Delta chief., 1885-08-12


! Orr County Commissioners have, at last,
( very wisely concluded that Delta county
needs a court house, and are taking steps to
erect one. The buadingt:) used at present
for this purpose is alive with bugs and ver-
min, aud is not fit nor safe place for the
| preservation Of the several thousand dollars
worth of books and documents belonging to
the county aud now kept there, nor is it a de-
cent place for our county officials to do bnsi-
ness in. IL is matter of economy that a
good and suitable building be erected at the
| earliest possible moment.
There is some discussion and disagreement
as to the proper location of the building.
Several parties residing and doing business
near the corner Of Main and Third streets,
the postofiice corner desiring to have II erect
ed on that corner, while Others not owning
property near that corner think IL should he
erected on one Of the corners of Main and
I Fifth streets that on these corners there
would be less danger from FIRE than If it were
in close proximity Ia the wooden buildings
nearer the center of town. IL is further
claimed that the business portion of the town
is gradually working toward the depot. and
that building erected on Fifth street would
In five or ten years time te nearer the center
Of business, and would therefore increase in
yalue so that it could then be sold at or above
cost price for business honse.
But there is another view of the question,
and one in which all the people OF the coup-
cy are interested. Nearly all the travel
through this county is by railroad. People
look ing from the car windows Mt a town, when
passing through, fern an opinion from the
looks Of the tnwn ns to the value of the sur
rounding country. If,hcy see a live, thrifty
place, with nice. substantial buildings, they
very CORRECTLY infer that the surrounding
country is a valuable and productive ono.
On the contrary, if the bet and most sub
sianiial buildings are hid, and nothing is Wis.
ibic but cheap. opc-st.ry frame buiidinss,
they conclude that the place amonnts TO
nothing, Aid That til. surrounding country
must be nearly valuelcss, or il would support
y better look ing town, aud that il would bc
us-i-,. waste of time to stop over and make
inguiry ~ to the surrounding country aud
the opportunities for investment. People.
and thousands OF them. do form their opin.
ions Of a country through which they are
passing from the general appearance Of the
towns, n seen from the car windows. These
opinions largely assist in creating general
public opinion which makes homes in a
county particularly valuable or almost
worthless. Now. il ia evident to every per.
son, who Is not Influenced by n desire Ia en-
bance the value Of his own property to the
Jetrimcn, Of the balance Of the interested
public, would desire Ia see all Improvements
made In N riRcc aud manner where IL would
Il" the most good to the whole community,
where IL would most assist in building up
public opinion to II knowledge of the fact
that Delta county l. in no manner inferior to
any Of the adjoining counties, that it has a
bright future awaiting it, and that is n safe
aud sure county for jndicious investment Of
money, and induce people to stop, inquire
and invest.
Now, ut the corner of Main and Third
streets the building would scarcely be visible
from the line of railroad while at Fifh street
II could be seen as long rs any Of the town is
visible. and would add greatly to the general
appearance Of the town MS viewed from the
line of the Denver 4 Rio Grand. railroad.
hut thcr. is still a better place for the
building than the corner of Finh street. The
county has had u whole block OF land dedi.
Gated to II for court house grounds. II is sit
uatcd nearer the depot and near enough to
town To he safe from Gre, convenient aud an
Improvement to the whole town. What rea.
son il there that the new building cannot be
erected on these grounds? If our County
omn,issioners are to erect u two.story brick
building, 25xGo feet In sizc at a cost of about
$1,000, il will answer this county for court
house for twenty years, or rs long rs the
building will stand. There will be no occa.
sion for ever disposing of II. Courthouse
square, as site for the court house, has cv.
cry advantage which any other location can
have, aud none Of the drawbacks. u Is
where mn addition could he built on IL ncces.
sary. Il will be where the county will want
to build their Jail. where fences can be built,
trees set out an,l the grounds otherwise inn
proved. Personal gain or advantage in the
way of improving individual property should
have no influence III this matter. Put the
building on the only proper place for it
where IL will be Of the most benefit to the
tax. payers Ut large, aud where they will ex-
pcct you to put ton the courthouse square.
--
JUDGE GiiMoRE, Of Denver, is spoken of