Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-20
lis Good Year l893-The Young Giant Has Reused
Himself for Mighty Work
Finest Courthouse in Texas CertanBThe Commissioners
I,dsr 1.-Two New Railroads Sure-Unce Sans New Build
ng-.The CBs CaptOI--A DiStiIIey Brewery
Vast Packery All Sure Things--FOt Worth
Shall Be the q Q, Metropolis
Put Your w. 'ay

required,
Il is l. dght probable the building |
deemed adequate to the needs of the |
county with the Offices for its corps of |
county officials and jury rooms for the |
two districts and the county courts and |
the rooms and with officers and court
rooms OF the civil court of appeals, See
Ond district, now located In the Powell
block. IN Fort Worth, can be erected |
for 100000, but the omissioners' |
court would. II necessary, consider AN
expenditure of 100000 reasonable.
or course until the plans are submitted
nothing can be indicated as 20 the style
of the building or It's material. hut rs
nearly ~ possible IL will be ire proof.
On chat subject the court is unit.
MED FOR A NEW COURT HOUSE
Judge Sam Furmnn so clearly sets
forth the need for q new court house
in his interview printed In The Gazette
of Saturday, that part of II is repro
ducej
The room occupied by the Seventeenth
district court Is so poor IN acoustics that
il is almost impossible for a lawyer IN
addressing the court or jury 90 be heard
without seriously oytuuxmg his voice or
lungs That with the use of the preseut
heating apparatus il Is impossible a.
make the room comfortable when the
weather is severe. as IL often Is, during
the session of the court
y
eighth district court is entirely too small
and it becomes so crowded during Tue
calling of the docket that many members
of the bar have 10 remain standing. This
is Il matter Of great Inconvenience aud
annoyance TO the Judge aud to the law
yers and of great discomfort TO jurors
litigants and witnesses,
The county court room Is. on Oc-
count of the crowded condition of the
court house, used ~ an Oiicc Tor the
court clerk the result Is thai the court i,
frequently annoyed by the ltoise result
ing from the business carried ON by tho
clerk, and the court Is frequently inter.
rupted thereby
The jury room for the Forty-eighth
district court Immediately adjoins the
court room ana is connected with the
same by window, through which the
deliberations of jurics are frequently
heard, much to the annoyance of the
court aud the detriment OF the business
being transacted in the court room.
Far each of the other courts there *
but one jury room, thus making Il nee
essary when more than one jury IL out
at the same time, from either one of
the courts for one Of such iuiies to be
crowded into the office Of sumc county
oliiCinl. There is no regular grand Jury
ROOM aud when that body Is In session
It meets In the office Of the county at
torney, who is thus for the time being
There are no available rooms in the
court house which can be used for wit.
nesaes under the rule. The result is
that when witnesses are placed under
the rule I'M either Of the courts. they must
either squat around the court house cor
ridorS or be- herded on the public square
like 50 many cattle.
Three are not sufficient number Of
rooms IN the court house to provide
Offices for whom the law makes Il
duty of the county commissioners to pro-
vide. Tie county judge is provided with
no Office; there are no accommodations
| In the court house for the county survey
or: neither are there any for the county
superintendent Of public instruction
| Quarters for the last two officers are
rented by the county at great expense.
| The tax assessor aud tax collector. each
Of whom should have separate Offices,
are both crowded into one small room
not large enough for the business Of
either
II is the duty Of the county commits
siolers to provide all these acccmmoda-
tons. and as they are not provided Ia
| the present old court house building
| the need is imperative.
TIE FINANCIAL FEATURES.
A very important question is, eau The
county afford itl
IL can.
| 1 ne luA levy LOT the year - hN ffNlN
| on a S22,OUOOOO basis In some of the
| funds &C the end Of the current year
| there will be large balances. For in
/ stance, in the general expense fund the
! balance will be about 100000. In the
| court house and jail fund the balance
! will be over $4,000; n tie jury fund
| the balance Is over $1,000 Indeed,
| every fund has a balance, showing that
! the tax leyies have been larger than
| Wpra uppdou
But even II this were not true. the
| county can well afford IT, for a levy OF
| only 10 cents on the 500 would give
| over So, 600 o year. ample to provide the
| interest and sinking fund for a twenty
| or Twenty-Five year 3 per cent bond and
bond OF this character could be sold at
! par at least If there was only slight
| increase in the taxable basis the bonds
would pay out In twenty years. II IL re-
| manned stationary az the S@2OOOWO,
they would pay out In ebout twenty-five
| years,
But the basis would not remain the
same for the building Of the new court
house will prompt the Improvement of
| property subject 90 taxation, and when
| this fever Of Improvement sets In u rs
| wonderfully contagious. Hence, soon,
| III there was no natural increment the
| improvements stimulated by all the new
enterprises az hand for Fort Worth
would soon add millions more TO the tax
able values Of the county
WHERE THE BURDEN FALLS.
| As most OF the taxation falls on the
city anyway. FOR of the total amount Of
! county valuation. about Sl0OO0,0OO Of
/ Il Ia In the city Of Fort Worth, NJ the
citizens OF this city, who in common
with "a large number Of citizens Of the
county demand The new court house
are willing 70 pay such additional tax,
as may be- necessary for the new court
/ house, the county commissioners nave
! demonstrated, by their action Of yestef-
j dag that tbev recognize the force OF ma
/ inril, -. AZ 4. N1l nnn 900 n.ain.i So