Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1913-05-14
The COURT HOUSE AFFAIR.

lM CQ.DR| HOUSE AFFA|R
POOR GRANITE AND INCOMPE
TENCY PLAINLY IN EVIDENCE
Special Committee Of Experts Make Repor
10 Grand Jury and Grand Jury Reports II
Court.
The good people of Salisbury
and Rowan County will be glad to
learn that there is now proba-
bilisy that, since we must have 6
new court house, it may be one
that will re of credit to the coun
ty and her greatest natural asset
the Rowan granite. As eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty, &c
it is with a square deal for the
public. 1t seems next to IMP os'
sible to have something done for
the public without some one put
ting up some scheme that will in
ure to personul advantage, and it
was hardly TO be expected that
the construction of this building,
born in spite aud revenge and car
ried forward with the intent of
personal gain, would be completed
without public scandal. The
WArcHMAN opposed the erection
of tn. building fesling that 1t was
not :. necessity, and still thinks
80, but hoped that creditable
structure would be the result, al
though our Judgment held ous sb,
solutely nc reason to believe such
q hope might be realized.
At the beginning of ths work
we we're informed the concrete
foundations were too thin aud shat
the proportion of camens, sand and
aggregates was such as to make
very inferior Foundation. This
was published. This paper later
called attention to the inferior
stone being used and told who was
furnishing said stone; it also sug
gested several tim8s that disin-
terested inspector be employed,
and this matter came bsfore the
commissioners and was voted
down. All of which was seeming
ly to no purpose SO far as our com
missloners were concerned. but
did have. we are pleased to believe
an awakening effect upon the
people. At any rate the grand
jury for the February term of
court called attention to the con-
ditions and entered protest. This
report was received by the com
mlssioners aud ordered fled, (and
this may be the fate of the report
given below unless the people take
some action to protect their in.
terests, and now Judge Long
directed the attention of the grand
jury to the conditions, the grand
jury appointed special commit
tea composed of experts to make
an examination. This committee
perfe rmed it's labors pretty thor
onghly and reported as follows:
SPECIAL COMMITTEES REPORT.
Report of committee appointed
by the Grand Jury May 6sh, 1913,
to investigate condition of the
new Rowan County count house:
The committee has TO report
that they have carefully examined
the building now being erected by
the King Lumber Co. of Char
lottesville, Va, for the county of
Rowan and have also examined
the plans and specifications and
find as follows:
A. The granite used in the
building does not comply with
the specifications in quality and
is not in any sense a frst.class
granite Most of it having been
taken from boulders or from near
the surface of the quarry. shows
serious discolorations and wide
variety Of texture, anG is entirely
unfit for use as an ornamental
building stone. It. is not at all
representative of Rowan County
granite and should not have been
allowed to be used in the building.
B. The workmanship on the
granite is poor. Specifications
call for six cut work but the grade
of cutting ia not equal to good
grade of four cut WORK.
G, The jointing of the granite
y k is not uiform, the blocks
II G entirely togather in some
while in others showing one
Eh joints
he stones are not cut true
ere and on this account it
Impossible to put the
work up plumb and tue.
Il his is particularly noticeable at
the corners of the building and at
window openings.
We recommend that all granite
in the front of the building be re-
moved and that the best quality
of Rowan County g1anite of uni
form color be put in its place, care
being used to see that it is prop
erly finished and accurately cut.
Brick Work. The joints of the
brick work at the rear of the
L.:llinn aro from 5 To lnnh aI