie offices for the people in the county
is not kept at the court house. Ispeak
Of the office Of probate judge. the records
of which If destroyed would probably
cause you more trouble and expense than
those OF any Office in the county, except
the office OF register Of deeds, as the pro-
bate judges Office contains the records
OF the partially settled and settlements of
the estates of diseased persons. The
most important Office at present, and
probably alWa avs will be to the whole
people, is the Office Of register of deeds,
containing as all know the records OF tie
ties of all the lands in this county, the
destruction of any one of which would
impair the evidence OF the title to large.
amount of the real estate of this CO unity
The experience Of Chicago is argument
enough for this office. So far as the de-
struction of the records OF that Office is
concerned, 1t needs but q small fire, COM
pared with that, and the loss of the rec
ords is just as great in proportion to the
value of titles recorded. If my memory
serves me right Cook county paid one
hundred Thousand dollars for the privi-
lege of recognizing or adopting the abb
stracts of titles belonging to . firm in
that business, in the city Of Chicago, as
their legal records and for the use of their
books, ressrving the right to make all
copies and abstracts of real estate titles
at legal rates. We don't want to be
placed un der the necessity of paying to
do any sn CHI thing as that. And at the
present time not more than One-half of
our real estate records have any protec-
| ton whatever from fire. As to the Jail
| and jailor's residence. think if you would
| ask ex-sheritf Bay or our present jailors
they would tell you they would not take
their families and live in the Jail as it
now is, if you would make them q deed
TO the court house.
AS to the offices Of clerk of the court
and county clerk, l would only say they
| need more room, and as every one knows,
these two offices have any protection from
| fire, and the most of them it is Indispen-
sibly necessary to preserve.
The treasurer's office is probably the
best protected from fire Of aGy Office In
the county, his books being CT but little
| consequence after the taxes have been
paid, and having q good fire proof safe
sufficient for the protection Of all uns ct
| tied accounts and for the county funds;
but the preservation of the records of
that Office even after they have been set
tied and laid aside would be more salts.
factory to the people than to have them
|
as references.
| AS to any suggestions as to form ano
| style Of the Improvements herein men
toned, 1 will leave that to persons selec.
ted for that purpose If the PROPOSE tior
should carry. ! would say howeV er, by
| way Of suggestion. that I think it would
be, to say the least, great improvement
| on the jail and jallor's residence to dig
trenches or recesses about five feet wide
| on the north and south sides of the court
house, and wall them up with q good sub.
stantlaI stone wall.
know this article will not be popular
| with many OF the voters Of this county,
and that probably ia tie reason why
it has not been agitated before this, for
know it has been much talked Of in pri
Vate circles, but am conscientious about
it and am always willing to stand up for
the interests OF the whole people when
know them, and think do in this in
stance. At least want the subject tnves-
tigated by the people. 1 have no personal
| interest In the latter, more than as 3 citi-
zen of Lyon county, for the good of the
whole county. I know many will say
and have said "we don't want to spend
any more money on county buildings un.
til we can build new Ones" I know il
would be better to have q new court
house and have 1t in q different locality
on account OF the railroad being so close,
but on account of our present financial
endorsements no one even thinks, 80
far as have heard tnem express them
selves, that we could build 3 new court
house under ten years. and say we can't
afford to take the risks any longer, say
nothing OF ten years.
The character Of the improvements
suggested would take but little money
| out Of the county; in the main It would
simply take the money from the men pay
ing the largest amount Of taxes and hand
it over to those who depend upon
their day labor for their support. The
safes we have for the protection Of rec