Macoupin County, Illinois - Chapter 10: Macoupin's "white Elephant., 1911

Chapter 10: Macoupin's "white Elephant.

A BUILDING WITH A HISTORY MONEY "NO OBJECT" TO ITS PROMOTERS ARCHITECTURALLY "A THING OF BEAUTY" - CREATES A TAX UPON THE PEOPLE LASTING OVER FORTY YEARS GRAND JUBILEE AT PUBLIC BURNING OF LAST BOND BY

Governor Charles S. Deneen

On the 2 ist day of July, 1910, closed that part of the history of the present courthouse relating to the men who were instrumental in paving the way to its erection, the methods devised and carried out for financing the great structure, the issuing of bonds and the difficulties experienced in finding for them a market ; also the dissatisfaction engendered in taxpayers, their futile but persistent efforts to stop what they deemed a wantonly extravagant expenditure of money and the final adjustment, through the able and patriotic efforts of General Johq I. Rinaker and Hon. Charles A. Walker as attorneys for the county, of the monster debt, by which over a million dollars was saved.

The history of the "State of Macoupin's" courthouse has been written both in prose and poetry. The country and metropolitan press had been furnished copy, by reason of its .unique character, for generations, and the magazine writer has contributed his dot to spread broadcast the many interesting and remarkable details connected with the building and cost of this temple of justice, that has not its counterpart in the whole length and breadth of this great country.

A building that should have cost not exceeding $600,000, held up the Macoupin county taxpayers to the tune of one and one-third million dollars and took them forty-three years to clear the debt. A magnificent structure it is, however, and in its proportions and architectural lines, spacious enough for a state house and pleasing to the most critical eye.

On the day and year above mentioned, Macoupin county threw off the last shackle of debt and to commemorate the event set apart the day for one of general rejoicing and thanksgiving. The last of the hated bonds was publicly burned by Charles S. Deneen, governor of the state, before an immense concourse of men and women, who had become wearied and worn throughout the years of their thraldom in meeting the demands of the great brood of its fellows, which was brought into being by a too liberal and plastic authority. And in the flames consuming that bond was extinguished all bitterness, animosity and re- crimination; but not so remembrance. The courthouse bids fair to last and be serviceable for at least another half century, and probably by that time it will have ceased to remind the people of Macoupin county how near, and yet how dear, it has been to them.

The following details pertinent to the subject at hand were gathered with care and precision by C. J. Lumpkin, the courteous and efficient editor of the Daily Enquirer, and published in that excellent paper as a prelude to the jollification festivities succeeding the destruction of the final evidence of debt connected with the courthouse. The essential facts are given and all data relative to the subject have been abstracted from the minute books of the commissioners' court and the board of supervisors. The compiler of this history has been well assured of the correctness of Mr. Lumpkin's researches and the results of his labors are here placed before the reader :

The Initial Move

It is a fact known not only in Carlinville and Macoupin county, but throughout Illinois and, in fact, the surrounding states, that we have the finest courthouse ever erected by any county in this country. It is also generally known that the beautiful structure came into existence only after long and serious trouble and litigation had contested every inch of its construction and the people who at first anticipated with some misgivings a debt of $50,000 for a new courthouse, finally found themselves loaded down with a debt of $1,380,500. This was at a time when the population was comparatively small, and the great natural wealth of field and forest and mine was as yet hardly dreamed of and certainly developed only in the smallest way.

But Macoupin had the wealth then, as now, and perhaps those who caused the debt to be contracted and the fine building to be erected were gifted with a farther insight into the future than others. Perhaps they realized the great natural wealth lying dormant here and there, and in the mind's eye foresaw the time when the debt, which seemed so fearful then, would be small compared to the wealth of the county. In charity to them, for they were trusted men in their day, let us now conclude this to be true, and with the burning of the last bond destroy any traces of bitterness yet remaining from other days.

An act passed by the state legislature in February, 1867, was the first step toward the courthouse bonds. It was passed on the application of the county court, composed of Judges T. L. Loomis, John Yowell and Isham J. Peebles, with George H. Holliday as clerk, and authorized the county to expend $50,000, and no more. Although this amount at that time seemed large, if the members of the county court had built a courthouse for that sum, the people would have cheerfully paid for it and there would have been no long history of trouble nor any fine courthouse for the present generation to be proud of, nor any last bond to burn on the 2ist day of July, 1910.

Fifty Thousand Dollars Only A Starter

The $50,000 was only a starter. At the March term of the county court, 1867, it was ordered that A. McKim Dubois and George H. Holliday be asso- ciated with T. L. Loomis and Isham J. Peebles, as commissioners, to erect a new courthouse in the city of Carlinville. These four men fought out the battle and back of them was a small, but strong, faction headed by that master mind, John M. Palmer. They set their heads and hands to the work and rode over every legal or civil act opposed to their plan, with a determination worthy of fatalists.

Very soon, in fact at the June term following, it was ordered that county orders to the sum of $200,000 be issued and a tax levy of fifty cents on each $100 valuation on all property of all kinds be made, and Judge Loomis was appointed agent for the court, with absolute and arbitrary powers.

At a special term of the county court, held August 2, 1867, it was ordered that bonds to the amount of $50,000, authorized by the legislature, be issued for the purpose of constructing the courthouse. The bonds were to draw ten per cent interest, payable semi-annually, and were to mature at stated periods covering ten years' time.

Taxpayers Apply For An Injunction

An injunction, preventing the county court from proceeding, was refused and the commission proceeded with their plans until January i, 1869, when the special agent reported amounts paid on contracts aggregating $313,044.25. These payments were made with county orders in the sum of $1,000 each, payable ten years from January i, 1868, with interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum.

Then the opposition to the building of the courthouse grew more intense and outspoken. Indignation meetings were held in all parts of the county, condemning the actions of the commissioners. Threats were made, protests entered <and such was the furor and excitement that it had the effect of calling into question the validity of the interest bearing orders. A legal opinion had been obtained from John M. Palmer, attorney for the commissioners, which stated that the interest bearing orders were properly issued and were binding on the county. The commissioners asked for special legislation. The building was erected up to the cornice and no means attainable to finish it. Confidence had to be restored, so that money could be obtained and the commissioners sent special agents to Springfield, who knew how to go about it to get the legislation needed. From time to time it was understood by the people that the commissioners were endeavoring to secure the passage of an act that would fasten the courthouse debt upon them more firmly and give the builders further lease of power and ability to issue bonds, and they organized to defeat the plans of the commissioners-

A Battle Royal

Then came the battle royal - the Gettysburg of the courthouse fight in the state legislature. The commissioners had paid out the original $50,000 raised by the bonds, authorized in 1867 and had issued interest bearing county warrants to ten or more times that sum and must legalize beyond question the county warrants and also get authority to raise much more money. Just how much, neither they nor any one else knew. So this attempt to get their past and future acts approved by the legislature was the crucial and all important part. If they had failed, it is probable that the building could have gone no further, at least for many years.

But they did not fail. They won this fight and there was passed and approved on March 9, 1869, an act legalizing all bonds, warrants, contracts or other evidences of indebtedness in reference to the building of the courthouse, and the county court was authorized to borrow money and issue bonds to raise whatever sum might be necessary to complete the courthouse and the improvements connected therewith. This was the act that settled the courthouse question, as a matter of fact, but the opposition refused to recognize defeat and kept on fighting. They held more meetings and adopted fiery resolutions. They had representatives at Springfield when the bill was on passage, and as a sample resolution this one section of a set of six passed at a mass convention of citizens held at Carlinville in February, 1869, with I. M. Metcalf as chairman, is given:

"Resolved, That the county court of Macoupin county, in building a new courthouse, has disregarded the almost unanimous and oft-repeated protest of the people of this county ; that it has utterly disregarded the best interests of the people and has imposed a debt that the present generation may not hope to be able to cancel ; that they have transcended the laws of the land and trampled under foot the bulwarks of our liberties ; that such open and shameful violations of law and utter disregard of the people is the worst form of tyranny and despotism, and that this convention regards and condemns as enemies to free government the authors and perpetrators of these evils."

And Yet More Bonds Are Issued

At the March term, 1869, of the county court, bonds aggregating $272,000 were authorized and were issued and sold. At the September term that year, $408,000 in bonds were issued. At the November term, $212,000 more bonds were ordered issued and were turned over to the financial agent, A. McKim Dubois.

At the general election held in 1869, P. C. Huggins, A. A. Atkins and M. Olmstead were elected county judges. They were "anti-court house'.' and immediately repudiated as many of the acts of their predecessors as they possibly could. They required final reports from the commissioners at a special term held February i, 1870. The final report of the county agent was made February 7, 1870, and was not aproved by the court. The building was practically completed that year and the commissioners resigned February n. They had built the courthouse and accomplished what they set out to da and had issued bonds and orders as follows :

Bonds issued under the act of the legislture of February, 1867. Of this class the amount issued was $94,000, of which $49,500 bore the seal of the county and the balance did not. (The act authorized them to issue only $50,000.)

Proposition To Fund Debt

At the March term, 1870, of the county court, attorneys for many taxpayers offered a motion that the court declare illegal the courthouse tax which the former court had imposed, to pay the debt on the building, and the motion was sustained and the sheriff was ordered not to collect the courthouse tax. But other special levies under the names of special tax and bond tax were allowed to stand and the motion as to them was not sustained. Suits were brought, judgments obtained against the county by holders of the various classes of paper, a writ of mandamus to compel the levy and collection of all the courthouse taxes was obtained. The county in the meantime, in 1873, having adopted the township form of government, in 1877 the supervisors made a proposition for funding the courthouse indebtedness, which was adopted by a majority vote of the people at an election held January 5, 1878. The substance of the proposition was to fund, take up and cancel all of the outstanding bonds, notes, orders, coupons and judgments, at the rate of seventy-five cents on the dollar of the principal of said papers, and to issue in lieu thereof, bonds issued by the county to run twenty years and bear interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, payable 'annually, the aggregate amount of such bonds to be $1,036,000. This issue was made and sold and in the succeeding years to 1890 nothing further was clone in the matter except to take up the bpnds and coupons as the funds provided by the special tax allowed. In 1890, the supervisors attempted to refund the outstanding six per cent bonds with an issue of four per cent bonds, but on account of the low rate of interest this was found impracticable and only $10,000 of the bonds were taken and these by residents of the county exclusively.

In 1898 the twenty years of the original 1878 issue having expired and the debt of that time being $720,000, the supervisors ordered, issued and sold four and a half per cent bonds to the amount of $720,000 and it is believed all of the 1878 issue has been paid at this time. The last outstanding bond was of the 1898 issue and it was paid July I, 1910, and publicly burned on the 2ist at the .celebration. At the time of the principal funding issue in 1878, the court house debt was estimated at $1,380,500. Some of this had been finally paid by the county court from the receipts of the special levies made by them, and the balance was settled by a compromise agreement of seventy-five per cent, so that the issue of $1,306,000 covered the entire debt as compromised.

This is the story of the courthouse bonds, told as briefly as is consistent with a clear understanding of the matter. The details cover a period of forty-three years and their history is a long story of strife and bitter feeling, recrimination and charges and counter charges, but through it all there was a steadfast purpose exhibited which shows that men of great strength of character figured in the matter. The commissioners and county court who entailed the debt were steadfast in their purpose in the face of opposition equally determined, the supervisors who managed the affair of the county through all these years stead- fast in their purpose to discharge the debt, and no less true is it that the people of the county were steadfast in their support of the various boards and even reached a frame of mind where they willingly, if not cheerfully, paid into the county every year a large amount which showed on their tax receipt or "courthouse bond tax."

Inside History And Comment

By 1866 the old court building was said to be inadequate. The county clerk moved his office and records into a building at the southeast corner of the square, alleging that there was not room for him in the courthouse, and it was argued that the records were in danger of destruction by fire and that all the county documents should be housed in one and the same building and that the building should be fire proof as nearly as possible. To this proposition the people generally assented, although even at this time there was an anti-court house sentiment developed to a slight extent, at least, as some of the citizens believed that the old building was quite sufficient for the needs of the county in every way. However, the courthouse party was sufficiently large to warrant the county court to proceed with plans for the erection of a new building, and the public generally understood that a new courthouse would be erected on the site of the old one in the public square. It was also understood that the cost might be as much as $150,000, and to this there was no great or determined opposition. In fact, it was favored by many of the leaders among the people in that day, who, when they found the location would be different and the cost greater, became anti-court house partisans and fought the proposition to the bitter end with every power nature had given them.

The fundamental reason for building the new courthouse was that a majority of the people of the county and the county court believed that a new and larger courthouse was necessary. Many other reasons were alleged against the promoters afterwards, in the heat of acrimonious debate, but in the cold light of history an impartial writer at this day can safely say that this was the true basic reason. It was also the opinion of Judge T. L. Loomis and some others, that the erection of a very fine and substantial building in Carlinville would forever put an end to any agitation to divide the county or move the county seat. Those who advanced this idea said that there was a movement on foot whereby Bunker Hill was to be the county seat of a county composed of a part of Macoupin and Madison counties, and Virden was to be the county seat of part of Sangamon and a tier of townships off of the north end of Macoupin county. But, after investigation, no great importance has been placed on the theory that this fear had much to do with the matter.

Choosing The Site

Although the impression was general that the proposed new building was to be erected on the site of the old courthouse, in the square, the county court and the commissioners had other plans, as events proved. They evidently reached the conclusion that a building such as they contemplated would be too large for the public square, and furthermore, that it should have a park surrounding the building which would be commensurate and in harmony with the structure. It is easy now to realize that the present courthouse would be sadly out of place in the public square, but at that time the people did not dream of a building of the proportions which we are now familiar with. Most of them thought that the new courthouse should be in the public square and many believed that the ground which was donated by Seth Hodges would revert to his heirs, if used for any other purpose than a courthouse. Some of the heirs had some such idea, and a prominent attorney from Kansas City, Missouri, came to Carlinville in recent years with the idea of setting up such a claim for the Hodges heirs, but after investigation, he dropped the matter.

The county court quietly purchased land in the block now used for the courthouse, from Messrs. J. E. Andrews and Mrs. Martha Woods, the former owning the northeast, and the latter the southeast portions of the block. When the general public became aware of the fact, it was found that the county owned the entire block except the northwest portion, where George Judd had erected a $10,000 residence, by far, at that time, the finest in the town. William Maddox purchased this place from Mr. Judd and later sold it to the county for $15,000. In regard to the purchase of this piece of the courthouse square, it is told that after occupying the fine home for a time, Mr. Judd found it rather a burden to maintain the place, his business affairs becoming in a more or less unsatisfactory condition. About that time, William Maddox, who was a widower, was courting Mrs. Wall, widow of ex-county clerk Enoch Wall. Mrs. Wall was a very handsome and highly esteemed lady and the story goes that she intimated to "Billy" Maddox that if he had a home for a bride such as the George Judd place, she might favor his suit for her hand. Maddox took the hint, relieved Mr. fudd of his burden by purchasing the property, and the widow, keeping her part of the agreement, became Mrs. Maddox and mistress of the beautiful home. But Maddox, who was a village merchant, soon found that the costly home was also a burden to him. His store business declined and he, too, came to the point where he was anxious to turn the place into cash. He was a very prominent politician, a leader in county political affairs, and as an election of county officers was at hand about the time he decided that he must turn the place into cash, and is said to have made it known that he would support candidates who favored building a new courthouse, locating it in the same block with his fine home, and who also favored purchasing the balance of the block (his home place) for courthouse park purposes. He delivered the votes and the successful candidates "delivered the goods." His place was purchased by the county and plans were soon completed for the erection of the courthouse in that block. The Maddox home was torn down.

These facts and legends show why the new building was erected in its present location. Always in the location of a large public building there is more or less dissension and dissatisfaction, and the promoters are usually charged with selfish reasons, of which they probably never thought at all, and in this matter the rule probably held true. Every conceivable selfish motive was alleged against the county court and commissioners in the heat of the fight which followed, but none of them seem to be borne out by the facts known at this time.

As To The Cost

When we enter upon the subject of the cost of the present courthouse, we immediately find ourselves in a labyrinth of conflicting evidence. In this matter of the cost lay the whole reason for the strife and dissension which accompanied the erection of the building, and did not end until years after its completion. The matter of changing the location was a small circumstance compared to the fact that the cost was increased from $50,000 to $1,380,000. The bad feeling caused by the change of location would have disappeared in a few years no doubt, but the hardship imposed on the people by the fearful debt was a thing to endure and descend upon the next generation, and in the last analysis it caused all the trouble.

No one believed that the original $50,000, authorized by the legislature, would build a satisfactory courthouse. A Springfield, Illinois, architect, E. E. Meyers, submitted a set of plans which the commission approved, and he estimated the cost of the building according to these plans at $150,000. This sum the people thought would be about right. A mass meeting was held in the court room of the old building, at which William Maddox presided, and after speeches by various prominent men, including C. A. Walker, a resolution was passed that it was the sense of the meeting and the will of the people that a new court house be erected to cost not to exceed $150,000, and that it be located in the public square.

With this understanding the people were content but when it was found that the location was to be changed, and when the immense foundation began to take form, every one realized that the plan approved at the mass meeting was being ignored and $150,000 would not be a "drop in the bucket" towards the cost of the building. No one was permitted to see the plans and no one knew anything about the matter except what the casual look at the big foundation told every one.

Then Messrs. Rinaker and Walker, representing the people, prepared statistics showing that the building, if completed along the lines evidenced by the foundation, would cost a sum, the payment of which would make necessary tax levies that would be practically confiscatory. These figures they took to Springfield, before the judicial committee of the house of representatives, where a bill was then pending to authorize the county court to expend any sum, without limit to complete the courthouse. The commissioners also appeared and gave their word that while the plans had been enlarged, the new building would not cost more than $500.000. Governor Palmer, himself a Macoupin county man, wrote a letter to John M. Woodson, state senator from this district, urging him to secure the passage of the bill which he wrote. The letter was read to the senate, the bill passed and is the act of gth of April, 1869, approved by Governor Palmer. The legislature passed the sweeping bill which gave the court

Governor Palmer was interested in getting as fine a building as practical in this county, not from any selfish motive, but because he had a feeling of affection and pride for his home town and county. He was the dominant spirit in the erection of the courthouse. It could never have been built without his aid, and at every turn of the game he stood behind the county court and the court house party. He did not anticipate the immense cost but he did believe that a $500,000 building could properly be erected and with that idea he aided the plan. He personally guaranteed to capitalists who financed the scheme that the court house bonds would be paid, and in summing up the reasons for the increased cost of the structure, we must take Palmer's influence into consideration, as it undoubtedly played an important part.

But the $500,000 was insufficient. The commissioners and the people began to realize this as the work on the building progressed. The realization on the part of the commissioners brought chagrin and disappointment, but they felt that they must carry the work through, whatever the cost. On the part of the people, it brought anger and bitter feeling against those who were saddling the great debt upon them. The great increase over the $500,000 was brought about very largely by the fact that the architect, Meyers, persuaded the commissioners, after the plans had been accepted, to alter one certain and seemingly unimportant part of the contemplated structure, and this change being agreed upon and made, it soon developed that almost every other part of the building had to be changed to conformity. The expense became doubled again and again until it grew far beyond the wildest dreams of the commissioners and the people.

There was some graft - to deny it would be foolish. But the commissioners got none of it, with probably one unfortunate exception, and in that case the party himself did not keep whatever money he may have wrongfully obtained in the deal, and left the county with less, perhaps, than he had when the court house was first talked .of. The money "grafted" went to parties outside of the county and with the possible exception noted, no man directly connected with the building, who could properly be called a citizen of Macoupin, got any of the money improperly spent on the court house debt.

In this matter of increased cost, the division of the county theory also played a part, no doubt, in that the commissioners were afraid to turn back or abandon the work because the people were in an ugly frame of mind and would gladly vote to divide the county or do almost anything else that would thwart the plans of the little courthouse party, stop the work and kill the debt. But even with all these considerations, it is hard to understand how it happened that the commissioners and county court ever allowed the matter of cost to get so thoroughly beyond their control. The fairest appraisers have valued the structure at $643,876 in years past and offered to give bond to duplicate it for that sum.

Some people blamed George Holliday, the county clerk, for some of the unnecessary expense. Mr. Holliday was an exemplary citizen of this community for years. He lived in the handsome home now occupied by ex-Senator W. L. Mounts and family. He was a scholarly man of considerable mental attainment, but before he left, his name was stained with scandalous tales, including the im- proper expenditure of large sums of money. He left Carlinville on a Chicago & Alton train one night in the year 1870 and has never since been heard of. He was indicted by the grand jury after he left for larceny and embezzlement, and as many as fifteen separate indictments were returned against him at the succeeding terms of circuit court, until at the March term, 1872, when, Judge Arthur J. Gallagher presiding in the absence of Judge Horatio M. Vandeveer, the case was stricken from the docket with leave to reinstate, at the motion of the state's attorney. Capias' were issued from time to time.

An extensive search was made for Mr. Holliday, and a man believed to be him was arrested in what was then Washington Territory. Deputy Sheriff Dan Delaney, who knew Holliday intimately and had been associated with him in Carlinville, was sent after the suspect and returned with a prisoner. The suspect was taken into court and established the fact that he was not Holliday. Only two persons who saw the man here would say that there was the least doubt in their minds that the prisoner might be George Holliday and the rest of the population were very certain that he was not the man wanted. The suspect said his name was Hall. He left this part of the country and probably returned to his western home, although there is no hint in the records or in the metnory of our older citizens that any further surveillance was kept on him. Possibly Delaney thought it best to bring the man here so that the people could see for themselves whether or not he was Holliday. The expense to the county of bringing Hall here was considerable and the county, of course, had to pay the cost, which caused considerable more argument and some bad feeling.

Erection Of The Building

Immediately following the March term of the county court in 1867, the work of construction was commenced. The foundation was laid and the corner stone put in place. This corner stone was laid October 22, 1867, by the Masonic order, and the description thereon tells the story as graphically as it can be set down, as follows :

In the corner stone there was placed the following articles: Holy Bible in English and German, the square and compass, revised statutes of the state of Illinois, Charter and revised ordinances of the city of Carlinville, proceedings of the injunction case tried in Alton City court, embracing the act of the legislature, orders of the county court and briefs of counsel. This was the case in which the people sought to enjoin the county court from building a new court house. There were also placed therein resolutions of a public meeting held at Chesterfield in opposition to the erection of a new court house, and Judge 'Isham J. Peebles' reply to the same ; Howell's map of the county of Macoupin, Muhleman's map of the city of Carlinville, photograph of the old court house, copies of the county newspapers, the premium list and poster of the Macoupin County Agricultural and Mechanical Society for the year 1867, United States coin presented by Joseph C. Howell, and oration of Hon. John M. Woodson at the laying of the corner stone.

The newspapers of that day report that there was only a small crowd of citizens in attendance. The work of construction was often delayed by the opposition of the anti-court house party, which included a large percentage of the people, but the building was finally completed and stands today the pride of the people, no matter whether they or their ancestors were "court house" or "anti-court house" in days gone by.

Description Of The Building

The courthouse as it now stands is a beautiful structure. It is built of brick, magnesian limestone and iron of choice and elegant design. It is thoroughly fire proof throughout. For the purpose of giving the reader a better and more correct idea of the structure we give a brief statement of its dimensions and a description of the material that entered into its construction.

The building is a rectangle, 181 feet in extreme breadth, crossed at an equal distance from the north and south ends by a transverse rectangle of smaller dimensions the plan resembling an elongated Swiss cross, or a cross of St. George, of double width. It is built after the Corinthian order of architecture, and this classical model is strictly adhered to throughout the entire building. It is divided into three floors, basement, twelve feet in height; main floor, sixteen feet in height, and upper floor, occupied mostly by the court room, thirty-two feet in height. The height of the building from the top of the cornice to the ground, is sixty-nine and a half feet. Four iron columns resting on the foundations and running up within the walls, to the plumb of the roof, support its cir- cular iron band, from which spring ribs of the dome. From the apex of the dome to the foundation it is 186 feet, giving the dome an altitude of almost 100 feet. Each story of the building is anchored not only to its own walls but the walls of the other stories.

The main entrance is on the north, and the portal is reached by twenty-two stone steps, flanked on each side by a low wall of masonry, capped with cut stone, leading up to the portico. The roof of the portico is supported by four Corinthian columns forty feet in height, four feet in diameter at the base, and three and one half feet at the capital. These columns are composed of seven whole blocks of dressed stone, and half of another. The ceiling of the portico is all of stone, forty-seven by sixteen feet, laid off in three panels.

The south entrance has ten steps from the level of the street to a terrace eight feet in length and the width of the building, formed of square blocks of cut stone, neatly and uniformly laid. From the terrace there are twenty-three steps to the portico. The steps to the east and west entrances are laid parallel with the building, ascending from the north and the south, and meeting upon a platform before the large entrance way. A balustrade of finely chiseled stone, with heavy stone caps, flanks the steps, at the foot of which on the pedestals, a lamp post rises on each side made to represent the symbol of unity, a bundle of fagots, banded by a scroll, upon which is "Macoupin County." At all the entrances these lamp posts are stationed with three heavy glass light chambers, about four feet in height, gilded and bronzed, surmounting them. There are five entrances to the basement from the court house park. The ceilings of the basement are arched, and are twelve feet high. The floor is laid in mosaic, with a wide border of brown slate running the length of the side walls. The building is lighted by gas and heated by steam. There are twelve rooms on the main floor, all finished in the most elegant style and manner, with marble floors, panelled walls, chandeliers, etc. The upper floor is reached by a wide, light appearing, yet strong, iron stairway. The court room has an area of 4.500 square feet. Its general dimensions are nearly sixty-four by seventy-four feet, in shape resembling a square with a rectangle attached to it, projecting wings extending some eight feet from the walls of either side. It is thirty-two feet in height from the floor to the ceiling, and from the floor to the apex of the inner dome is forty-four feet. From this dome hangs suspended a magnificent chandelier of fifty-six burners, which cost the sum of $3,000. All the inside work is finished with galvanized iron. The pilasters are of cast iron, ceilings and walls of galvanized iron, heavy cornice and moldings of the same. The walls are in tall shield like panels, surmounted above alternate panels by appropriate devices. Twelve windows, six on each side, furnish ingress to the light. The windows have four panes of glass each, besides the rose shaped circle of colored glass at the top, and are fully twenty feet in height. The judges' stand, on the south side, projects about eight feet out into the room. It is made of five different kinds of marble after the style of Henry VI. of France, and is the finest in the country. The judges' chair is an elegant one of the Elizabethian period, tall, richly carved square shaped back, arms and legs. It is about seven feet in height and upholstered with crimson velvet. Adjacent to the court room are the judges' private apartments, jury rooms, and rooms for officers of the court

Library

The roof is formed of wrought and cast iron, and covered by corrugated galvanized iron. The dome is formed of wrought iron ribs, springing from a heavy iron band, which are braced by cross trusses, the whole covered by galvanized iron, close to the roof. On the south side is a galvanized iron tank that holds the water pumped by the engine below, and from which pipes convey the water to all parts of the building. The capacity of the tank is about 8,000 gallons.

The structure is as near fire-proof as the ingenuity of man could make it, and in this regard and in many other respects is truly remarkable when one compares it to the so-called fire-proof buildings of modern times.

Time has made itself felt and with the assistance of the elements has changed the appearance of the structure. The beautiful stone has taken on a buff, creamy color that does not detract but enhances its appearance, but here and there a stone or two has scaled and crumbled to a comparatively slight extent ; from other stones pieces have broken off and left holes that are rather unsightly. The interior has never been touched by the artisan since its construction and has been for some time demanding attention. At the June sitting of the board of supervisors, in 1911, provision was made for a thorough renovation of the first, or office floor. When this work is completed, other repairs will be made, so that in a year or two from this time, the whole structure will have been entirely repaired and brought back to its pristine beauty and sightliness.

A Time Of Great Rejoicing

On Wednesday, July 21, 1910, began the carefully arranged jubilee of two days' duration at Carlinville and thousands upon thousands of men, women and children were on hand to take part in the unusual event. The double-column "scare head" in the Enquirer told the tale in a nutshell in the following words:

"Jubilee and Celebration Success in Every Detail. One of the Most Important Epochs in Events in the County Has Passed Into History. The Results Far Exceeded Everybody's Expectations. Twenty Thousand People Attended the Exercises Thursday and Half as Many Were Here Wednesday - Every Feature was Remarkable down to Smallest Detail.

"Every feature of the program was carried out faultlessly and just as nearly on time as circumstances would permit. From the opening, with a band concert by our own fine Carlinville Band, on the east portico of the court house Wednesday at i :3O P. M. to the closing, with a display of fireworks and natural gas and oil Thursday night, there was not a serious hitch anywhere. The committee that handled the affairs were the following:

The Bond Burning

"The actual burning of the bond was, of course, the main feature. The document was numbered 720, and was one of the series of funding bonds issued under the Act of the Legislature in 1865. It was the last of one hundred and twenty bonds of $1,000 each, dated July i, 1898. It was signed by John W. Dalby, chairman of the board of supervisors at that time, and countersigned by Fred G. Oeltjen, county clerk.

"At the exercises in the courthouse square Thursday afternoon, in the presence of everyone who could get within sight or sound of the speaker's stand, Governor Charles S. Deneen received this bond from the hands of County Clerk W. C. Seehausen, who carried it from his office to the speaker's stand for that purpose. The Governor then held the paper in a flame of burning natural gas from a half-inch pipe extended to the stand from the court house, set fire to the bond in that way and held it until it was almost entirely consumed, then dropped the remaining piece, the corner by which he held the bond, and which was still burning, to the ground immediately in front of the stand, where it was entirely consumed.

"Standing close to the Governor, as witnesses of the destruction of the bond were: W. C. Seehausen, county clerk; D. M. Bates, chairman of the board of supervisors of Carlinville township ; Charles Muhlenbeck, of Virden township ; H. W. Rice, of Cahokia township ; R. S. Hemphill, of Carlinville township ; J. A. Turner, of Scottville township ; and Samuel French, of Shipman township. The gas flame was lighted by Mayor Jesse Peebles of Carlinville. Besides these there were on the stand State Auditor J. S. McCullough, Adjutant General Frank Dickson, ex-President of United Mine Workers of America John Mitchell, Circuit Judges James M. Creighton and Robert B. Shirley, and numerous other officials and prominent men in the county, -state and nation, including Congressmen James M. Graham and William A. Rodenberg and ex-Congressman Ben F. Caldwell, and others too numerous to mention here, many of them being citizens of our county and town.

"While the bond was burning every bell and whistle, not only in Carlinville but in every city, town and hamlet in Macoupin county, including wayside schools and churches, sounded for about five minutes. The vast crowd in the court house park sang two stanzas of 'America,' bombs were fired on the streets nearby and there were prolonged cheers and shouts of 'Glory! Hallelujah!' "

Sports And Speeches

Features of the glorification consisted of addresses by Governor Charles S. Deneen, Hon. C. A. Walker, General John I. Rinaker, Hon. W. E. P. Anderson, John Mitchell, head of the United Mine Workers of America, Congressman James M. Graham, Jesse Peebles, Mayor, and others. And there were fire works, parachute leaping, a marathon race, natural gas and oil display and many other amusements not here enumerated, all of which was topped off by luncheons served to the speakers and distinguished visiting guests, in the parlors of the M. E. church, which were in charge of ladies of the Aid Society.