The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-10-07
PETITION FOR A
NEW COURT HOUSE
PLANS FOR A SUITABLE BUILD.
ING SUBMITTED
commissioners Asked to Use Pro-
ceeds of Sales of County Property
Heretofore Sold and to Sell Pres
ent Site and Water Front.

The need of safer aud more commo-
dlous quarters for the keeping of the
public records and the accommoda-
ton OF the county officers has become
SO great that an effort has been made
to induce the county commissioners
to exercise their power under the
law to provide the needed facilities
without waiting another year to OBJ
tain the added authorization of vote
OF the people, which it is now consid-
cred foregone conclusion would be
favorable if the question were again
submitted. The San Juan County
Bank desires to use ali of it's vault
room, in which for number of years
some OF the most cumbersome and
valuable records have been kept.
Only the tax rolls of the current wear
are there, the rolls of former years
being constantly exposed to loss by
fire in the treasurer's office in the
present old she'll of court house. In
the auditors and clerks Offices also
many valuable records are likewise
exposed and all the safes are stuffed
to their utmost capacity. At the
meeting of the commissioners this
week perspective view and floor
plans of a suitable building, drawn by
competent architect in Seattle,
we're submitted, together with the
following petition, bearing the sigma
lures of many of the county's best
known citizens and leading taxpay-
ers:
Friday Harbor, Washington, Sep
tember 80, 1905.
To the Honorable Board of County
Commissioners of San Juan Coun-
ty, Washington
Your petitioners respectfully show
that the psesent town site and water
front of Friday Harbor was granted
to the county of San Juan by the
United States, under the revised
statutes of the United States, section
1886, for the purpose of using the
proceeds from the sale thereof for
public building purposes for the coun-
ty and for no other purpose.
That the need Of court house for
San Juan county requires no argu-
ment except to look at the present
structure, which is not only danger
Gus to the proper care of the records
and papers of said county, but is
wholly inadequate for court house
purposes.
Therefore, your petitioners ask
that the money heretofore derived
from the sale of the county lands at
Friday Harbor be set aside and used
for the purpose of building court
house as contemplated and as direct
ed by law, and in case OF failure to
secure sufficient funds in this special
fund to so build court house, then
in that event, that the following real
estate, belonging to said county and
granted for the purpose of building a
court house 10 Friday Harbor, be sold
at public auction as provided under
section 4l37 Pierce's Code of the
State Of Washington, to wit: The lot
where the present court house stands
an Spring street and the water front
in Friday Harbor, or such portion as
will be necessary to provide such
funds. and that court house be built
on the block now owned and held un-
der said grant in Friday Harbor.
Your petitioners further request
that in building said court house that .
modest well built building be erected,
sufficiently large to give ample room
| for the needs Of the county for the
next twenty years, and that no build
| mo be built for lavish display, or
|larcer than the size and assessed val
ue Of the county iustifes; that the
same be done under and BY virtue @
The section heretofore referred so
and the further sections, Nos. 4Ose
| and 4101.
accompanying the petition vas the