Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-03-08
THAT COUNTY SEAT MATTER.

AS is by this time pretty generally
known throughout the county, the
town of Calmar is making a strenuous
effort to have the county seat moved
from Decorah to Calmar. In view of
the fact that petitions are being circu-
lated which call for an election on the
question, and SO much discussion is
being indulged in, we cannot longer
refrain from expressing our ideas.
AS is now we'll known, Calmar pro-
poses to furnish $50, 900 for the erection
of court house in that town, free of
expense to the citizens of the county.
1t was only by . very great effort that
q subscription to equal this amount
was raised, and it may besaid, without
casting any reflections upon the citi-
zens of that place, that 1t about repre-
sents the extreme Of their capabilities.
Now, in the first place, $4,000 will
not erect and equip such building as
is necessary in case new court house
is built. Wlnnesbiek county, when 1t
does build q new court house, will
erect one that will meet every requires
ment ct such . building for years to
come, and it Is useless to claim that
$50. 900 will cover the expense. We
need not dwell upon that point, for it
has been demonstrated byevery county
in Iowa that has built new court
house in recent years. The new build
ing at Manchester has been cited as an
example. This cost $4,000 for the
building alone, and is structure that
already is looked upon with disfavor,
for it is not fire-proof, as the term is
used, in scarcely any sense of the word,
and the folly of erecting such build
ing in these days is plain. Then
would come the expense of heating,
lighting. plumbing, ETC., which cannot
be covered for much less than 10000.
Here the Calmar proposition comes
to standstill. When it is considered
that the most beautiful sight for county
seat buildings in Iowa and it may be
said, in the northwest, made such by
the expenditure of thousands of dollars,
and located In the heart of the best in
land city in the state, would be aban-
doned, its fallacy is apparent. Calmar
will search in vain for grounds so beau
tiful and picturesque, overlooking the
surrounding country.
Then again comes the matter of q
county Jail. Our friends to the south
ward seem to forget that such build
ing is necessary on county seat grounds
and that it costs money to build it, and
that Winnesheik county has one in
Decorah that answers all present re-
auirements, well fitted with steam
heating, lighting and plumbing.
Again, If Calmar should purchase a
sight and present it to the county, con-
siderable money must be expended to
put 1t in presentable shape for court
house grounds. Taking all these facts
together, 1t must be admitted that $50,
600 will not cover very much over halt
the expense of establishing satisfactory
county seat buildings at Calmar.
And now comes the question as to
whether or not the renewal would ben
eft any great proportion of the resi-
dents of the county. Decorah Is situ-
ated in the exact center of the county
on line running north and south and
only three miles east of the center on a
line running east and west. Where
can you find county with the princi.
pal city so near the center? Calmar
practically borders on the southern
row of townships and Is only % miles
from the south line Of the county, and
| it Is % miles from the north line. A
fair calculation Is rating as being ben
Gifted in point of ease of access five and
one-half townships, viz: Calmar, Mil
litary, Sumner, Washington and Jack
son and the southwest half of Spring
field, with Lincoln and Bloomfield
about equal as to the two places. Agar
those disadvantaged would be Fremont
Hesper. Burr Oak, Bluffton, Orleans
Highland, Madison, Pleasant, Canoe
FrAnkville, Glenwood, Decorah and