The Brookhaven leader., 1886-09-30
COUNTY AFFAIRS.
Some Interesting Facts Gathered
ct the New Court House by
Leader Reporter.

readers, bcthOueht himself 10 pay
visit To the new Court House. BE il
that this is the second
new court house Lincoln county has
built and We might say paid for,
since 1880, 1.-THE first having been de-
stroyed by incendiary fire on the
morning Of January LIST, 1884, } be
sides a splendid fire proof Jail. New
Court House No. 2 was built upon
the foundation Of No. /, and is in
some important particulars an i'm
provement on that structure. and
did not cost the county as much.
The contract for this building was
let out by the Board of Supervisors
May goth to Mr. C. NJ. Rubush, q
Meridian contractor, for the sum of
$6,43000, he being considered the
lowest and best bidder, and it was
built according to a plan which had
been previously drawn by our &C
complished local architect, Capt. a.
E. Moreton. It was conditioned
that Mr.. RUBBISH should have the
new building completed and ready
for occupancy by Oct, lst, 1885, and
l.
ever, Of not having it ready to turn
over to the Board until the date
stipulated, so eXpeditiously did he
perform his work, that he was ready
to turn tue building over to the
county at q called meeting of the
Board on the l4th of August, which
he did and received payment of the
last installment due on the contract.
A few changes were made in the
contract as originally drawn, in
creasing the cost little, or swell
ing the total to $4,000 80. or this
amount all but $2,243 90 was PAID
in cash out of the court house sink
ing furd, and for this amount the
county issued its warrant which re
mains to be taken up.
The new court house was n,
sooner turned over to the BOarC
than it was eagerly taken possession
of by our county officers, who were
only too anxious to get out of the
old temporary affair into which they
had been driven, and our reporter
OH the occasion of his visit, found
them all costly settled in their fresh
new quarters and looking happy
over the change.
The new building presents fine
appearance, being handsomely
painted inside and out. The only
fault we would suggest is that it
was covered with shingles, instead
of iron or slate, which would not
have greatly increased the cost.
This, however. is not a serious OBJ
lection when it's other good points
are considered. On the second floor,
reached by a winding stairway, just
TO the right as you enter tue front
door, is situated the court room,
where Lincoln county justice is
hereafter to be dispensed. This is
sufficiently roomy for all practical
purposes, and is much the same as
the first court room, except as to
seats, which are light, movable
benches, instead Of raised, stationary
ones, as formerly. In front is the
proverbial little portico, which
Sheriff McNair and his successors
will occupy and cry out at the ap
pointed time, "Oh, yes, Oh, yes, the
Honorable Circuit Court of Lincoln
etc, and where loafers will
love to congregate and eat parched
pea nuts and swap lies. A strong
iron railing constitutes the "bar", be-
hind which on either side of the
Judges stand, the lawyers and
their witnesses will have ample
room, and an elevated witness stand.
On this floor and obliquely to the
rear on either side Of the Judges
stand are two jury rooms; while i'm
mediately back of the Judges stand
is third room for the use of the
Judge and lawyers, into which they
may retire and consult, as occasion
may suggest. Crates are provided
both up stairs and down, and the
will hereafter burn coal in
stead of wood.
Col. Hooker, our gallant standard
bearer for Congress, was the first to
christen the new court room, which
he did on the night of the day the
building was first received by the
Board, and it is related that his
audience was so spell-bound by his
eloquence and oratory,
that they did not discover until his