The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1904-11-03

prosperous county as Fremont,
which is the fourth wealthiest in
the state, has no better accommo-
dations for its records and officers
than we have here. Upon my first
visit to Saint Anthony, on Dec.
18th, 1903, my attention was drawn
to the court house buildings, ard
must say that i'll all my travels 1 |
never, even i'll the most back
wood counties, saw court house
buildings as sorry looking as those
OF Fremont county, and l wondered
why the people Of this county had
been SO negligent in not providing
tor necessity as essential as bridges
across our streams. Bridges may
be destroyed by flood or fire and
can be replaced, but one book of
record destroyed would place the
county in terrible dilemma. I"
Do you consider that the addti-
iona tax on account of the bonds
would be burdensome to the tax
payer9
1T would not be noticed. The
per capita tax on these bonds
would be so small that the poorest
man in the county would not feel
1t. The county records and mat
ters Of that kind belong to the
people, and the people, il justice
to themselves, should certainly
vote unanimously for the bonds. =
t. G. Egleston, in conversation
with our reporter, expressed HIM
self as follows on the court house
question:
II have found it necessary in
connection with the duties Of my
office to visit nearly every county
seat within the state, during the
past year, and I have particularly
noticed the facilities that are offe.-
ed by the different counties for the
transaction Of county business.
! The keeping Of the records and the
: methods employed by the different
; officers to facilitate the work Of
their several departments, and
without casting the slightest rehec-
+ tion upon the officers Of Fremont
county, who are using their best
n efforts, to perform their duties as
/ county officers in the very best
y manner possible, without the
e slightest convenience for perform
ing their work, isolated from each
q other and housed in little shacks
a of buildings that are wholly unfit
r for the purpose, menace to the
;. health of those who are obliged to
9 enter or occupy them.
q II can truthfully say there is
not a county within the state that
! leaves SO poor all impression upon
. persons who have business with
f the public officers as Fremont
. County There is not a stranger
j who visits the County Seat who
= does not speak Of it. There is nc
: plausible excuse for allowing such
;, a condition to exist Fremont
g County is one of the richest in nat
: ural resources of the twenty-one
;, counties i'll the state, and with
= practically no debt to embarrass it
J., It has more miles of irrigation can
: ais and more acres of tillable and
q untillable irrigable land than any
7 county within the state. There Is
no class of records SO valuable as
the records of title and transfer O.
= agricultural lands, and it is mos1
= surprising circumstance to me tha
!, the land owners of the county viii
: permit their records, which are O.
= more value to them than all else
2 that they possess, to remain III Sc
= insecure a place. The slightes
accident may cause the loss of mil
. lions of dollars, and create condi
. ton of uncertainty that would re
= quire a generation to quiet.
Q s'The assessed valuation of the
>. county is more than three millions
- and | will assert that there is not &
business man or farmer within the
= county who has five thousand dol
:, lars invested in his business that i.
! not surrounded with better facilitie:
y :, for transacting that business thai
:, Fremont county is with its three
- million dollars to look after. 1t i
r. r. indeed the most remarkable exam
= :, pie of neglect that has ever beel
: brought to my notice and at th'
same time the most extravagant
!. Strangers who are seeking invest
~ - ment generally visit the count,
- - seat, and the impression they re
), y, ceive here is not the kind tina
invites investment in the county
.r An appropriation of $25, 600 woul'
k house the different departments O
the county in comfortable and con
l. venient quarters, supply the count,
TT with proper places for holding It
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