The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-04-28
A PIONEER KICK
ABOUT CONCRETE
WANTS COURT HOUSE BUILT OF
BRICK OR STONE
Thinks the People OF the County
Generally Expect Brick or Stone
To Be Used Notw1thstandtn9 the
Law Limit. of Cost--Architect,s
Opinion As to Appearance.

II ~'~~ - vsAS R4ssAOCA 0OUVAOAS VI Gll6
county, always enterprising
and public spirited, writes to the Is
LANDER from Orcas island, where he
IS temporarily staying, requesting
that we Kindly inform the voters Of
the county as to what kind of mate
rial is to be used in the construction
OF the new court house 2" He says
ASK any voter throughout the county
what the new court house is to pe built Of
and he will tell you it is to be either Of
brick or stone. would not 60 across the
street to vote for concrete building.
After voting at Friaay Harbor the writer
was told by Commissioner Sandwith that
the Board would not build either of brick
or stone; it would be Of concrete or some-
thing else. He said we would have to
take something that was cheap, and that
apparently is what we will get.
Before the election we were given very
clearly to understand that the building
was to be of stone or of brick with stone
trimmings. Since the election no men,
ton has been made about brick or stone.
The resolution adopted by the commits
sioners at their recent meeting speaks Of
y .fire-proOf building" The call for bids
makes no mention of the material to be
used. Before the contract is let the peo-
pie throughout the county should know
what the material is to be. If the county
is to have another cheap building, built Of
concrete or some dope. let us know oft"
Copies of the plans and specifica-
tions are on file at the court house
where any voter, whether he is a
taxpayer or not, can see them. The
specifications call for bids for rein
forced concrete, considered abso-
lutely fire-proof, and also for a facing
course Of sandstone, which would
give the building the external appear
ance Of a solid stone structure. On
account of the high cost of stone
work it is not expected that any bids
will be received for stone facing con-
struc tion within the limit of cost.
Some months ago the ISLANDER quot
ed the architect as stating to the
commissioners and to the editor that
the building could be erected accord
ing to his plans with q facing course
of hard-burned brick and with sand
stone trimmings and made ire-proof
for $13, 900. When he was here .ast
month Mr.. White, in, response to an
inquiry from the editor, reiterated
this statement and further expressed
the opinion that such building would
present q better appearance than
the one provided for. The 1sLANDER
does not presume to know. why bids
for this sort Of construction have not
been called for. Presumably the COM
missioners consider solid concrete
preferable.
The general public undoubtedly has
a mistaken idea Of concrete construc-
tion and especially Of what is known
as reinforced concrete that is con-.
crete gravel, sand and cement inva-
rying proportions, according TO use)
bound together at intervals II walls
by steel or iron rods. There is moth
ing more durable, and good external
work can be made 50 pleasing archi-
tecturally that the ordinary observer
can hardly tell il from cut stone.