The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-04-23
DEER LODGE.
"Joe Bush" on the Court House
Question.
Ten Thousand Dollars Voted to
Complete the School House.
A Town Hall Talked of.-Ohurch
Matters.-News Gossip
Personal, Etc., Etc.
Special Correspondence of the MINER.

The weather has again settled
down to regular business, and while
the farmers are following their piows
aglow with hope for the coming
abundant harvest, the merchants are
basklng In the warm sunsnlne with
faces bewrinkled with summer grins
awaiting the occasional customer.
The Smiths, John, Joe and all, are
busy shoeing horses and straighten-
ing up farming implements, while
the saloon man, a Ia shop-keeper, is
not rushed with steady employment.
Times will soon liven up, however,
aud the Deer Lodgers' hearts will
we'll with corresponding delight.
The court house question, appar-
emily, is in s'atu quo, yet a quiet agi-
tation is evidently going on among
the people regarding it. The County
Commissioners remain steadfast, be-
lieving they are right. and thus be-
lievirg, propose to 60 ahead. They
do not seem to be impelled by selfish
motives; but rather to perform duty
of like interest to the whole people of
the county. That the county records
in the present old wooden structure
are in serious danger from fire no one
has the. ..hardihood to deny. Should
it be destroyed, an event likely to oc.
cur at any time, an irreparable in
jury would be worked, not only to
every property-holder in this county,
but many residents of Silver Bow
who have their original papers re-
corded here. Thus it will be seen
that tho matter assumes m Ore than a
local phase and should not be permit
ted to rest in its present state. The
argument that the old building has
served the purpose for fifteen years
and :is good for some time to
come, Is a fiimsy pretext to thwart
a praiseworthy project. Should we
lose our records it would cost every
properly owner perhaps 500 to get
his title again made clear. if he ever
could. While it may be true that
Judge Warren, of Putte, has an ab-
stract of title to al. the property of
this county up to the date of the di-
vision, yet there would remain q
broad gap that could never be satis-
factorily filled. The cost of building
the court house seems to be great
bugbear to many, and serious objec-
tions are raised on this score. The
fact of the matter is, the building can
be erected and paid for without addi-
tional taxation, and in a few years
the debt would be wiped out without
anyone, save the counry financiers,
knowing how it was done. In regard
to the idea that the old court house is
good enough, I will relate joke d.
rectly in point: A gentleman from
the country was up here a short
time ago demonstrating against
building at this time. Dur
ing his conversation with
Commissioner Helm. his well worn
boot seemed to trespass upon the
good nature of his corn-field. Stoop.
ing down and rubbing the complain
ing member, he incldently remarked:
"These old boots are about gone up,
and 1 must supplant them with a
new pair before 1 return home"
"Ah, indeed" "quaintly answered the
county father, "those boots have
done you good service for a long
time and would adyise you to stick
to them" This was a xnock-down
Argument, and it cost our genial
farmer friend more for whiskey be-
fore he got out OF town than the new
pair of boots or his extra court house
tax, he gumbled about. would be for
i've years. Aud thus it goes; no in>
telligent argument can b. set up In
opposition to building a court house
at this time, and to fail to 60 on with
the project would be, so to speak,
criminal neglect on the part of those
in whose hands the interests Of the
county are placed. Yet 1T is possible
that the project may fail on grounds
other than those advocated by the
demonstrators. The commissioners
have advertised for bonds to take up
the present Indebtedness Of the
county, and at their meeting on the
28tb of this month should it occur
that no bills would be filed for con-
sideratior, the matter Of building
may be deferred for time, if not
indefinitely. The debt only amounts
to about So, 900 or less, and if the
moneyed men bereabouts have not
got sufficient enterprise to raise that
sum in furtherance of the project, 1t
ought to fall still-born and be
recorded as q lasting monument to
their short-sightedness I am aware
that people are Jealous of their rights,