The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-09
IMPROVEMENTS ON
THE COURT HOUSE
Contractor Expects to Have Two Court
Rooms Ready in . Month.
WORK WAS DONE VERY RAPIDLY
Contract Was Awarded on August q
and Conrad Schroeder Immediately
Put a Large Force Of Men at Work.
New Court Room for the Superior
Court Will Be known as No. 2.

The contract made by the county
commissioners with Conrad Schroeder
for the third story addition and alter
atiOns to the court house calls for the
completion of the work by the first
OF the new year. or else the pay
ment of penalty of so a day.
But now the most pressing question is
in regard to how soon the court rooms
Will be ready for occupancy. so that
the Federal building need not be used
for criminal and civil courts ard the
common council chamber of city hall
for grand jury sessions.
There isn't much doubt but that one
Of the court rooms will be ready i'm a
month and Contractor Schroeder is
making strenuous efforts to get both
ready by that time. WOrkmen are now
engaged in putting in the ceiling in
both of them and the plastering will
be started inside of a week.
No. l court room has undergone no
change, except that it was unavoid-
able that the ceiling had to be torn out
when the third story was begun with.
"A new ceiling will replace 1t, which is
being put in now. The temporary roof
put in to keep out the rain is now an
swering the purpose of scaffOlding in
the two court rooms.
PROGRESS OF WORK.
Foreman Adam Schroeder said yes
terday that the temporary roof will be
torn down in ten days, and after that
the painters will begin. Old court room
No. has been heightened by tearing
out the partition which stood between
it and the small room which was used
by the tipstaffs and will hereafter he
known as No. g.
Across the corridor the law library
and the grand and petit jury rooms
have been combined into q court room
for the superior branch. when that
body meets In Scranton, and at other
times it can be used as court room No.
.. There Is more to be done OH that
than on the other two rooms, and it
will be let go until the last.
The bids for the work We're opened
by the county commissioners in August
8. Conrad Schroeder and f. s. Will
Jams were the only two bidders The
formers bid was $6l,457. and the lat
ter's was $65.S25. Mr.. Schroeder was
awarded the contract.
That very day he started i'm on it,
by making survey of the place and
taking note of what was to be done.
The next morning timber and material
for temporary roof Were hauled to
the ground and before nightfall the
place had the appearance of lumber
ydTu. AS soon as temporary TOOL
was in the top of the court house was
taken down and got out of the way.
All this went along quickly and the
magnitude of the task was not so ap-
parent to the passersby along the
streets.
SYSTEMATIC WORK.
Mr.. Schroeder had a small army of
men at work and each had q certain
part to do and was doing it.
To the casual observer the work ap-
pears to be nearly done. There is not
much more of the tiling to be laid on
the roof. The symmetry of the struc-
ture has not been spoiled by the addi-
tion; the general opinion Is that II has
been enhanced in appearance. All of
the work has been done in a thorough
ly substantial manner.
Mr.. Schroeder had the contract for
the masonry and the Berlin Iron Works
of New Berlin, Conn, had the contract
for the iron work. Mr.. Schroeder was
empowered by the county commission
ers to supervise the construction of the
iron work and see that ii was done In
a thorough manner
Dirt Is being hauled from the end Of
Wyoming avenue to the court house
grounds to raise it about Is inches.
When the work on the building and
grounds IL completed the people of
Lackawanna county will have greater
cause than ever to be proud Of their
temple of justice