The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-06-29


the administration OF justice. con-
graduate you that in this service we have
with us one so we'll qualified by many
varied gifts To perform this service.
There Ia no one, to my kno T iedee, in the
state better qualified by education aud
culture, aided by natural ability, to per-
form this service than the Judg. of the
first Circuit, Hon. w. G. Benet, Presiding
Judge. He needs no introduction in An.
dersUD.
Mr.. Tribble was followed by j. e
Breazeale, E.q., who, in delivering the
keys Of the new Court House. in behal fof
tho Building Committee, to the Presiding
Judge. spoke as follows:
May it please your Honor: In behalf
of the County Board of Commissioners
Of Anderson county desire to turn over
to you the keys to this building, to be
ny you turned over to the officer who by
law will be the custodian thereof.
The County Board of Commissioners
congratulate themselves that they have
been enabled to construct building ad-
equate to the demands of the business of
the county and which affords reasonable
protection to all the records which will
be contained within its walls, as we'll as
one which will assure some accommoda-
tions to those having business in court.
1t has long been felt that the old build
ing which occupied this site was not only
inadequate for the transaction OF tho
business of our courts and of the differ
ent county officers and for the protection
OF the records of the county. but was not
IN keeping with the prosperity and
dignity OF the best county in the State.
The Grand Juries of the county have,
almost every year, for more than ten
years, made recommendations looking to
tie erection Ce g nsw court house and
Jail, and the County Board of Commits
aiOners have several times asked the
General Assembly of the State for some
legislation enabling them to provide the
means for the building of new court
house and Jail.
STwO or three efforts were made to Sc
cure sIch legislation, but not until the
session of the Legislature In 1906 was
such legislation enacted. An Act was
then passed levying tax of one mill
upon the dollar each year for six years,
the funds raised thereby to be used for
the erection of a court house and Jail,
provided the voters of the county voted
in favor thereof. This Act was defeated
by vote at an election held at the reg
lar election in 1896.
At the session of the General Assembly
of 1907, similar Act was passed with
the difference that the Act of 1896 gave
the discretion to the County Board of
Commissioners to build the court house
on this site OF. TO exchange it for more
suitable one, while the Act of 1897 re-
quired the County Board of Commits
siOners to build on the same site and
limited the amount to be raised to $780,
600. The vote ON the last Act was in
favor of the new court house and Jail,
thus showing a preference of the voters
of the county for the present location.
By virtue of the said Act the building
committee of the County Board of Cum-
missi0ners, elected by said Buari and
consisting Of w. p. Snelgrove, County
Supervisor as chairman, j. d. Maxwell,
j. f. Clardy, w. D. Garrison and j. II.
Jones went to work to secure the erec-
tion of the court house and Jail as cOn-
templated by said ACT.
Plans we're invited, and the plans sub
mitted by Mr. Frank p. MilbuTc os Char
lotte, n. g., were selected, and after
duly advertising for bids for the con-
struction of said buildings as per the
plans and specifications, Messrs. X. p.
V.ss.lssEaa e CO. % augusta, Ca, were
awarded the contracts.
Mr. Milburl mas not only demonstrated
his competency as an architect, and
shown hiraself master of every detail
connected with the building; but in
experimenting the erection of the build
ings has shown as much interest in hav-
ing the work properly done as the build
ing committee themselves, and has been
at all times ready and willing to render
any help to the committee during the
prt,gress of the work.
The committee also desire to say in
behalf OF the contractors that they have
done all In their power to comply with
the terms of their contract, and have
done the work we'll.
The committee were limited under the
Act to the expenditure OF $50. Geo for the
court house ana Jail, the amount to be
raised by o tax of one mill on the dollar
sac!. year wa:.! said amount was raised,
advance Of the collection Of the tax upon
a pledge of the tax to secure the pay
ment, at rate of interest not to exceed
seven per cent. per annum.
One years tax amounting to about
81, 600 has been collected, and the COM
mittee have borrowed from the Sinking
Fund Commission of the State $28, 900
under special Act of the General AS
sembly at five per cent. interest.
Notwithstanding the predictions of
many that the buildings would not be
erected for the amount of money author-
lied to be used for that purpose, the
oOihtsA1tstOO ssAC 3kA0 OrAOpOAt tn0t tnOy
have been built for q sum within the
limit. yh
Not only have they accomplished this,
but they believe they have the best court
house In the State for the amount of
money expended, the court house alone
costing about $4,000. In addition. TO
this the Committee, through the accom-
modatioiS of the banks of the city, were
enabled 20 borrow money only as it was
needed in the construction of the build
ings until special Act of the Legislature
could be obtained tU enable them to b0r-
row the remaining amount to be collect
ed.to.wft: &29 Q10, from the Sinking Find
Commission at the low rate of five per
cent. per anoum, whereby they we're en-
abled to save to the county $2,50D in in
terest alone, being the amount less the
county will have to pay In interest than
they would have had to pay had they
borrowed the full amount at fret att per