Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1906 — THE COURT HOUSE [ARTICLE]

THE COURT HOUSE

Items Picked Up About the County Capitol. New suits filed: No. 7107, George A. Cover, as executor, vs. Mary E. Cover et al; petition to sell real estate. —o — If you have any allowance due you from the county you should draw same before next Tuesday, for on Jan. 1 of eaoh year all allowances not paid revert back to the county treasury and must be re-appropriated by the county council. That body may not meet for some time to come, and unless these allowances are drawn prior to Jan. la delay of several weeks and perhaps months will ensue before you can get your money. —o— Marriage licenses issued: Dec. 22, Simon H. Tyler of Remington, aged 25, occupation farmer, to Ida Fell, also of Remington, aged 25, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. Dec. 22, Leßoy Lewis of Carroll county, aged 22, occupation farmer, to Pearl Malinda Critchlow of Rensselaer, aged 19, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each, Dec. 24, Robert J. Overton of Rensselaer, aged 25, occupation carpenter, to Clara M. Markin, also of Rensselaer, aged 24, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. Dec. 24, Isaac Wilson Wells, of Jasper county, aged 28, occupation farmer, to Agnes Belle Potts of Rensselaer, aged 23, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. Dec. 24, Henry Parmer Wiseman of Joseph county, aged 26, occupation farmer, to Mabel Dellama LaCross of Fair Oaks, aged 16, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. The difficulty over in Newton county over the furniture contract for the new court house is likely to get into the courts. The contract was let to M. C. Ulrey, a Brook furniture dealer, at something like sll9 over his bid. some other items being added, it appears, that were not included in the regular specifications. The county auditor protested against the awarding of the contract to Ulrey because of this and otber alleged irregularities in the bid, claiming that under the law he can not issue a county warrant in payment of contract let under such conditions. The commissioners, however, said the contract was all right and told Ulrey to go ahead. He did so, and put in the the furniture and the commissioners allowed his bill, $2,480.17, last week. The auditor thinks he is right in the matter and refuses to draw his warrant for the amount. Ulrey will sue. —o—

The squabble in Newton oounty over the new court house furniture contract calls to mind a little interesting history regarding the $14,000 furniture contract in this county some years ago a little unpublished history. The story as told to us —and we have every reason to believe it is correct, —is as follows: When the furniture came on here there were three handsome leather covered couches, one for eaoh commissioner, as a present from the concern that furnished the stuff. John Martindale of Newton tp., one of the commissioners at that time, refused to accept his couch or take it home with him, and the other members didn’t dare to take theirs unless John did. As a result, there are three leather covered couches in the court house today that didn’t cost Jasper county anything—that is, no bill was presented for them. One of these couches, we believe, is now in Judge Hanley’s private rooms in the court house, one is in the “ladies’ waiting room,” and the other one we are not advised what has become of it. If the reader cares to investigate this story further he might ask John Martindale about it. It will be remembered that Mr. Martindale refused to sign the contract for the $2,300 clock, when that was purchased, and the reoords show that he did not join the other commissioners in said contract.