The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-04-25

A strong opposition has for years
been exerted against Colfax as a
proper place for the parish site. We
supposed, after having stood the
torrent of abuse and objections so
long, that opposition to it had died
out But, now that the court house
is completed, and other suitable ac-
commodations for the court officers,
judges, jury, litigants and lawyers,
have been provided, and a substan-
tial jail built in which to hold pris-
0ners, fresh clamor has been start
ed sgitating the removal of the parish
seat to some point in the hills east OF
the Darro. The taxpayers of Grant
parish, we take it, are not disposed
to throw away the four or five thou
sand dollars invested here, beside
doubling their taAes for two or three
years to come in order to build an
other court house and Jail The fol-
lowing communication expresses the
sentiments of wards |, and on
the subject:
Editor Collar Chronicle;
Your correspondent has been in
formed that petitions are being press
ed before the property holders OF
ward and other wards, asking that
an election be held to change the
parish seat from its present. location.
One of the reasons urged is that the
Darro is nearly always impossible.
That may be, but whose fault is it
that the expenditure of about $500
was made to no purpose? The con-
tractors for the Darro bridge assert
that the party authorized to let out
the job measured the ground and set
the stakes where it should stand.
an unprecedented high water came
and took it away. So it stands there
no more. 1t might have been bad
Judgment or an oversight in not
building it higher, yet it was good
substantial piece of work, built with
q view to give easy access to the
river and hills for all persons and
purposes, and such it can be made
again at very small outlay. Would
it be best to remove the court house
to some place in the hills, convenient
to hollow log and spring branch,
or rebuild the bridge at small ex-
pense, using the old material, which
is nearly all on the ground and in
good sound conditionf think not.
Nine-tenths of the litigation in the
parish is confined to wards l, 6 and
z, and they pay nearly the same pro-
portion Of the taxes About as good
facilities for travel exist liz these
wards rs in the others, with the adj
vantage of better mail communica-
ton and good river transportation.
If wards 2, 8, 4. and especially 5,
with her fifteen solid voters, who
never see each other except when
they go hog hunting, want court
house in their section, let them annex
portion of Catahoula, with head
quarters ut Cockerbam's ferry, OF
secede, then they can have an anti
prohibition district all to themselves.
The voters of wards 1, 6 and Z, as
also some in wards 2 aud 8, will
never consent to any such nonsense
so long as they stand in the proper
ton of over three to one. The citi.
zens of this community prefer cross
ing Doggy bayon to Iatt lake at all
seasons, and the most of the people
in ward one, ! am well assured,
would prefer to attend court at Mont
gomery to any point in the hills east,
if the test is made. Sensible men,
you see, acting under Horace Gree
ley's advice of Go west, young man. y
But why waste time and paper over
such an idea. 1t is only the escape
ment of little hot air from few
erratic politicians, during a fever
| hoof who hova {ooura IF nf4on an