Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-03-27

Our correspondent, "Old Resident" does
not deal altogether fairly with the county
seat question. That Chestnut has loo in
habitants, we are not prepared to say. 1t
casts, however, about the same number of
votes as Martinsdale, and il is not likely
that it contains any more people; but it it
does that cuts no figure in the merits of the
case. 1t will no doubt be a very populous
section soon, for, like the Musselshell and
Judith, it is a country of great possibilities,
possesses many inducements to settlers, and
is destined to be the happy home of many
people, which may be said also of the other
valleys.
The distance from the White Sulphur
Springs to the most eastern settlement is so
miles to the settlement On the Judith, 80
miles; to the eastern boundary of the coun-
ty it is no less than $50 miles from Chest
nut to the Springs, according to his own
argument, is 78 miles, perhaps So miles to
the most distant settler in Chestnut. The
Musselshell, contrary to his statements, is
well watered and we'll timbered, and is a
beautiful farming country, interspersed with
superior pastoral advantages for a distance
of no less than 70 miles east of Martinsdale.
There is no point better calculated to ac-
commodate these extremes and hold them
together under the same county govern
ment than the Springs, besides it is to the
interest of every tax payer and every citi-
zen of the county to have a commercial CEN
tire. The ability to build this at Baker is
questionable. TIL county seat there would
make a little village, but the Springs will
make a town at all events, and two towns
on the same valley neither would become Of
much importance. Then. since we cannot
move the Springs to Baker, why not con-
c~entrate the effort at the Springs, the point
which has the most natural advantages. 1t
is bound to become a thriving town, and
the people of the county need it. The Mis-
souri, valley needs a market Tor her grain,
the mining camps along the Belt range are
not sufficient and Helena is dull. We have
nothing to urge against the eligibility Of
Camp Baker. 1t would be superior to Dia-
mond, but not equal to the Springs.
That Baker would better accommodate
the people Of the Missouri valley than the
Springs, is a mistake. The road across the
mountains at the head of Deep creek, which
will be built simultaneously with the Ben
ton and Baker road, will place a large por-
ton Of the Missouri valley within from 2S to
to 80 miles of the Springs. In fact the
Springs are in every way superior to Baker,
and there are a hundred solid reasons why
the county seat should be there, to every
shadow of a reason why it should not.
Under the provisions of the law it is not
expected that the commissioners will select
the place before the vote is had, but if they
do it must be near the Springs, and not near
Baker or Thompson gulch, for had the law
contemplated any point in the vicinity OF
either of the last named points it would
have said so.
AS to the commissioners locating the site
at some unfayorable place SO as to kill the
project, as is surmiZed by our corresponds
ent, is improbable. The commissioners are
the servants of the people and the law, ana
are bound by their oaths of office to perform
their duty, and VIZ have too much confidence
in them as men, as citizens, and as servants
of the people to entertain for a moment the
idea that they would prostitute their offices
to thwart the will Of the people and to sat
isfy their own selfish ends.
: SEVERAL parties in the vicinity Of Deep
creek contemplate building homes on the
Musselshell or Judith the coming ummer.
+ CHEW Jackson's best sweet navy tobacco
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