Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-04
AucrIoNIre THE COURT HOUSE

There was a tremendous crowd In
the court house yard yesterday to wit
ness the sale Of the court house prop
erty. The people came from all sec
tions of the county, and they pretty
well filled the entire front Of the yard,
especially that corner between Con-
gress and Liberty street gates. They
anticipated some lively bidding for the
old property, both as whole and as
cut up in separate lots; but they were
disappointed, not to say disgusted, as
the much talked Of sale proved a COM
plete fiasco.
Chairman Brice read the published
notice Of sale explaining that the prop
erty was first to be sold as whole at
an upset price of $4,000, and the sue
cessful bidder at or over that sum was
to take the whole property, including
the building; but there was to be a
subsequent sale of the property as cut
up in seven lots, and If the seven lots
brought more in the aggregate than
when the property was sold as whole,
the first sale was to be Off and the
building was still to belong to the
county, and to be sold to the highest
bidder.
w. w. Lewis, ESQ.,. representing
williams and McElwee, owners Of the
law range, and formerly claimants to
the title to the strip on which the
law range platform stands, gave no.
tice Of a decree of court in which 1t
was set forth that the claimants of
this strip must give the same up
whenever the same shall be required
for court house purposes. He went on
TO say that Messrs. Williams and Nc
Elwee did not consider the sale Of the
property as being for court house pur-
poses, leaving the inference that the
claimants would defend whatever
rights in the matter that they may
still have. Mr.. Brice announced that
Messrs. Williams and McElwee had
been served with three months notice,
as required in the decree, and with
these announcements, the sale pro-
eeded. .r-. ..
The auctioneer first offered the prop
erty as a whole with the understand
Ing that there was to be no sale
unless the property should bring the
pset price of $4,000. The bidding
started at $4,000 and went on up to
>14,5OO where it ceased.
Next was attempted the sale by lots
the corner lot mo. s." being offered
first. The lot was started at about
$4,000 and the bidding went up slowly
until finally the lot was knocked down
to DR.. ]. B. Johnson Of Rock Hill, for
S4,700. The only other bidder was Mr..
w. R. Carroll. Of Yorkville.
Lot No. 8. fronting on Congress
street, was next offered. This lot was
bid off by DR.. w. G. Stevens Of Rock
Hill, for $1,000, Mr.. w. r. Carroll and
perhaps others. bidding against him.
Lot No. 2, between lots and 4, was
bid off by DR.. Stevens for $1,000, Mr..
LOUIS fOln anu MI. w. n. Sdtioii pio-
ding against him.
Lot No. was bought by Mr.. Louis
Roth, for $1,000, DR.. ]. B. Johnson, Mr..
w. R. Carroll and DR.. Stevens being
the other bidders.
DR.. w. G. Stevens bought lot No. Z,
for $1,450, over the same bidders who
had competed for the other lot.
Mr.. ]. A. Tate ran lot No. 6, up to
1914 and DR.. Stevens bought 1t for
1915. ...
Drs. ]. B. Johnson and w. G. Ste
vens and Messrs. Carroll and Roth bid
on lot No. 4. DR.. johnson bought it
for $4,000.
After all the lots had been offered,
the auctioneer offered the building.
There was but single bid Of $500, and
it was knocked down to DR.. Stevens.
The total bids for the lots as offered
separately amounted to only $13,725,
when the upset price called for $16,-
600, there was, of course, no sale.