The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-04-06
'GIlOnTV'S RECORDS
ALMOST PRICELESS
Keeping Them Safe is a
Most Important Job Chi
eago Man Says.

Whatas me most valuable thing in
NariDu c1unty 10 the people Of Ma
aon eounsJ7
me question had had little consid-
sratiun untH q Cheagoan dropped In
snis morning ana propounded the
query. Even the members Of the
cornty court, or a. G. Martin, county
r,erk. were stu1aped by the question.
some one said that " might be
Good Roadss since that is the upper
most topic throughout West Virginia
at this time. Some political wag Oh.
served that 1t might be public health
taking the stranger for an emissary Oh
DR.. and Gen. Leonard Wood. the
men around the court house ventured
The Eness that the most valuable thing
IN Marion county to the people OF
Marion county was the court mouse.
.rWhat is II In Marion county that
Is worth more than 800, 100000 dol
lars to people of Marion county," the
public records in the office OF the
county clerk. :.
The deed books running from No. l..
which started in 1912. when Marion
county was formed up to the present,
cover title to all the property in Ma
rion county The value and purpose
of these records is not realized by the
public generally and the statement
that they are Of more Importance than
HE court house itself Is proven by the
TACT that counties often erect new
court houses simply because there Is
need for a place to preserve public
records.
Not only is the preservation of pub
lie records important but. it is equally
important that they be kept in good
shape The public records in coun-
ties where there is extensive coal or
oil interests get harder use than the
records IN counties where there Is lit
tie business activity and consequent
IL records become mutilated or are
lost.
public records written on the best
paper and with the best ink and done
up in the best binding should last one
hundred years and there are records
in Marion county which have begun to
approach that age, since Deed Book
No. 4 was started in 1912. That book
is now sadly in need of repairs but
peculiarly 1t ise in no worse shape
than other public records which have
less age to tell against them.
The constant stream of lawyers who
inspect the public records make It
necessary that the deed books and the
like should be of the best material.
Careful handling is not always en-
phaa,zed ss much as 1t should Some
times a careless lawyer in getting out
the records permits the books to
strike the table harder than mere pa.
per, thrbad and glue can stand for
year after year oftentimes lawyers
drop a book on an opened book
through lack of room and the dirty
covers soil the pages of the record
that is open. There are missing parts
OF pages, loose pages and other mu-
tilations of public records in Marion
county which are regretable
The public records Of Marion coun-
ty are fairly complete and measure up
to the best that are to be found in any
county of West Virginia. There have
been no floods in the Marion county
court house like there have been in
Mason (Point Pleasantly and in Kama.
wha (Charleston). The alkali in the
air In coal counties works against the
long-life OF record books but the con-
slant use OF records for oil and gas
abstracting is the greater factor to-
ward short life.
The interest that Is taken in the
preservation and restoration OF Ma.
rion county records by County Clerk
a. g. Martin is worthy Of word of
praise in this connection. While Mr..
Martin is not an abstractor he was
formerly clerk in the supervisors
office Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail.
road and learned the value of clean
records, plain writing and plain fig.
ures He was also an assistant to
County Clerk Charles F. Marley years