The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-27

WITH the eNDIdndIlOHSO Oh lIlc
with submitted for your inspection.
Your committee believe that suitable court
house and Jail can be completed upon sub.
stantial!y these plans at cost Of not exceeding
$4,000.
Your committee would state that the cost of
the building would be somewhat greater if
constructed of stone than if composed of brick
vet they believe that the sentiment as well as
Judgment of the people would not only justify,
but demand the use of the most desirable and
available stone, and the committee 50 recon-.
mend.
Your committee have carefully examined
the various methods devised by different coun-
ties for raising the money 10 build court houses
and other large public buildings, and would
respectfully recommend that, as the county OF
La Sale is entirely free from debt, it ought to
pay for the erection of the buildings in ques-
lion in three years. They therefore propose
the following plan to be pursued, viz: That Il
tax of forty thousand dollars be levied each
year, for three years, and not to exceed the
sum of one hundred and twenty thousand dol.
lars altogether for the purpose OF erecting ana
completing a court house and Jail.
Your committee, in conformity with this
plan, propose for adoption with this report the
following resolution, viz: That "A building
committee, to consist of seven members of this
Board, be appointed, which committee shall
be empowered to mature and perfect plans and
specifications and to make all contracts for
building and completing a suitable court
house and jail including the lighting and heat
ing of the same, said building to be erected on
the site of the present court house. The pow
er of said committee Is hereby expressly limit
ed as follows: The whole cost Of erecting and
completing said building shall in no case cx
coed the sum of one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars Obligations shall not be con
tradcted for the payment Of money any faster
than the series of tax will provide the same
The building committee are, however, express
ly empowered, when the last levy shall have
been made, TO borrow the amount Of said last
levy in anticipation Of the collection of the
same, and thus enable them to complete the
work within two years.
Your committee have not considered the
question of the location of the court house and
jail as coming within the resolution under
which they have acted. They have, however,
gwen the subject their attention, and are una
bic to see any sufficient reason for removing
them from the county property, where they
now are. 1t is claimed that the location Is
such that business is seriously interrupted by
noise in the streets. This would be obviated
to great extent by proper construction of
the new building and the laying of the Mich.
olson pavement around thc square, an i'm
provemcnt much more likely to be made in
that locality than in any other part of the city.
II is also urged that the ground is not of suit-
Cient size. Your committee cannot concur in
this objection. They find that extensive
grounds surrounding or in connection with Il
court house and jail are not desirable. The
fitting up and repairing them according to the
taste Of numerous persons and OF various sue
cecding committees OF county boards involves
too much expense, and is Il constant drain
uuOn the resources of the people This objec-
ton is especially applicable to II combined
court house and Jail, such as your committee
have recommended, rs the supplies are of ne
Cessity very large, and the refuse considerable,
and both have to be carted through the
grounds. This difficulty has become so seri-
Gus at Quincy that II plan is now under con.
sldcration there Of tunnelng the grounds for Il
railroad, TO furnish fuel and other supplies
and for the removal Of debris. This will be
very expensive, but they must either do this
or construct II railroad track over the grounds,
which is also very Objectionable.
In conclusion, your committee would say
that they have visited quite u number of court
houses, and have collected II great deal of in.
formation pertaining to the subject, which
might be out of place in this report. They
find that many errors have been committed by
others, whose experience should benefit us.
At Quincy the acoustic properties Of the court
room are very bad, and the arrangements for
heating II complete failure. The janitor in
formed your committee that on Il cold day he
could burn 400 bushels of coal without sue.
cessiully heating the house, The acoustic ar
engagements of the court house at Bloomington
are much better than at Quincy. Their heat
ing apparatus-stcam-is much more satisfac-
tory, though expensive. In the Pontiac court
house the acoustic properties are tolcrablc and
the heating arrangemcnts-tur perfect
success, besides being much cheaper than any
thing your committee examined
All of which is respectfully submitted.
SAMUEL r. LEWIS, Ch0i,maa.
j. G. BEYER,
A. A. KLovE.
Statement, prepared for committee of
amount and rate per cent that will be required
to build Il court house and Jail costing $l20,.
10000;
The equalizcd assessment of the county for
A. u. 1877 is rs follows:
Lots. ............... .,......,,.. 4Oi3SS6
Railroads. ....... .............. l,252020
PERSONAL $50. '..''''''.'''''''. f9i'>l
The rate per cent would bc | 40 mills.
This would raise on lands ............... So, 070
lols ,....,......... O,S.3
b" " railroad ............ 2,l29
" " personal. S,l49
S4o,l7l
The assessed value of an average S0acrc lot
in the county is $3.50 The courthouse tax
ON tins would be 1925 per year; for three
wears, to cover the whole amount, would be
$0.72 On section for each year, S64S, or
Slg44 for three years. This is based on the
equalized valuation of 1877, for the reason that
the one of 1878 cannot be asccrtaincd at pres
cnt.
On motion of Supervisor Lynch il is order
ed that the report be accepted and made the
special order of business on Wednesday morn.
ing at . o'clock.
Supervisor Pickens introduced the following