The true northerner., 1901-02-08

with its invicincible argument against
removal of the county seat to South Ha-
ven, brought the first articles in the
South Haven papers in support of the
project forcing the people of the corner
to abandon the gum shoe" campaign on
which they evidently started.
It's the hit bird that flutters.
The True Northerner's map, so far as
it relates to the center of the county
(which, by the way, was an incident, not
the real object of the map, has provoked
a great deal of controversy. AS The True
Northerner has often said, an irregularly
shaped county like ours cannot be said
to have an exact geographical center.
The cross in the map marked geo
graphical center" was obtained by draw
ing straight lines diagonally across the
county from corner to corner, the inter
section of the lines being taken as the
center. If the county were square or
rectangular, such intersection would be
the center-and we are not at all certain
but it is as nearly central as any point
that can be designated.
1t is contended however, and with
some degree of force, that adding terri
tory to the north half of square can
not move the center south. Following
out this line of reasoning, if we draw
diagonal lines across the north portion
of the county, from the south west cor
ner of Covert to the northeast corner
of Pine Grove, and then from the north
west corner Of South Haven to the south
east corner of Almena Tor by taking off
enough from Covert and adding to South
Haven to square up the lake shore-it
makes little difference, as the lake
shore is practically a straight line),
then taking this intersection as the cen
ter of the north half, it is argued that
the center east and west of the county
would be midway between this point and
the east and west center of the south
half. This would give about the same
territory east and west of the central
line. Then following the same reasoning
and finding line that would divide the
county into equal area north and south,
the intersecting point or center" would
be in Arlington, about a mile north and
mile west of the corner of Paw Paw
township.
Another reasoning is to take as the CEN
ter point equi-distant from the north
west and southeast corners of the coun-
ty, and equi-distant from the south west
and northeast corners of the county.
This point is little east and south of
the one above described.
Another reasoning is that we should
square up the lake shore line, then take
point for the center midway between
the north and south lines of the county,
and the east and west extremities. This
point would be on the north line of
Lawrence township, about two miles
west of the Paw Paw town line.
Others would have the division east
and west on line midway between the
centers of the north half and of the south
half of the county, and the center north
and south half way between the north
and south county lines. This would
bring the county center on the north
/ line of Lawrence township, mile west
of the Paw Paw town line.
/ If there is geographical center, lines
drawn through it at right angles, perpen-
dicular to the county boundaries, should
divide the county into four equal parts
and they will not do it.
This geographical center is a good deal
like the old fifteen puzzle, and it is fortu-
nate the county seat campaign only lasts
few weeks, or some of US might go
crazy over it. All seem agreed, how
ever, that it is somewhere north and
east of Lawrence, some six OF seven
miles from Paw Paw and about Is or 20
from South Haven-and that's all that
is of any importance in the settlement
of the county seat question.
We're glad tie law doesn't require its
location at the geographical center" or
court might have to be held in some
other county.