The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-11-02
THE DIVISION OF THE COUNTY.

The MINER has taken occasion in its for
mer issues to present some cogent reasons
why a division of Deer Lodge county is desi-
rahic. Those reasons still exist, and become
more forcible in their nature as we increase
in wealth and in population; for this in
crease carries with il a corresponding amount
of legal and other business that must be
transacted. We have already pointed to the
fact that Butte furnishes about two thirds of
the criminal business of the county. Her
civil suits at law probably bear about the
same ratio to the whole that call our citizens
to the county seat The time that is lost,
and the annoyances and expense to which
our citizens are subjected in travelling a dis
lance of 45 miles to and from the county seat
are patent to every one who has taken the
trouble TO inform himself in the matter.
We have also referred to the fact that Butte
is the great business centre Of the West Side,
i'll which, from the nature Of the occupation
of its citizens and the character of its wealth,
suits at Law involving thousands, and, proba
bly,, hundreds Of thousands of dollars, may
frequently arise. We lave shown that it is
a hardship that our citizens should not be
called upon to bear, 10 force them to transact
their court business at such all announcement
distance from this city. We may fur
Their add that in Butte's prosperity every por-
ton of the West Side is directly interested
that around her cluster the hopes of hun
dreds, probably thousands, who have invested
their all in her mines that she is a mar Ike.
for our west side ranchers hat may in a short
time absorb all the surplus cereals and veee-
tables that they can possible produce; that
her constantly expanding proportions will
demand the labor Of hundreds of mec hanics ;
hat her many mines in process Of develop
ment will supply work for the brawny arms
Of thousands Of men, and hat any hindrance
to her onward progress, that any impeachment
placed IN the way Of her future prosperity
will not only cripple Butte, but will injure
thousands whose interests are directly or in
directly wrapped up with hers. These are
som of the reasons, family outlined, why a
division Of the county would inure to the
benefit of the people of the whole county as
well as to those who reside III the southern
portion of it. If these were all the arguments
that could be advanced IN support of the
measure, they would alone disarm all seIi-
Gus opposition to IT,. But there are o,Eer
reasons for its division quite as powerful and
equally indispntable which we will point
out.
Deer Lodge county is p4rallelogramic in
form. about l25 miles in length by all aver
age width of A miles, and contains an area
OF $500 square miles. The great size of this
county may be more readily comp,ehended
when We institute a comparison Of its area
with that Of some of the states of the union.
For instance, Connecticut contains all area
of 4,674 square miles and supports a ropula-
ton OF 537,454 people. Delaware conta ms
2,l2O square miles, population l25,015, Rhode
Island contains 1906 square miles. population
2l7,356. Massachusetts covers $500 square
miles, population l,457,351.
1t will thus be seen that this county is
nearly as large as Massachusetts, larger than
Connecticut, over twice as large as Delaware
and four times as large as the state of Rhode
Island. We see that, compared with some oil
the states, we have a county of healthy
growth, out of which could be carved foul
states as large as the state of Rhode Island
In tie mach Of events the county sooner OF
later must be divided, and probably subdi.
vided.
No county containing the area and resources
of this county can long exist under one
county organization. Its court business alone
would soon assume such dimensions that
terms OF the usual length would not suf1ic;
to clear the calendar Of one-half of the cases
The business would be too cumbrous to han
die, and not only party litigants but the in
terests of the ccmmUI.ity would suffer.
The assessed valuation of the property il
the county is about $1,000 600, nearly two
thirds of which amount is assessed 10 thi
portion Of il. The population of tie count!
is S,S1T, of whicl! number Butte and its i'm
mediate vicinity is credited with 1926, abou
one-haif Of the whole population.
Now then, in view OF the fact that a man o
a district. not covering much over eight O
ten square miles. possessing about 81 500, GOt
in taxable property and containing half thu
population i'll the county, is compelled 10 rui
a distance Of 45 miles and back Ia get a deed
or a mortgage, Or d location notice recorded
rs simply rrep0slerOus. We submit it to The
candid judgment a any man IL This is 10