Bent County register., 1889-02-09
The Leg,slatlye joint commi,tee

on county lines have been hearing
arguments Tor and against the forma
ton of new counties every night this
week In the Denver Times we take
the following report of Tuesday
night:
Wolsott county was next called.
MIR. Goodale of Lamar, spoke in favor
Of the proposed new county.
1t must appear from the numerous
petitions, etc., that Bent county must
be dIylded. To ALLOW it to remain
as it Is is an injustice. phere are 9,-
24o square miles in Bent county
Massachusetts has less-is smaller
than Bent county, and New Jersey
is moi 50 large as this county. Think
of that. We want to come down
from . state to a county. Wolcott
county is to be the south east corner.
] propose to give you some facts and
statistics.
In Wolcott county the valuation
of school districts shows 81, ,4ol, ,l92.
in the whole county, as shown by
the Auditors account, there is ST.
sa4,463 IN taxable property.
Is this q sufficient valuation? l
have the names of 90 counties estab-
lIshed with less valuation than
$5oo,ooo, If you will establish this
county We Will come to the Legisla-
ture with double the valuation and
double the population. 1t has now a
valuation of more than 13 counties
already established.
In regard to area this county will
have 45x4s square miles, an area of
2,l6o square miles, which will make
it larger than the state of Delaware.
The vote was in 1884 7o4. When
you take the vote. the value and the
area, what Is the result?
The case of Granada showed that
the people in the Southeastern part of
the state need and must haye 9 di-
VISION. From the eastern boundary
it is sixty-five miles to Las Animas.
A Just and equitable division ought
to be made,
Judge Felker showed you there
were eighteen townships across. Las
Animas has $e5, 900 court house, a
$4,000 hospital and a $4,000 bridge,
built by the people of Bent county.
The county line ought not to be
drawn through ary town, as propos-
cd by Judge Felker. 1t is unjust.
Lamar, the proposed capital of
Wolcott county, is in the center of
the agricultural country. 1t is one
of the most enterprising cities of the
state. 1t was started in 1886. We
haYe three newspapers, one daily;
two banks, hotels, and $4,000 wa
tsrwo.ks system. There is no town
which has done as much for the
southeastern part of the state. 1t is
the natural capital of all that land
district. 1t is twice as large as any
other town in this district. When
people show such a disposition, ought
they not to be given a county and
county seat?
The assertion has been made that
people are leaving eastern Colorado.
If SO, they are pot leaving MS. we
have fifty Mennonite families on
their way, and 200 other families
will be there before spring. 1t is
great tax and inconvenience to haye
TO go to Las Animas. We expect
opposition from the Las Animas peo-
ple. We have built them all the
county buildings they have and need,
and if they cannot take their terri
tory with valuation of over mill
ion and e population of 1000 and
get along, we will take them under
our wing later on and help them out.
The people of Lamar are in favor
of the people in the northeast hav-
ing a county. They have sufficient
population, area and valuation, and |
they ought to have a county. To
make man 60 100 miles to a county
seat is a gross Injustice.
Las Animas ought to, and will, be
the capitsl of old Bent. The people |
of Teller county ought to have their
county. The time has come when
four counties ought to be made out
of old Bent.