New Courthouse

New Hampshire, 1916

Ossipee, N. H., Sept. 9. — Carroll County's new courthouse, of Colonial design, recently erected to take the place of the wooden building destroyed in the fire of June 23, 1915, which wiped out a large section of the heart of Ossipee Village, is one of the handsomest in the State. Its cost, exclusive of the furnishings, was approximately $40,000. The equipment cost several thousand dollars more.

The structure occupies the site pf the old Courthouse, but sits back about 30 feet farther from the village square. It has a frontage of 53 ft. 3 in. and a depth of 94 ft. 4in., and is two stories high. The exterior is dark red brick, laid in white mortar, with trimmings of Indiana limestone. The portico at the front is supported by large colonial columns. There is a side entrance to the rear section.

The admirably arranged interior includes the courtroom on the first floor, 46 ft. 3 in. x 39 ft. 5 in., and the height of two stories; the offices of the County Commissioner, register of deeds, register of probate, clerk of court, judge's room, Grand and Petit Jury rooms, lawyers' library and vaults for the court and county records.

Special attention has been paid to the acoustical treatment of the courtroom. In this, it is said, the builders have succeeded well. The room will seat about 200 spectators.

The judge's, jurors' and lawyers' rooms are conveniently arranged at the rear of the courtroom and it is only a step from the judge's room to the bench.

The officers of the commissioners and clerk of court are on the first floor in the front of the building and those of the two registers are similarly placed on the second floor. All are large and well lighted.

The building is strictly fireproof. It has fire walls and steel enters largely into the interior construction. The stairway at the front of the building is of marble with steel bannisters.

Steel wall cases and other equipment of the latest design are used in the offices. The courtroom furniture and the desks, chairs and tables throughout the building are of quartered oak.

Unique among the courthouses of the State, this one is equipped with its own electric lighting plant. It is heated by steam, and the compressed air system is used for supplying all parts of the building with running water, which is pumped from a spring about 50 yards away from the building. The basement includes, besides the heating, electric and water systems, a prisoner's cell. The building is equipped with fire escapes.

—The Fryeburg Post, Fryeburg, Maine, Sept. 12, 1916, p. 3.

True to the Name

1900

The group on the front porch was discussing the merits and demerits of the house dog, a magnificent animal that lay basking in the sun.

"Have you any idea," asked one of the guests, "why he is called a 'Great Dane'?"

"Yes," slowly replied the owner of the dog. "It has always seemed to me that it must be because it is such a great 'deign' for him to notice any smaller animal."

A young woman with a pug nose turned it up slightly at this explanation, but there were no other signs of dissent. — Youth's Companion.


Shipbuilding Around Great Lakes

Shipbuilding around the great lakes bids fair to be as brisk for 1900 as for the two years previous. In addition to the new tonnage on the lakes, the government has under construction, or authorized, the greatest number of ships in its history. Some 75 vessels of all classes, giving employment to more than 10,000 mechanics of different grades, are under construction.

Wood for Resisting Fires

1896

A report from Consul Robertson on the free port system of Hamburg, just published by the State Department, contains the curious item of information that in the great new warehouses constructed in the German port wood is being substituted for iron to secure better protection against fire.

These buildings were originally provided with iron beams and girders, but when one of them was burned some years ago it was found that the iron had been so bent and twisted by the heat as to become a source of great danger to the adjoining structures. "In all the warehouses, therefore, which have since been built," observes Mr. Robertson, "it has been deemed advisable to substitute wood for iron as much as possible." Probably a heavy wooden beam, imbedded in some non-conducting material that would exclude the air, would be as nearly fireproof as anything except brick or stone. It might be charred on the outside, but the interior would probably remain sound in any ordinary heat.

It is a curious speculation to imagine what would have happened if the present method of construction in Chicago had been in vogue before the great fire. A twenty-five-story, steel-cage building warping into a corkscrew and boring a hole in the sky would be a spectacle worth going miles to see.


Derivation of Whiskers

The word whiskers is derived from whisk, and the Anglo-Saxon wisch, which means a slight brush. Less than a century ago the expression was unheard of, the whiskers as well as the mustache being spoken of as part of the beard. It was only when the latter was divided, and the true whiskers disappeared as well, that their name was changed to the mutton chop part of the beard left on the cheek.

Flu Victim Sleeps 26 Days

1920

Strange Illness Sets in Whole Year After Epidemic Attack

OXFORD, Pennsylvania — Influenza is blamed for a stupor that has afflicted a youth of this place for twenty-six days. The lad is Chester Williams, 19-year-old son of William Williams, a farmer.

In good health the lad bade his father "good night" several weeks ago and retired in a lively mood. Next morning he could not be aroused. He has now slept twenty-six days, but at times he appears to be semi-conscious and then he is fed. He understands at these times what is said to him, but cannot talk. Once he did speak to his father in a very weak voice.

Dr. Wilson, who is attending the lad, thinks his condition might have been caused by an attack of influenza that he suffered over a year ago. He eats heartily when in the state of semi-wakefulness and drinks much water.


Burglars Build Wooden Platform

CHESTER, Pennsylvania — Burglars took time to build a wooden platform in front of a window at the store of Benjamin Bischof, in Essington. After destroying a lot of stock they took goods valued at several hundred dollars. The proprietor thinks it was done partly as an act of revenge, as he was threatened several weeks ago.

Man, 87, Lathes House at Night; Is Jailed

1920

Complaint is Withdrawn and Aged Toiler Praised

OAKLAND, Cal. — The night laborer is not welcomed at Piedmont, Oakland's exclusive residence section. Because he insisted on lathing a house during the nocturnal hours, A. F. Emery, 87 years old, was taken into custody and spent the night in jail.

Within the space of a few minutes no less than eight telephone calls reached Sergeant Phil Brady of the Piedmont police at 3 o'clock a.m.

Brady hurried to a house in Piedmont Manor, and found a man lathing a house by the light of an oil lamp.

"What are you doing here at this hour of the night?" Brady asked.

"I'm working," replied the aged lather, "and no one's going to stop me."

Brady took Emery to jail, but when F. Paramino appeared to swear to a complaint and saw who was the night disturber, he refused to prosecute.

"Such industry should be rewarded, not punished," he said.

Throwing Passengers' Trunks Around

1920—

They Were Soon Undeceived

Travelers' Amazement Fades When Station Master Chirps

The traffic was at its height and there were the usual piles of passengers' baggage on the platform. In the usual way the porters were banging it about, while the owners mournfully looked on. Suddenly the station master appeared, and, approaching one of the porters, shouted in stern tones:

"Here! What do you mean by throwing those trunks about like that?"

The passengers pinched themselves to make sure that they were not dreaming, but they returned to earth when the official added:

"Can't you see you're making big dents in the concrete platform?"



Just Ask Jones, He Knows!

So Will Brown When Those House Repairs Are Finished!

Brown was going to have some alterations made on his home and asked Jones – who had just got rid of the builders – the best way to go about it.

"Oh," said Jones, "you call in a decent builder and tell him the limit you are prepared to pay out, being sure the sum you mention to him is about a quarter of what you have for the alterations; and then, if you are lucky, and keep your wife away while the work is proceeding, you may get half of what you want done for about twice the total sum you want to spend."

--The Saturday Blade, Chicago, May 22, 1920, page 9.