Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-02-25
THE COURT HOUSE.
What an Ex-COmmissioner
Thinks Of the Plans to lm-

prove 1t.
Correspondence OF the REGISTER.
1t appears that the chairman OF the
Committee on Court House and Jail 10
not satisfied, out is determined that the
northwest corner Of the court house lot
shall be occupied by q building Of some
kind or other. Ii nobody else can build
il he seems to think that the county au-
thorities should do it. 1t has got to be
occupied. The loafers' retreat must be
broken UP. Now there Is no good rea-
son that | have ever heard Of why this
should be done, or why the court house
building should be enlarged, as proposed
by another, nor why there should be an
entire new building built, as proposed
by the third, but n good many rea-
sons, why none OF it should be done
under present existing circumstances.
The first and great reason why the
county authorities should not think OF
b~urdening the people any further with
taxes for any such purpose ID, that IN
all probability the State authorities Will
remove from Wheeling in 1885, and We
will then haye q large, substantial,
roomy building in the county, unoccu-
pied, suitable and able to accommodate
the city and county authorities with all
the room they may need for everything,
Courts, %juries, Commissioners, Council,
and all the minor officers, both city and
county. / have no doubt but arrai &C.
ments can be made between the city,
who owns the building, and the county
to this effect. Then, such being the CIR
cumstances, so near in the future, 1t Is
idle to talk about overwhelming us
ia an additional 100000 debt,
50 said, but which in all probability,
would be nearer two hundred thousand
before We got through with it.
There is still another serious objection
to the project OF enlarging the present
court house building. II would be the
height OF ioolishness to spend quite a
sum in building a new and substantial
front and have a perfect dead-iaii, q
man-trap behind, for this is what the
court room part of this building is at
present, SO adjudged and reported by
two committees OF the county authori-
ties. The main timbers supporting the
roof have taken the dry rot from leaks
which ran down upon them. When
the walls extended above the ROOF and
the valleys were on the inside oil
the walls, there was an effort made
To strengthen this defect by braces rest.
ing on the walls and extending up un-
der these timbers and placing pillars IN
an extended line TO the ceiling above
the iron ones supporting the galleries,
but those above the galleries have been
taken down because they somewhat
marred the appearance OF the room,
leaving it only strengthened by the
braces which were lathed and plastered
over. II the main strength in the tim
beers themselves was TO give way, the
braces would throw the walls out, and
the whole come down with a tremen-
dous crash-perhaps repeating the ter
rible calamity which beiell Richmond a
few years ago. Then such being the
case, it would be extreme folly to com
mence building to the present building.
Better a thousand times commence from
the foundation.
Then, as to Mr.. BIS little plain,
cheap building, butted up against
the front of the Court House building,
what would it look like2 To say moth
ing OF the increase of danger to the
Court House building and the county
records from fire, and shutting oil from
the court room all the good and whole
some breezes which ONE up Twelfth
street from the river.
Pardon me, Mr.. b., but if YOU must
do something, allow me to make a sug'
gestion which would be a lasting bene-
81 I,,ltrY a., ilA lraanFNatlnn al the
county records, instead OF increasing the
probabilities Of their destruction in the
future; viz, TO enlarge the present vault
containing the county records, by tear
ing out the outside Of the vault, extend
ing it to the outside Of the
building, thus admitting day
light into the vault, doing away
with the interninable burning OF gas
land gas bills) which destroys the find
ing OF the records, thus saving the
ty several hundred dollars every few
years for reminding the same. and which
will ultimately entirely destroy them.
This is something which | believe ought
10 be done; but under all existing cir.
cumstanccs there is no necessity Tor
building this cheap little building SC
close 10 the main building, taking up all
the breathing room left on that corner.
II We don't get the Capitol building in
a few years, then let us start from the
foundation and build Il new building,
but don't attempt to increase the capaci-
ty of the present one by building shan
ties around it. Yours respectfully,
S. S. JACOB.
z. ST. do not wish to he understood
mol considered al alarmist in regard to
the safety OF this building. | have
merely given facts. 1t has stood several
years since it was W reported as con
demned. 1t may stand several O
and might 20 down any time.