Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-01-17
LANCASTER WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, JANUARY Il, 1901.

ground H0Or Is ~ 1eeI. Othef ceilings not 10
exceed Il feet except court room which has
ceiling Is feet. The building has stone foun-
datiOn. is built of BRICK faced with Portage
Entry Quarry faced red sandstone. with
sawed and carved trimmings. Iron cOrnice.
painted and same TO match. The front en-
trance is ornamental with porch and balcony
by two granite aud two stone coll
unnS. a well lighted Vestibule leads di-
rectly into the corridor. Rear entrance is a
narrow double door. Floors IN all corridors
are tiled. The vault floors are cement. Gov
cred with linOleum carpet. Floors in offices
were hard wood. The rooms were plaStcred
with rock wall plaster ON metal lath. except
where plastered on brick float finished and
tinted nails had marble base and chair rail.
The wood finish in whole building was plain
sawed white oak. StairwaYs iron; several
small circular stairwayS are used TO enter
lower vaults and to connect clerk : Office
with court room. The jury rooms were attic
rooms ON fourth floor. connected with court
room 10y narrow iron stairway. The vaults
in this building are mostly finished as Offices
Some on he first floor have two or three
large windows protected by rolling iron shut
tiers on inside. Others have windows entire
ly unprotected aud some OF the vaults are
dark and very small 6N10 fl.
The court room in this building is Il very
good and well arranged room 3SN50. aud Is It
high. Some OF the officers have far more
room than they need while others have
cramped quarters. This is true of the COun-
ty court. which room is too small. is LShaped
and the judge has had to abandon the use of
his private office and use his vault as "a pri-
vate office. The vault from this Office is 100
small. DuI mas Il vault DeneaIll Wnlcn can tie
used The entrance thereto IS by circular
iron stairway A tower rises from the cen
ter of the roof. This tower is of iron painted
and sanded and the corners are the outlets
of ventiating tiues. The ventilation of this
building is inexpensive. and is said to be
sufficient. If deficient anywhere the com
mittee is of the opinion that il is so i'm the
court room. We find same defects in attic as
in the other court houses. the roof not being
sufficiently supported and not fire proof
The tin deck cover is not successful and most
nf a fsQi inc lf itr al ly
After inspecting the court house az SPARTA
your committee returned to Madison. where
we examined the court house. This building
Is an exceedingly expensive one. strictly hre
proof throughout. We there learned that a
building Of the same general plan, but
adapted to the needs OF Grant county, could
be built for Sl25OOJ
We.also learned at Madison that il would
be possible for Grant county 10 borrow from
the state 4 sum of money up to 100000 for
such term of years as We chose. not exceed
ing 20 years. with the privilege of paying the
principal in annual inStallments with inter-
est III the rate OF 3@ per cent per annum, in
terest payable annually
The opinion Of the committee is that to the
average farmer and business man of Grant
county money is worth at least per cent
per annum. and that to raise money enough
to pay for the whole or n considerable part
of the cost of building at once, to hurry pay
ments upon the debt. amounts to paying for
the building and six per cent interest when
by borrowing money at long time at a low
rate of interest would amount to a saving of
the dlHefence IN the rate OF interest.
Your committee would respectfully recon-
mend that a new court house be built. such
building to cost in the neighborhood of $50
COO That building committee be appointed.
that such building committee employ com
petent person as architect to prepare plans
and specifications for such building as in
the opinion of the committee will best serve
theinterestS of the county: that said com
mittee appoint some capable person as SUI
perinteudent of the construction to first
carefully review such plans and specifca-
tons shall be submitted by the architect,
with a view to discovering errors. and after
wards to have supervision of the building
and of the materials furnished with full
power To reject any materials that are not
up to specifications in all respects and to re-
iect any construction that shall not be fully
up to specifications.
Your committee being of the opinion that
by so doing "a building can he obtained that
shall in all respects be exactly what was bar
gained for
Dated Jan. 10 1901.