Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1907 — Glad That Court House Was Built. [ARTICLE]

Glad That Court House Was Built.

Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Jones, of Carpenter Tp., were over visiting Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Bellows Thursday and Friday, Mr. Bellows and Mrs. Jones being brother and sister. Mr. Jones will be 70 years old next Monday, and certainly seems to be enjoying his full share of health and contentment for that age, having seemingly fully re covered from his long and very severe spell of sickness of several years ago. Mr. Jones was one of our three county commissioners when the new court house was ordered some 11 years ago, or really 12, since it was decided up on, the others being Capt. B. R. Faris, of Gillam and John Martin dale, of Newton township. Mr. Jones at the time was strongly dis posed to follow the prevailing, or perhaps we might say, overwhelming Sentiment in the south end of the county, against building a new court house at that time;, but as the other two were decidedly in favor of the building, he put his very best efforts into helping get a good one while we were getting. Like most other of the then opponents of building at that time, he is now glad his opinion did not prevail, as the steady and no doubt permanent cost of all kinds of building material and labor since then would have made the court house cost nearly and perhaps quite, twice as much now as it did when it was built.