Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-02-12
Ellsworth, Feb. ). iSS5.
Our County Buildings.
j. {. CHILCoTT.

I'd Of american:
DEAR SIR Being Interested in common
With all other citizens of our county. in the
subject Of new County buildings, | accept
the invitation extended in YOUR very timely
and pertinent article II; a few weeks since.
to express my Views upon the subject
through vour column
The necessity for a new Jail is 80 appar-
enl Ia view Of the several indictments found
by he Grand Jlry at different times and the
reports of the jail Inspectors. rha, shah
consider only the Necessity Tor. and pro
pFetl 10 BOW erecting suitable hu.idir.
tor Court House aud county offices.
BY sec. H., cl,l. IS, Revised Statutes Of
Name. The Co-n,y Commissioners are -
q4ired TO proN.!s AMI keep IN repair IN tue
shire town Of their County. Coar; II .a.e>.
ana IRE proof bai.tia-, II drie, y stonc
toy t1e safe Keeping Of rec,-!s anI paper,
Belonging 10 iAe o:i,c, OF r.. >;rr, If y ,ei,
anl Of Probate, an OF the Clera nrjre Courts
with separate ire-pslol room. 3d. >ul.l'e
a!coves, cases or boxes I'D cacr piE and
a.>' -n! other rrge.-ai, bindings
The presen; 5aa.a- ia ahua . c.u-
tanned the county off ,,i, n,' ;i.e.pr,,f be-
The slightest cxt,ut, ihc C,suu House i,
poorly ventilated. paor, ar.aaseI ui'h ,u-
sufficient accommodation, aa4 b,jh auaI-
lng> a7e announcement, poor, l.el:,d AMI mn
suitable ~ e,er1 respect
~ large proportion u! tie male u..ahI
tsnt, OF the Coun,y hs,c occasion, more or
less fieqleaiis, to be in attendance uiou ;be
sessions p: the Supreme Court q, jur5r..
itganis, Witnesses or III some other ca, 4c,-
y. and a. great many more are o3,.ge.
to visit one OF The other courts or county Of
,ieers, IL : evIdea; that tbs present bill. uG-
safe and unsuitable buildings are an iac1u-
ven.ence and source OF danger. more or les
serious. according TO circums;aucc.. 10 the
waole population of lhe Comfy. a. oae see.
ton being more interested or m'rc incon-
venlencel Than another.
Bl, a stui stronger ar-umeu, IN favor
OF new buildings is that proper regard flr
the safety Of property requires Az .mmr-
date clange.
The evi!euees of the titles 70 o4r farms.
stores. workshops and dwelling h1a>cs are
at present contained il an unsafe Registry
OF DEEDS,
The record, Q: the disposition and dis
trbution Of hundreds OF thousands Of dol
lars worth d! property are stored in Pro
bate off whi-a would burn like finder
box
The record, Of judgments affecting the
property OF MANY Of our citizens and settling
disputes hetSeen many others. aud papers
waich are Of invaluable importance are con-
tanned IN the office Of the Cierk of the Courts,
which no ore for a mOmen, would cali fire
proof.
10 cas- 10: the destruction Of these Offices
there vo.id hg more complications and en-
basra,smea,> Than can be easily fo.eio.I or
described
=
OF lifetime 10 a farm os 1 home might
find il d iieu; to prove nj, % her title: the
mortgage VINO had loaned his mones uron
real estate mortgage might not be- a .lr 80
hold his security; the administrator or
executor who hal received and di,har>fd
large sums OF money, and who had finally
s.- 4 80.
ords and vouchers showing that he had faith
fully executed his trust hal been swept
away. So ii seems there are three main
considerations why We should have a safe
and suitable building for the above named
purposes, vi The stitgles of the State
positively equ.re il, and We are infringing
tn positive law. ef the State by every day 3,
delay.
The preservation of property and e'iden-
ce> Of property AMI the prevention o. ,eri
! Gus complications. which might resut, IN
/ long AMI expensive litigation. make i, al
most an absolute necessity.
/ The comfort and convenience. not Of q
! few or any particuia- class or locality. but cf
[ the whole population of the county demand
I it.
So much for the demand and neeess Il,
I for such building.
! The reasons why it should be built nov
are evident
The necessity is imperative and urgen,
materials and labor are cheaper Eow than
for many years and cheaper than We have
any reason to believe they will continue.
am very glad to learn tina, this great ne
cessity is appreciated by the present board
Of Commissioners for Hancock county and
that they propose to take steps, which it IS
/ hoped will result in giving us suitable AMI
safe County buildings In order TO accom-
plish this result it viii be necessary for the
Commissioners to borrow for the u>e Of the
County larger sum than they are author
lied to borrow without either the appro, al
Of the citizens of the several towns OF the
County or an act of the legislature. |,
can't be doubted tina, the legislature. r!,h
a knowledge of the facts, would authorize a
loan sufficient for the purpose, but the Com
missoners have chosen the other course, il
seems to me very wisely, and propose 10
submit to the people Of the County their
proposition TO borrow sum Of money. up
on which the people will have an opporian-
ity TO vote, for, or against.
A question which very properly arises
admitting the necessity for the buildings is
can the County afford the expenditure.
| believe that il has been estimated thai
loan of thirty thousand dollars will b,
sufficient. The condition Of the none,
market is such that our bonds could un
doubtedly be hoated bearing only four pei
cent. interest; yearly interest charge o
twelve hundred dollars. So that at year
ly cost of only Sl20a, we should have fo
the use Of the County convenient and suit
: able Supreme Court raon, Probate. anc
e County Commissioners Court rooms, saf'