The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-04
WHY TALL THIS DELAY?
Will the New Hall Of
Records Ever Be
Completed?
THE TIME LIMIT OVERDUE.
A Chance for Contractor Brown to
Rise and Explain.


For years there have been constant
complaints that the Court House had not
room enough. To remedy this the Board
OF fFreeholders agreed to build an addition
which is or will be known, if ever conn.,
pleted, as the Hall of Records. In this
building Will be located the Registers.
County Clerks, Surrogate's and Grand
Jury's Offices.
The room which the new building will
give Is much needed for these offices. and
IN consequence considerable com plafnt is
being made that work progresses no
faster on the improvement
The contract to build this edifice was
awarded to John A. Brown, Of Willow
avenue and Fourteenth street, Hoboksn,
April, 1883. by the Board of Freeholders
and work was at one begun. When it
Will stop is conundrum that only John
A. Brown, himself, can answer and
Judging from past inquiries made by this
paper, and the weary citizens, he is In no
hurry to do this.
THE CONTRACT.
When Mr. Brown succeeded in his own
peculiar fashion in convincing the Free
holders that he was the lowest bidder and
the only man living who could supply
what the Freeholders required, the con-
tract was made with him, and he gave
bond in $4,000 for the faithful perform
ance of the duties required He also
agreed to have the building completed by
Jnne !, 1889, and why he has not lived up
to tho conditions of this obligation is best
known to the Board of Freeholders and
himself
The building is now in worse condit-
ion than an old world ruin, for it is just
as deserted and not nearly SO picturesque
nor so firm at the foundation It is ex-
posed to the elements and there Is not 8
window to protect it. The iron shutters
have been hung. but owing to the want
OF necessary wood work the exposure to
the elements is about as great as if they
were not there. The front of the structure
is entirely unprotected
Ii the work is not completed before the
winter weather sets in, it may as well not
be done. for in the present condition OF
the work, to leave it exposed is to de-
stroy it.
MIR. CANNON is NOT HOPEFUL.
called on County Superintendent
Cannon to learn why the Hall of Records
should not be completed at some time
during this generation, and was told by
him that he did not know, and was ad-
v1sed to ask Brown, the contractor.
How soon will the building be COM
pleted?" persisted.
1.-The contract said Mr.. Cannon.
called for its completion June of this
year"
Eyes, but when will It be fiuishedp'
"Only the Providence that watches
over the unsteady footsteps Of Froehold-
ers can answer that"
How soon could the work be done If
an effort were made by Mr.. Browns
In not less than two months.
Why is he not compelled by the Board
of Freeholders to do it?"
My boy" said Mr.. Cannon, styou have
me there The contract should have
been completed June /. His bond re-
quired that, and it is good bond. too.
This last expression was uttered In o
tone of surprise and sincerity that was
certainly amusing. Mr.. Cannon did not
know whether Brown would ever finish
the work. Mr.. Cannon informed me
that Brown had no cause to COM
plain about money, for out Of the
S14, $50 he was to receive he had
got all he was entitled to and but one
was to be made and he could have that
as soon as his work was done Il is in
the custody of the County Treasurer.
ARCHITECT GIFLE's VIEWS.
l next saw Architect Glele and asked
him why he did not force Brown to COM
plete his work. He said he could not do
SO, and no one could but the Freeholders,
Mr.. Giele said he was at the building
each day to superintend the work, bur
his visits were useless. for Brown would
not do it.
From another source learned that the
sub-contractors are so indignant with the
Board of Freeho1ders for not compelling
Brown to complete his work that they
threaten to do it themselves. They are
Mansfield s. Pagan, iron; Cutley, mason;
John Pringle, plumber; J. D. CLARK, steam
filter; Felix Donnelly, painter, and John
Brown, father of the contractor. stone
cutter. Mr. John Brown has died since
the work began, but the estate has car
ried it on and has also assumed the bonds
of John A. Brown.
Mr.. Giele informed me that the work
could be done by him in three weeks II
Brown could be brought to terms by the
Freeholders
ABOUT BROWNS BOND.
Then l saw Counsellor McGrath and
asked him if the bond given by Brown
was good and he said it was, and that lit
was given for the faithful performance OF
the contract by June l, according tcS
specifications.
| asked him then why the Freeholdersl
did not begin suit to force Brown to CONF
plete the work, and was told to see the
Freeholders. for no one else knew. B