The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-05-23
NEW COURT HOUSE TALK
Matter Being Agitated and Will
Be Considered by the
Commissioners
AT THE JUNE MEETING
Reasons Why Yellowstone County
Should Have New Building.
Site for Same offered.

For some time past the matter of
erecting new court house for Yellow
stone county has been quietly agitatod
and the commissioners, it is said, will
consider the proposition at their June
meeting. The present court house has
outgrown it's usefulness by reason of
the increasing business and is now en-
tirely too small for the purposes for
which it was intended. It is also felt
that the time has arrived when the
court house can be advantageously dis
posed of for business purposes, as was
intended when the present structure
was built. If this could be done new
court house and Jail combined could be
built without bonding the county, the
commissioners being authorized by law
to expend $4,000 without submitting
the question to a vote of the taxpayers.
IT, therefore, the present court house
and Jail could be sold for $4,000 or
$15,O00, some $4,000 or $4,000
would be available for new structure.
1t is thought the property can be dis
posed of for the figures named and that
a site for a new court house may be
donated. Mayor Yegen, in fact, has
publicly said that he will give $4,000
for the present court house and Jail and
donate a block of ground, worth
So, 500, If the commissioners will build
the new structure upon it. The block
is located on the south side, south and
east of Donovan & Spears, and while
the offer is liberal one, it is not like
~ the location would be favored by the
taxpayers, it being too far from the
business center of the city. Mr..
Yegen's offer is probably contingent
upon his site being accepted. but if he
is willing to give $l5. 900 for the pres
ent buildings, it is likely that someone
else will give as much, while the COM
nlissioners hope that a site nearer the
business center may be donated or OBJ
tanned for nominal sum. At least
they would like to hear from public
spirited citizens on the subject.
The county is in good shape to bond
for new court house, if that course is
deemed advisable It has not reached
the limit for which it can bond by
$62, 900, and the present indebtedness
is in excellent shape. It amounts to
$3.50, 500, less $4,000 cash on hand
May l.. The Indebtedness consists of
$91 500 worth of 5 per cent bonds. due
July /, 1918, and $4,000 worth of 6
per cent bonds, due Oct 1. 1911. The
5 per cent bonds may be redeemed July
i, 1908. and the 6 per cent Oct. l,
1901. But new court house can be
built without bonding The present
structure, it is thought, can readily be
disposed of for business purposes. and
the matter of a site for new one
should first be determined.
It should be centrally located, of
course, and the commissioners would
be justified in purchasing one before
there is further advance in real estate,
if land is not donated for the purpose.
The time is coming, without doubt,
when new court house will be an alb
solute necessity, even if it is not built
now, and it would be both wise and
economical upon the part of the COM
missioners to provide for contingency
that is sure to arise in the future.
Some of principal reasons why a new
court house should be built are given
below, all of which are pertinent and
worthy of careful consideration:
The present courthouse is SO situated
that it is impossible to conduct court
in it without repeated and annoying
Interruptions from noise caused by
heavily loaded wagons passing on the
streets, people standing in front Of the
building and talking loudly, the trains
coming in and going out of the city,
and the continual switching of the
'witch-engines in the railroad yards.
The court room is also inadequately
ventilated. The means of heat /
ng it, by three stoves, is SO poor
/ method that to keep the air