Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-07-23
OUR NM COURTHOUSE.
IT IS WORTH EVERY CENT 1T HAS
COST.

1T IS WORTH EVERY CENT 1T HAS
COST.
Opinions Of Well.InfOrmed Persons on
the Subject - The Legislators who
Passed the Bill Believed that the
Court House Could not be Built-The
"Riog" Cry Why 1t Must Have
Been a Calumny- The Contractors
and Bondsmen Had Everything to
Gain by Completing the Building.
The new courthouse is nearly COM
pleted, and stands where it can be
seen and examined by all who desire
to do so.
1t was built under an act of the
Legislature which authorized the issue
of $4,000 worth of bonds in payment
therefor. The act limited the time for
which the bonds should run to nine
years, the rate of interest to six per
cent. per annum, and required that
the bonds should be sold at 100 cents
on the dollar. The county's credit
was then at SO low an ebb that this
was deemed proh;bitory, and the MEM
hers of the Legislature voted for the
bill in the belief that the bonds would
not be placed and that it would be
impossible to build the courthouse.
But a few public-spir;ted citizens OF
HALEY determined that the courthouse
would be built, even though they
should lose pecuniarily thereby. They
therefore bought the bonds from the
county at par, thus complying with
the law, and then caused them to be
sold for what they would bring, the
contractor agreeing to do the work
for that money. The negotiations
we're carried on through the bank
here, and the sum of $4,000 real.
lied. The structure has therefore cost
only $4,000.
That it is very cheap for the price
any candid man will admit. The
courtrooms and offices are roomy
commodious, we'll lighted and fur.
nished, and will compare favorably
with those of any public building
west of the Mississippi river; while
the Jail is at least equal in security
healthfulness and workmanship to an,
in the United States. Half dozen
determined men within it could hold
1T against a thousand on the outside
Heretofore the county offices and
courts have been scattered through
out Haley, and although the accom-.
modations were so inferior as to ne
cessitate frequent expensive adjourn.
ments of cou: IS, and the records were
not securely guarded either against
thieves or fire, the county has beer
forced to pay rentals and other Incl
dental expenses footing up to $4,000
per year. Now, our records are Sc
cure in every way, the accommoda-
tons for the officials and public much
better, and the interest on the bond.
will only amount to about $4,000 fol
nine years. At the expiration of thai
time the bonds will have been paic
for, and the county will have first
class courthouse.
This reporter is not alone, by any
means, in the belief that the court
house is remarkably cheap structure
as he has taken pains to interview
nearly all well-informed persons who
have visited HALEY since the structure
mas approached completion. A few
of these gentlemen will be referred te
by name, that the readers of the TINES
may judge of their reliability for them
selves.
Ex-Governor Eastman, Of Iowa
still here, speaking to a TINES re-
porter, said: "1he Grand Jury room
is rather in too public location, but
the courtroom, adjoining, is very
fine. AS to the Jail, it is of boiler
iron, and unless by some unforeseen
circumstance, the prisoners cannot es'
cape. l think the structure compares
very favorably, as to cost, with an,
in Iowa, where labor and material.
are much cheaper"
Peter Burke, the contractor, who
built the Storey and Eureka count,
court-houses, in Nevada, the first o.
which cost. we believe. over x105 600