Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-27

County Will be Anywhere from
$4,000 to Sc, 1000 One Hundred
and Forty Thousand Entries TO be
Made, at the Rate Of Three Gents
Each-A Fat Thing for Some
body.
The new index job. which is the twin
brother of the late file case job, which
latter failed through the energetic efforts
of the late P. B. Dobbins and other good
citizens, was showed through the Board
of County Commissioners at yesterdays
special session, after an ex parte eXamln-
alton. following an invitation for compe-
tition, and the presence in this city of an
agent of the system adopted, for about
two weeks. Other systems, said to be
better than the one adopted, were not eX-
amined and the result was certain days
before the Board met. The cost of the
county will be between $1,000 and $1,000,
probably about $780, which makes a
very nice thing for the officials who
will see that the work is done. The num-
Der of entries to be made is approximate
~ if''ooV " lhp,oDV, anu lily BilNO $1,000
subject to change, however. IS three cents
per entry. That means that this price
will be paid the County Clerk, and is not
the price to be paid the clerical force
which will do the work The difference
will be added TO the net profits of an al
ready fat public Office. The public will
foot the bill.
The matter has been under considera-
ton and incubation by the county author
tiles for some time. AS long ago as two
weeks, as the Register is creditably in
formed, a representative of the Graves
patent index, manufactured in Syracuse,
n. Y, came to this city to work up the
contract. Yesterday this gentleman
was reinforced by a personal
representative of the index man
ufacturers The first gentleman had
several conferences with the County
Clerk and members of the Board, includ-
ing the Finance Committee, and later
session of the Committee was held last
week, at which attorneys We're invited to
be present, and an examination of the
Graves index was made. 1t was agreed
that certain portions of the old index
should be rewritten, and attorneys
whose views were sought were fairly
unanimous in saying that if a new sys-
tenn was adopted and portion Of the in
deXes rewritten upon that system, it
would be well to carry the work back to
the formation OF The county, in HI.
There was, however, no comparative ex-
animation of different systems, as far as
can be learned. The representatives of
the Graves system had the call, and that
M ri irHa oil he
dence. The Finance Committee referred
the matter to the Board, and a special
session was called for yesterday morn
ing, with the Graves system distancing it's
only competitor. the Johnson Watson in
dex. a representative of which had acct
dentally heard of what was going on.
and who was later invited to come be-
fore the committee, but who found it
virtually impossible to break into official
circles. yesterday, far enough to obtain
a hearing.
When the Board met yesterday morning
the two representatives of the Graves in
deX-the gentleman who had spent a cou-
pie of weeks here, and the other, who
came on yesterday-were present. and al
so the representative of the Johnson
Watson system, who thought he
would have fair and equal
chance. The thing was cut and
dried, however, before the Board
met, and when the Johnson-Wat rep
resentative obtained permission to enter
the Board room, after the Board was in
session, they were told that the Board
had determined to adopt the Graves sys-
TEN, and there was a broad intimati ton
that the time of the members was valua-
BILE and should not be wasted. The rep
resentatives of the Johnson-Watso sys-
tenn offered to place their system upon
competition with the Graves, both as to
plan and cost, but as the action of the
Board had been determined upon before
the session convened, this was. of course,
utterly useless and the programme was
carried out.
At the opening of the proceedings Mr..
Hare called for the reading of the propo-
sition of Hall & McChesney, for furnish
ing the Graves patent key index. The
proposition agreed to furnish the Board
with one index grantors. nine volumes,
100000 names: one ditto, grantees. and one
ditto deeds of trust and mortgages-in all
twenty-seven volumes, for $500, with an
additional allowance of 500 for an exam
nation and classification of the names in
this county a grand total of 500 for the
books alone.
The reading of this proposition was fol-
lowed by the reading of the report of the
Finance Committee, which was to the eff
feet that after several interviews and an
investigation of the indexes it has been
found that the indexes from 1850 to 1872
are in bad condition and must be re-
written. while the indexes from 1177 TO
1850 are also in bad shape. and must be
rewritten in the near future. The Com
mittee has interviewed several of the
principal attorneys of the county, who
are unanimous that the indexes should
be rewritten from III to the present
time. Your Committee therefore recon-
mends that the Graves system be pur-
chased, and that a competent party be Sc
cured to do the work to the satisfaction
of the Board. and that the new index be
prepared from the deeds themselves, and
not re-copied from the old books. and
that the President be empowered to sign
contract to that effect"
The report was adopted.
Mr.. Speidel then moved that the propo-
sition of Hall e McChesney he accepted.
but that the Prosecuting Attorney pre-
pare new contract in duplicate. This
was adopted
County Clerk Robertson then reported
70 "a Gh N