Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-02-19
A h.sk that Should 10 Longer be Taken

10 Tie Filter = The -im>,,ean:
Il TIE property owner, IN this conn,.
oau. have realized the immense interest
tn them @! adequate security for h-.r yaf.-
o.s county records. they would l3ny ago
have provided good fire proof building, for
them. For twenty year psac.ieing
lawyer, looking after various property aud
business interests. ! have been familiar with
III. file, ana records in the different count,
Offices. nd have Aeen.y appreciated TIE ia
mense importance Of their safety. VI, sense
Of that importance = none the less, since |
have ..Al a wider f-.d o.: observation.
an relieved that The County Commissioners
have a. last realized the necessity Of new
rooms lae, seem ~ now appreciate It
Thoroughly, and 50 wo4il every one MO
should understand the matter
The tax valuation Of tins county is tr.-
file over eight Aad q quarter million dollars.
The 4c,ll value II the property is probably
over 'eu millions. Tn, vast amount of e.
tate goes through TIT Probate Court Of The
county upou the average once ia lh.ry-yhre~
various Provisions, Ia al the cases, there
are administration acclug,,, inventories,
proof, Of le1f,. decree, Of distribution. etc.
e,c. Al Tie rsht, and title, acquired b,
Le.r,, de..s-e,. widows. CREDITORS, &e., may
depend oh The preservation IF the f.es and
recos., If ,ha; court
L i, safe 10 "a, tie value Of the real es-
tate If Cd, county is two-thirds, i: not three
four lhs 81 The whole OF from seven 10 eight
million dollars. This real estate goes
through the registry of deeds in the way Of
/ conveyances AMI mortgages, at isast once 10
twenty years. In Great Britain the purchas-
/ ef OF lanl requires all the prior deed, to be
! delivered to him, and he has them kent in
/ secure vaults. In this country we depend
| on the county records for the evidence Of
! prior deeds. and it is rare that the real es-
] tate owner has more than his own deed in
MS possession. Suppose these records de-
+ stroyel, what Ian d owner desiring TO sell.
/ could satisfy his customer Of his title9 Is
/ il not Gle ar that most exasperating confusion
/ must ar ? Purchasers are becoming more
critical about titles. and in some cases have
known them TO require certified copies of all
/ prior deeds.
The destruction of the commissioners
records would deprive US Of the evidence of
/ the location aud limits of our county roads
and cause US other annoysnces.
The loss Of the files and records in the
office of the Clerk of the Courts would wipe
out the evidence Of recoyeries Of lands, and
other property. the granting Of divorces,
and the establishment of great variety Of
civil rights. that have been going on here for
nearly century. Il would entail most yex-
aiious confusion.
No business man would leave his account
books exposed for single night, as all these
County records have been exposed for
years. No man of property would risk his
deeds, notes. &C., in so dangerous place.
The annual interest on the proposed loan
weuld be 1920. Thi. would be less thao
fifteen cents on each thousand dollars of tax
va lua,ion, an exceedingly low rate of insur-
anee. A business or propertied man will
spend hundreds of dollars on fire proof safes.
to hold his books and papers. Why should
there he any delay in providing fire proof
and burglar proof rooms for these priceless
County records? Every person who visits
the present rooms must feel uneasy at the
risk he is mourning. Yours iruly,
Feb. 10, 1885, l.. 4. Z.