Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-05-02
RECOVERED,
Ramsey County Gets Back q Slice
of Stolen Dirt.


of Stolen Dirt.
At the legislative session of 1928,
when Ramsey county's population was
| very small and her influence almost
none at all, one Benson, a townsite
schemer and county boundary manipu-
lator, ambitious to erect monument
by having county named for himself,
did cause to be created the county of
Benson at the west end of the lake. Mr..
Benson did several other things of which
we shall not here and now speak, with
this exception, to-wit: He took advant-
age of Ramsey county's being without
representation in the legislature and
deliberately filohed three of our towns
on the west to make Benson county
richer and better by reason of the ex-
cellent character Of the soil in the said
three towns. And there has been con-
siderable woe in this region ever since
the said filching took place, and an
ardent desire to re-establish our original
.. boundaries.
In the general cutting and mangling
of boundaries that took place in the late
legislative session, the three stolen
towns were restored to Ramsey county;
that is to say, the governor gave the
residents of those towns an opportunity
to vote upon the question of annexing
them to Ramsey, and the election for
that purpose took place yesterday. All
the west end boomers were on hand to
sustain the Benson steal Of two years
ago, and there was much strife; yea,
there was considerable Benson county
tangle-foot, which, coming in contact
with few gallons Of Ramsey county
ice water, caused great Sizing in the
vicinity of Church's Ferry. A few of
the Ramsey county boys were on hand
to see a square deal, and when the vote
was counted it transpired that 6S resi-
| dents had cast their vote for Ramsey
and 49for Benson; Whereat there was
great rejoicing and some swearing, the
swearing coming entirely from the west
end boomers.
Tho territory thus re-established rs a
part Of Ramsey county contains some
magnificent lands and is populated by
fino class of people. Ramsey county is
now 36 miles wide from east to west and
AZ miles long from north to south at its
widest and longest points. Devils Lake,
the center Of this vast region, and the
metropolis Of central North Dakota,
feels that it should be congratulated
upon the outcome.
OFFICIAL CANVASS
The county commissioners met this
morning and canvassed the vote of yes
terday rs follows:
The following are the returns Of the
special election held in townships l54,
155 and 1856 north of range 66 west, be-
ing that portion Of Benson county set
off and made part of Ramsey county
by act of legislature during the session
of 1886, provided that majority of the
legal voters of said townships vote "yes'
on the question of said annexation to
Ramsey county:
Abstract Of votes cast in said town.
ships on the 28th day Of April, A. D.,
1886:
Whole number of vote cast llO
For annexation, Observation-Disclosures. G8
For annexation, No ........................ 4S
Majority for annexation. 20
We, W. Y.\Rumney and John Bar
ton, county commissioners, Frank II.
Prosser, judge Of probate, and John A.
Percival, county clerk, for the county of
Ramsey, Territory Of Dakpta, do hereby
certify that the annexed statement is n
true and correct abstf oct of the votes
cast on the question Of annexation to
Ramsey county, D. \, and held in
townships 164, 1856 and N156 north Of
range 6e west, on Tuesday, the 2sth day
Of April, 1886, ms shown by the returns
made by thejudges Of election, TO the
county clerk and canvassed by us this
29th dayId April, A. D., 1886.
Witness our hands this Goth day of
April, A. D. 1885.
WM. Y. RUMNEY,,
JOHN BARTON,
County Commissioners.
FRANK H. PRossER,
Judge of Probate.
Inr1c DCoryv.r