The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-03
COURT HOUSE
WILL REMAIN.
Northampton Voters RefusetO Remove
II to Cape Charles City.
AN HISTORIC OLD BUILDING.
II Contains Many Records Of Interest,"
ing Antiquity - The Question OF
Removal Has Been One ofGreat
Interest in tho County.

CAPE CHARLES. VA. Aug. 2.-spe-
oial.-Tho election in Northampton coun-
~ to-day for the removal Of the court
house from EasNlue 20 Cape Charles
passed on very quietly. and a fairly good
vote was poued 10 is impossible to OBJ
tain correct returns tonight. Enough IS
known, however 90 approximate the ma
Jor.ty as about $50 in favor Of the court
house remaining at Eastviuc. and APP
propratug S2VD OF the Glebe fund 10 re-
pair the old buildings.
THE CONTEST.
The contest was ono. the Importance
OF which has been agitaung the people
OF Northampton county for nearly nine
months. and the election by popular vote
involved tho repair of the courthouse.
clerks Office ana Jail buildings al East-
VILE Ohc county seat OF this county for
nearly two hundred years., and am ap-
proprafiou of 5000 of the Glebe fund
money to be used for that purpose, or the
location OF the courthouse and county
buildings and offices al Cape Charles. ana
5000 of the Glcbc fund money 20 be used
On erecting new and suitable buildings
m this city upon site TO- Doe donated IA
Zee simple by ihe scott estate.
THE COURT-HOuSE.
The present courthouse is single
story brick building. aox5p feet built IN
l14g. and ls ln "a terribly dilapdated con-
dition, with very limited accommodation
tor jgries.
The buuding needs To- be thoroughly re-
paired. enlarged and modernized TO suit
the growing needs of a progressive coun-
- ike Northampton.
SOME OLD RECORDS
Contained within the clerks Office
which IS a small single story brick build
inE separate from the courthouse, are
some OF the oldest court records in the
United states. dating hack as far As 1852
Most of tine old records have been neatly
copied in large bound books TO preserve
them intact Ass the original records are
becoming quite illeuhle. ana very hard
20 decipher except 90 those who have
made q study of the peculiar style Of
writing and spelling used in those early
DAYS.
A SHOW PLACE.
Many strangers who visit the Eastern
Shore are taken 90 this quaint and his
toric village 10 see and read the many
interesting legal records OF the early sew
enteenth century contained therein
which the anable and gentiemanly clerk,
and pleased 10 point ont. and read the
amusing passages with which he has be-
come 60 familiar during his long term as
clerk OF the court
REMOVAL AGITATED.
About ten years ago the question q re-
m0yal was submitted o. @ vote and East
Vile kept the courthouse by "a large ma
jority.
AT that time Cape Charles had just be-
come am Incorporated town. and was IN
her infancy. commanding % very small
ballot. The conditions now. however are
very different. the town has grown 10
nearly ZOo0 population. has nice public
IAgh school public town building. nicely
pkved sidewalks broad. wcll-kept shady
aaenues and o. FIRST class system Of water
Works. and is "a pushy, progressive little
town The prejudice against Cape
Charles hy people living in The upper part
o. tho county is quite strong. 10 is accus-
cd Of being railroad town and made up
of foreigners. etc.. hence the contest has
been pretty spicy one. The columns Of
the Eastern Shore Herald published AT
Eastvilc. and the Light published at
cape Charles have been used pretuly
free by thc champions of either side In
presenting their claims and arguments.
AS was stated some time ago there
came very near being no election this
year ON the courthouse removal on ac-
count of our representatives, refusing TO
have hill passed 10y the Legislature Civ
ing a popear vote. and % was not until
tho closing days of the session that a
compromise bin was arranged and gotten
through at the last minute almost
OLD ASSOCIATIONS.
The native inhabitants of Northampton
county are closely connected by knship
and long years OF intimate friendship
running through many generations which
personal interest Influenced many votes
in favor of the courthouse remaining at
Eas'villo. where so many OF the old and
prominent families now live in the town
and on nearby homesteads and whose i'm
terest are very great In the town.