The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-08-14
FOR ORNAMENT OR FOR USE?
The Courthouse wonld I,.ssk Well
Up on High.


sEsvraz. Aug. AZ
To Use ERfrsaz. IL each 81 The late
meetings held al the courthouse / xas
sn Interested. il nos much edited.
listener 20 tire discussion ST the saues-
ficn .f the location Of ;he new county
buildings To q newcomer. without
present Personal interest Ia the result
% The controversy. Is wss astonishing
to note the beat slisplased by the
fariissns Of the different prx.ssasexi
sites. and the narrow limits Within
which the Whole question seemed To
I've held TIE fsartisznS u{ a central
location boldly serEsed the advocates
Of the Seventh street lot a. being
financially interested. and Of working
IN the interest Of TIRE cable line. While
the defenders III the Hill retortssi with
accusations Of Madison and Columbia
street railwsy interests held by the
other side One distinguished speaker
sensltay urged that the commissioners
DELAY action for short tinie until fnsl
and fair discussion ard investigation
should enatsls the board 10 know both
The will OF the people and the pcsSi-
Utility Of procuring desirable grounds.
But Immediately he Was assaiaesi with
the insinuaiion that hy his scheme the
peopiee money was 10 be kept in a
hank OF whicf, he il the attorney.
And 30 on, sG sastwasa.
Though neither side in the discus
sion seemed to think so. there are Ger
tainly two sides 20 The question, and
each il worthy Of a dis saSSsonats. view.
King county is rich Her capital city
- the metropolis OF state coming
into the Union with singular prom
ise of wealth and poger. That the
chief public building of such county
should lie both useful and ornamental
goes without saving [ Unfortunately
the natural configurssion of the ground
IN Seattle denies that the greatest
beauty of situation shall be combined
with facility of access. We are cora
PEELED TO WELD one or the other desid-
eratam. But which? When use and
beauty go to war IL Is hard to patch up
peace.
A noble esliiice GROWING the hill and
dominating the whole city would be q
source of pride TO every citizen of the
county. Doubtless much advantage
xoEld accrue TO Seattle FROM the stste-
Illness and majesty of such n building
upon such height. IL would provoke
the admiration of strangers approach
ing from the bay, ami would serve a.
a splendid object lesson. speaking ell
oquentiy OF the wealth and public spirit
os the people of King county. But
can much more than this be said of
the bill siteg j. not the utilitarian's
view the better one? Will A courthouse
which Is but an ornament. however
valuable ~ an advertisement. I'LL the
chief purpose for which ii shoula he
designed
The argument that none bat the
lazy need care for the short climb
from the cable road ia the hin site.
would have force il but one such TRIP
WAS contemplated. It Is the ceaseie~s
recurrence OF the unpleasant expert
enee. in heat. cold. dus; and rain.
often when haste Is demanded. that
renders the evil formidable. 1t Is not
the trouble of one man, or one set OF
men that is worthy 10 be considered;
il is the sum of trouble To the whole
people, running through long reach
OF wears. that rises 10 the dignity OF
public concern.
When ii is admitted that many
thousands of persons must OF neces-
sity visit the court house every year,
ana each must pay a few cents, and
give q few minutes ef his tire, il will
readily appear how soon the people
will have yielded UP, in time ana
money, the price Of the finest square
in the business heart of the city. More
oeplorable than the loss OF time and
money will be the inevitable dissa;is-
faction which always attends diseom-
fort. The American people bear tinan-
cial loss heroicaliy. They cheerfulIy
endure incredible hardship when
profit appears probable. Bat they FIRE;
under useless delays, and severely
criticise every unnecessary restriction
upon their public privileges. 1t can
scarcely he hoped that the lofty site
advocated by the partisans of the bin
will often be visited save under the
lash of necessity. and that regret will
be almost universal after brief ex-
perience seems almost certain.
w IN TuDwrs.,y