The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1908-08-07
Continued from page 1.

DC dppTONeQ Dy HldJOTlJy VI TIE W.
tiers of the county. The taxpayer is
therefore pretty well secured against
increased taxation if the county seat re-
mains at Titusville.
| have heard it stated on reliable au-
thOrity, and the fact is confirmed by my
own observation, that for some years
past there has been less crime in Bre-
ward county than in any other county in
the State of Florida, so that the neces-
sity for new courthouse at Titusville
is not apparent. The court has very lit
tie to do at its terms here.
Now as to the value of the county
buildings: The courthouse is a large,
two-story building, its dimensions be-
ing 32x74 feet, with an ample porch on
the front. 1t is in good state of pres
ervation and is well painted, and at the
present prices of lumber and labor it
could not be duplicated for $4,000. 1t
is valued for insurance at 81, 500.
The Office Of the Clerk of the Circuit
Court cost the county 81, 3S4.85, and 1t
is worth that amount. 1t is said that
the vault in this building could be taken
out and moved to Cocoa, but as the
vault is built into the building the lat
ter would have to be taken down to re-
move it, so that the building would be
practically total loss. The same is
true of the vault in the County Judges
building. This vault comprises more
than half of the building itself.
The County Judges building cost 49,
200, and it is worth that amount today.
The water tanks, pump house and
foundation, plumbing, and the county's
expenditure on the sanitary sewer from
the jail and Outbuildings would have to
be thrown away.
cost the county 50, 720. The steel cells
in the Jail, which, by the way, were not
injured by the fire, cost the county
Sc, 1872. 90.
1t is admitted that these steel cells
could be taken down and moved to Co
Goa, so that only the cost of their tax
ing down, removal and setting up at Co
Goa should be figured, and this, at a
conservative estimate, would cost
81 900.
The Jail, as originally erected, was a
twO-stOry building, the second story, at
the back, being used as an armOry,
while the front upstairs was used as
jailOr's room on the north side, and on
the south side were two cells for wO-
men prisoners or for the custody of the
insane who might be temporarily con-
fined here. The walls of the first story
of the jail were four bricks, or Is inches
IN thickness, while the walls of the sec
ond story were but II inches, or three
bricks, thick. The fire burned the roof
and floor of the second story and leveled
the walls, but the thick walls of the
first story are intact, have been care
fully examined by a competent builder
and found TO be in good condition. The
floor of the Jail itself is of cement, and
of course is uninjured, and this is true
OF the steel cages, as there was very
little heat IN the lower part of the
building at the time of the fire. A re-
SpOnSlble contractor has offered to
strengthen the present walls and restore
| the present jail as one-StOry structure.
which Is all there is need for now as
| there is no occasion for an armory. for
the sum of 81, 800. The building. when
restored, not counting the value of the
steel cages, will serve its purpose as
well as ever and will be worth, at a
conservative estimate, $1,000; and as
81, $50 insurance money has been col
lected on the sheriff s house, the restOr-
alton of the Jail can be made without
any additional taxation.
Adding up these items, it will be seen
that the amount of county property
now at TituSvile is as follows. not
counting the steel cells of the Jail or
the lands:
Jail, restored with ms. money 81. 900 90
| Courthouse 1000 Oh
| Clerk : office 1884 IS
County Judges office 1920 90
Water tanks. pump house,
plumbing. sewer. Courthouse
fence etc l,jOO 90
Making an aggregate of $50, O34 50
To which should be added 81. 500. the
estimated cost of taking down and
| Transporting TO Cocoa and setting up
again the steel cages IN the jail and the
| vaults II tre County Clerk = and County
judges offices. making grand total of
80. 81. ~. which the county will be out
Of pocket nv the abandonment OF Titus
! vile as the county seat.
! Now = 20 the CoJnty'S expenditures
AZ Cocoa. which would, be involved i'm
the establishment of the county seat al
that place:
1t has been proposed that the Jail.
courthouse and all county offices should
DC put IN one tire-prOOf county building,
and as the lot upon which it is proposed
10 put the county building at Cocoa is
not large it would be necessary to make
such combination if the courthouse is
erected on that lot
At KiSsimmee, in Osceola county.
the same plan was carried out, the iail
being put under the courthouse: but
the results have been very unsatisfac-
tory. There is always an odor from
jail no matter how cleanly the custo-
dian may be. IL sometimes happens
that noisy persons are confined there.
Not many years since We had a person
convicted of murder i'm the TituSvilIa