Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-01-17

Adjou meeting of the County
Board wa allied to order at the
court house n Lancaster Tuesday,
January 10, 1901, Chairman Ed. M.
Lowry presiding.
Roll call found all present except
Messrs. Birch and Smalley.
The credentials of Mr.. John Glenn
ems of Cuba City were presented and
read. Mr.. Clemens being appointed
in place of Assemb lyman Smalley, re-
signed.
Mr. Birch being held in quarantine
Mr.. Rich was appointed to represent
Mr.. Birch's town, but not presenting
any credentials, the matter was
passed over for the time.
The Chairman announced to the
board chat the committee appointed
to view county buildings had made
but a partial report ana asked that a
recess be taken TO allow them TO com
plete their work.
On motion of Mr.. Chandler board
adjourned to 3 p. m.
$40 p. NJ.
Board called to order at $40 p. M.
Roll call. Quorum present.
Mr.. Rich having answered to the
call in place Of Mr.. Birch of Beetown,
NJ Gardner moved that Mr.. Rich be
recognized as the representative of
BeetOwn. Carried.
The committee appointed to view
court houses with the end in view OF
determining the ACCESSIBILITY of build
ing and the securing of plans for
building "a new court house made the
following report:
To THE HONORABLE. THE COUNTY BOARD OF
GRANT COUNTY, Wis:
We. "a majority of the committee appointed
at the annual session of the Board for the
year 1900, as committee to make inquiries
into the character of the court house that
should be built and the probable cost there
of. and to inquire INFO and report upon any
other matters connected with the building
of new court house that they might deem
advisable. would respectfully report:
That we held preliminary meeting i'm
mediately after the adjournment of the
Board in November, to consider when and
where We should meet for the purpose Of
visiting court houses in other counties III
this state. After due consideration il was
decided by unanimous vote thaswe meet at
Madison ON Jan. :. 1901. as the starting point
our tour of inspection. having prev
iousy made an examination of the court
house in Lancaster for the purpose of deter
As the result of our investigation of the
old court house. we lind that the present
building is inadequate.
The building is now heated by twelve
stoves. in all Of which wood is burned The
chimneVS are old and defective in MANY
ways. and. being built in as part of the walls
of the building. cannot be repaired or
newed without great expense. Even with
the chmneyS repaired ana in the best cOndi-
tion in which they could be put. there would
still remain great danger from lire on az
count of the number of stoves that are nee
essary To keep the offices properly heated.
We lind the vaults already tilled or nearly
filled With records that must he preserved.
These records are such value to the citizens
Of Grant county that the cost of a safe place
of deposit for them is nothing compared
with the loss that would follow their destruc-
ton.
We also find that the present vaults are
not fire-prOOf and that in case of the burning
of the building every Vault.wiGh its contents.
would in all probability be destroyed. Nine
tenthS of the records in the office of county
clerk are contained in room that was origt-
nally an Office in which had been placed Il
false ceiling that was supposed to be fire
proof Whether the ceiling IS fre-pruOf or
not, il is certain that the walls and floors are
not and the contents of this room are eN
In the vault in the office of the register of
deeds are kept all the records of title to all
the land in Grant county. This vault. al
though the best i'm the building. is confess
eddy unsafe against fire ON account of faulty
construction. The loss of these records alone
would cost the citizens of Grant county
many times the cost of a new court house.
The records in the office of county judge
are also of great Importance to the citizens
of the county. The vault it stands.
is equally defective. and a fire in the build
ing would mean the loss of these records.
The vault in the Office of the clerk of the
circuit court is not fre-prOof and il is now
cracking from its own weight. owing partly
to the fact that some years ago the iron stays
were removed to make room for file cases.
The cases in this vault are now nearly full
and there Is no more room for additional
cases.
1t has been suggested that building out
side the old building be constructed and fit
ted with vaults. The committee has given
the matter consideration anu unhesltatIngly
report against ii for the following reasons:
The expense of building such a building
would be considerable in any event. 1t
would necessitate the constant removal of
the records from the vaults for use in the
court house. which would. of course, imperil
the records. and il the vaults were 50 con-
structed as to be used for offices. the cost
would approach the cost of a proper build
ing.
Ii would be necessary to install an expen-
Siye heating and ventlating plant. 70 keep
the records In such vaults from damage ana
ultimate destruction or decay. and. lastly.
tina present court house i 50. ola that even
with very extensive repairs Ii W0lld sun DE-
ana o4d building. rapidly going t0Hecay
he same would be true Of any a ttel pt TO
rebuild vaults IN the old building.
Pursuant To adjournment. SIX members 81.
thr committee met at Madison on Jan TN
AFTER due consideration the cOuIHlttee con-
ciuded that u was advisable To take WITH u
man skilled IN the art Of building and vs.
engaged Nr- u. kleinhauoner. Of PlatteNRie
II accompany u> and assist u in our iuve>-
ri-atlau>- the expense " 50 doing was NerE
usodefate ahd IL proved to be a very great
=. man estIttts Cf rlakln-e critical examining
tioo u plans. Sas3lods II construction aua
Fr5a Madison W. w,ss fc 5Negroe29 giee;2.