The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-10-20
IS THE MAGNIFICENT NEW COURT
HOUSE THAT YELLOWSTONE
HAS JUST MOVED INTO.
COST REASONABLE.
Pronounced to Be the Most Elegantly
Furnished and Conveniently Ap-
pointed Building in the Entire North
west-Partial Description Given.

The Gazette presents it's readers this
morning with a handsome picture ot
the magnificent new court house that
mas recently been completed in this
city. The picture is the best one that
has yet been printed by any newspaper
and shows off the building to excellent
advantage.
The structure is now and will be for
years to come the pride of all Yellow.
stone county. 1t is owned by the tax.
payers OF the county and it is build
ing that every resident thereof may
well view with sense of personal
pride. While not so large or imposing
as some of the county buildings in
the state, there being one or two, per
haps. that cover more ground, yet it is
doubtful if there is in the entire west
ern country one that is so completely
and elegantly furnished and fitted
throughout and so complete in every
detail of convenient arrangement.
Movement Started.
In the fall of 1903 an issue of bonds
to the amount of $4,000 was author
lied by the voters of the county for a
new court house. The following win
ter G. e. Bell, then of Helena, was
chosen as architect of the proposed
building by the board of county COM
m1ssioners, and when the plans had
been submitted and approved, bids for
the construction were received. There
was some delay experienced in this
part of the preliminaries, but the con-
tract was finally awarded to the Shack
elton & Whiteway Construction COM
pany of Butte. Work was begun on
the building in the spring of 1904.
A Partial Description.
The total outside dimensions of the
structure are 67x9S feet and above the
basement there are three floors which
the architect denominates the ground
floor and the first and second floors.
The basement floor occupies the full
space of the building and is SO ar
ranged that at any time, with a very
small expense, it may be fitted up into
light and convenient office rooms This
plan of the basement construction was
conceived after the original plans were
adopted, and it was a wise provision
on the part of the commissioners.
Window spaces were left in construct
ing the foundation and all that is nee
essary is to open these aperatures, pro-
vide floors and half dozen offices are
available for whatever purpose may
artist. At present the basement con-
tains only the heating plant and a
huge coal storage room which is ex-
tended beyond the outside foundation
about ten feet in the rear of the build
Ing, so constructed as to make the
handling of fuel and ashes perfectly
convenient.
The Ground Floor.
The woodwork in the halls and of.
fees of this floor, as is common over
the entire hUildine IRE OF quarter
sawed oak, highly polished. The wains-
cotting is in marbleized plaster, with
a white marble base extending about
seven inches above the floor. The
walls are finished in oil in various
tints, in which light blue, brown and
gold are predominating colors. At the
rear of this floor, ard also the floor
above, there is somi-circular annex
to the main building. On the ground
floor this additional space will be de
voted to a farmers room-a place
where anyone may find resting place
while waiting to see an official Oh
business; where ditch meetings may
be held, or for anv other public pur-
poses in which the people of the cour.
try are interested. The floors are all
OF tiling-in fact, every bit of space de-
voted to the public throughout the en-
tire building, including the space in
front of the Office counters, are of this
material. There are also lavatories
on every floor, supplied with hot and
cold water and other conveniences.
The hallway of the ground floor is
in the form of cross and on either
side of the points of the cross the Of