The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-26

bulldozed or intimidated. They see
the necessity of better protection for
the records, and felt that they would
be derelict in their duty not to go on
with the project. The Board has ad-
vertised for bids with view to bond
the present Indebtedness of the coun-
ty, about $50, 900, for five and twenty
years, which will place this debt out
of the way for some time. BY this
means the surplus revenue can be
applied to current expenses and
building the Court House (minus the
interest on he bonded debit without
detriment to the taxpayers. The
farming community do not under
stand the proposition and imagine
they are going to be taxed out of ex-
istence by the building of the
Court House; hence their opposition
to the enterprise. A wealthy and
prominent citizen of Deer Lodge Of
fered to wager 81, 900 the other day
with prominent farmer and stock
raiser Of the county that his taxes
three years hence would not be mill
higher than at present in conse-
quence of the outlay in building
new Court House. The wager was
not taken, the objector to the Court
House saying that he could not see
how a 1000 Court House could be
built without extra cost to the tax
payers. And thus. it goes; men are
protesting against the project who
absolutely know nothing about the
matter. Besides, they will spend
more time and money in one day
electioneering against the Court
House than their extra taxes will be
for the next five years--allowing that
there should be an extra tax, which
is not among the probabilities. But
in the opinion of your correspondent,
the tax question cuts a very small
figure in the matter. The people Of
Anaconda, New Chicago, Drnm-
mond, Garrison, etc., imagine that
they see an opportunity to remove
the county seat to their respective To-
calities in the course Of time, and of
course will not lend their sanction to
the. building of Court House at
Deer Lodge, which would tend to
settle the county seat question for all
time. Herein, then, is the old dog
in the manger. If the Commission
ers would consent to build the
Court House at Drulnmond, the
people down that way would vote a
to- Of $3.50, 600 for the purpose; per>
haps the same proposition would lie
equally applicable to Anaconda. So
selfish an interest in the matter some
manifest, and inasmuch as this Is the
case, and that the Deer Lodge dis
trlct represents at least three-fifths
of the wealth and population of the
county, it would appear that to not
build the court house great wrong
would be done the county. Especially
when all the heavy taxpayers of the
county are in favor of it, together
with unanimous board of supervi-
sors. Another strange thing about
the project is, the people of Deer
Lodge take less interest in the mat
ter than their country friends. In
fact they were more surprised when
the Board mooted The question
than the people Of the country. AS
Mr.. Ed. Irvine said in his speech
before the Board, thesupervisors were
elected to perform their duties, and
he for one was willing to submit to
their judgment. If a court house was
needed it was their duty to provide
it. And that is the way all fair
minded men should feel about the
matter.
The health of the community is
very good at present, not single
case of diphtheria prevailing. On the
18th inst. Mr,>aud Mrs. w. Napton
lost their LITTLE three year old boy,
from complication of diseases. He
was an unusually bright little fellow
and the whole community sympa-
thize with the bereaved parents in
their loss.
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.
Some of our heavy stockmen ex-
hibit no little anxiety about the foot
and mouth disease. They propose a
convention at Helena at an early day
to consider the matter.
PERSONAL.
Mr.. Phil. McGovern, who has been
confined to his room with rheumat-
les, for two or three weeks, is about
again.
Col. Botkin has not yet returned
from Missoula, where he has been Sc
iourning for a week or two, but Is ex
pected home soon.
Warden Creel and Under Sheriff
McTague, who took Gamble to the
Iowa peniten tiary, will. be back in
about 10 days. They landed their
prisoner safely and Mike now real
ICES that he has something else to do
other than "holding up' stages.
J. E. VanGundy is getting along
nicely, his shoulder giving him little
trouble.
Jim Curn, of the chop house, has
gone to the new diggings. He will
fool lilo on old di.rUor before he petS