Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-12
MATAGORDA COURT HOUSE.
A DESCRIPTION OF TEE BUILDING.
A Very Substantial Pressed BricK,
slate hoof stsueturc-sintnss rda
conrty Coming out.

Bay City. Texas, October iO,-This was
lugal holiday Ia tue kingdom VI Aat..
sOfua eouiily, ut lts oapitvi, bay cay.
Livery one had on tnelr very pesl sunauy
so-to-mooting clothes, it..o and big, and
II only hMI OF tnCse mere today were
residents OF the county the ,as. Unit
Sto.es census certhinlS was Ah.rt in ia
iguras. 1hey came in all KINDS OF oonv "
onoes. from the rich Caney plAntara pnl
cattle harons' line carriage benlnd ClsNo-
land bays. TO the one-mule cart of Tho
poor darby. just 80 they got there, no
matter how.
This was the day they had been look
irr forward to for these many days, thl
laying Of the corner stone OF the new
court house, and II certainly was a r
letter day. From early morning people
began to arrive, IN fact. the four hotels
were pretty wen crowded last night, hut
the people from the country did not oine
III uhln this merning and by II O'clock,
the time Of the beginning OF ceremoniea
the streets were crowded
Promptly at lha, hour the ceremonies
were opened undei tho auspices OF Tres.
lmlnolos ledge, Ancient free AMI Accent
ca Mnsons; the stone was lowered TO Ia
place copy OF the Bay CITY Bfe,se
Tho Houston Post and roster OF e ice
with many other relics. were depusi ed
ana u became part OF the magnlnc, nj
structure.
Hon. Joe Dun OF BraEorlh, the urhto,
Of the Gay OH tho unrt OF the Masonic
ledge. then addressed the assembled ppo
PIE. after which dinner was announced
Here the ptovorhnl hospitality OF Malta
gorda county was shown In It's true style
over four thousand guests, many OF
whom had come miles, WE'RE hungry nne
Tired but not u single one wac neglected
or overlooked There was plenty FOR
an. over thirty head OF stock had been
Lnrbocucd; there wus plenty oc brcal
pie mud cake, aud all were filled, with
plenty loft over. to say nothing OF the
thousands OF oysters that wero ronstinu
M another port OF tho grounds and
around which hundreds We're g1thersd
doing justice 10 the Juicy hlValvts
There were other nddresaca during Tho
evening among which was ono by Colonel
" H. ionCa, on hin dcon winter project al
iala'los Point, IN this COUNTY,
Tho Italian orchestra from San Antonio
dispensed the music during the day and
AT tho hin ball az night. for which "A main
month platform had reon provided
Thus closed the day. which will ie ionu
rem tmborCd by those who attended, II
makes new epoch In tho history of orr
ccrnty, and hcnceforth this county viii be
olassod with the progressive list.
THE NEW BUILDING.
The building IL Of elastic form OF nrehi.
lecture, TS>pS feet. two and one .balf
TO top Of tower being exactly 100 feet
Tho body OF tho building Ia OF dark oh .rrv
red native brick, Trimmed with Callyerna'
Willie renrcssed brick, The trimming in.
elu1lnr all plnstres, belt courses, hoods
and panels Tho roof ia CT slate aud four
nn'all towers, MS well ns tho mnln tower
hro OF galvanized iron. In the main
tower Is mo siiO0 Seth Thomas clock
Tho iirst Rtory Of tho building N Il
iret IN the clear and contains Offices on
tho county iudre, county ana dlntri,t
clorka, eherln, collector. Rsgopnr. treas.
lrer, attorney mud two large lrcnrnot
record rooms. cnch ibNg0 for tho county
hud district clerks The building has four
main Entrances, from the four sidea ~
tile public square, with li-fnot haii
unninv north nnd south and io-foot
hnl running onat and west with a stair
WV In each cnd NJ the main hniluay,
leading 90 tho second story The four
lnHin onlrnncc9 nro nll voHthulcd with
.hrgc folding donrH the entrances giving
ne building massive appearance.
rue stairway lnpdH on the second fnor
IN man hAll, from which two lnrge doubt,
lcoiA admit into district court room,
Vhich r. iSNGi0, with raised nonr. sn'eu-
lldly ventilated hy their triple id-foot
v ludows on all four sid 3. This room will
be splcndidly furnished IN n0tiyo curly
nine nnd reided cypress which IL also
Tho finish 81 balance Of house. There mr.,
ror Jury and witneFses' rooms. The Luiid-
ng VIII he nlnatered throughout ana an
el ed In nRrd oil. The nlnn " nm original D.,
1no, there being no building Ike 4 In
no State. aLd will be very handsome.
rhe cfrner stone Is OF rod Peeoa stone
Maid with marble, and bears the follow.
M inscription
TreHpnlnoios Lodge. A. IT, ana A. NJ,
30. jli--R + Allen, Dept. O. NJ; ]. m
Rnwl's. w. Nj t. j. Poole. s. w. ]. Rel
or ]. w.
Matagordn county court house, erected
80 Commissioners court; H. 8 flugcley,
ir, county judge Henry srrrills. COM
precinct No, / II. L. Bowie.
ommiedonor precinct No. Q! q. Il. Brown,
commissioner precinct No. 3: T. j. Poole,
Commissioner precinct No. 4. Martin.
iryne, iohrson q Apnlcgate contractors;
I, A. Matthias. superintendent
II. r. Allen, deputy grand master of
Galveston, performed the ceremony. as
listed by about 300 visiting Masonic
'rethren.
MATAooRDA COUNTY.
Metagorda county, tho landing place OF
tephen T, Austin and hia colony, and one
the FIRST organized counties OF tho
tate. has since the war gone backward.
ne Increase In population from 1870 to
$50, was but twonty-one and 10 II has
cen up to about eighteen months ago,
ihen new life was infused into her peo-
10, ana nef increase III population during
he period has been at tho very least 100
eoplo. Her agricultural Interest and
Their resources have been laying DOR
iant for these many years.
Tho rich Cnney lands, perhaps with no
luhl In the State or elsewhere, has not
alf the land In cultivation II had prior
, the war. on every hand can ba seen
no ruins OF the old brick suger factories,
ow idle for want Of cheaper transporlR-
on and reliable lLbor. and Instead OF
10 rich old planter n oden days, We
ow have tho cattle srons. with their
rye pastures and thousands OF head OF
ock.
But. as previously said, there Is a change
king place. the small farmer is coming
. the large pasture men are turning
ose, cutting up thoIr lands into small
acts and selling on long and easy terms.
Just one year ago tho proposition or
owing tho county seat from tho old
wn of Matagorda was submitted TO tho
,tcrs. and they almost unanimously do
ded upon Bay city. near tho center OF
10 county. The Bay city Town company
Tered bonus OF 5000 10 cash to tho
,unty. provided the county would supple
cnt II with t25.oo0 for courthouse. and
c offer was accepted and II is for that
hIch the celebrating today 10 being held.
ho commissioners also let tho contract
r n tWo-stury TAIL which WAS complotod