Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-01
FERGUS COUNTY SEGREGATION.
Plan Will be Again Presented to the
LEGISLATURE

Inc plan for detaching a small
slice from the south side of Fergus
county, along the Musselshell river.
and attaching it to Yellowstone coun-
ty, which was brought before the leg
lslature two years ago and defeated.
is evidently not dead, but sleeping,
and is about to be revived. A bill
providing for the division is to be
presented in the legislature, and an
advocate OF the plan, and who has
served as county commissioner, writes
to the Argus explaining his views as
follows:
Permit me the use of your columns
to present the side of the petitioners
for county division, as | fear your
readers do not fully understand why
we ask it, Twice has the effort fail
ed and this time we think it ought
to succeed, as the present petition on
ly asks for enough of Fergus county
territory to accomplish the object of
changing the residence of those liv-
ing along the Musselshel from the
one county to the othef. SO far as
| know, there is no thought of politics
IN 1t. 1t is only sought to improve
business and social conditions by the
practically all the trade of this sec
ton COS to the railroad at Billings
and points further east. Our live
stock goes out and our goods come
in this way. Moreover, it is muCn
nearer to the railway connections, be-
sides giving us the advantage of bet.
ter roads. In fact, in the winter and
early spring it is at least one half cas-
Ter to get to Billings than to Lewis
| town, and these conditions are, in
themselves, enough to justify the pc
Lion for seDaratiOn. And when we
| consider that social conditions close
~ follow trade, it is not difficult to
| understand why there is a unanimous
sentiment here in favor of the change.
AT Elso, | could not find copy of
a Fergus county paper, and very few
| of the residents knew who the cand,-
dates were in their own county. Yet
they were discussing with great in
| trest the candidates in Yellowstone
| county. Another consideration is the
| dividing of these small adjacent com
| munities. and the present condition
| has caused the assessors much tro,I-
| Die in estimating the amount of land
on either side of the stream in a
given claim or section. All of these
! troubles can be remedied by making
township lines the county lines. and
it seems to me that the people of Lew
istown and Fergus county ought to
yield little of the territory and a
| few of their people when the latter
so earnestly desire it.
while not presenting the other side
of the question, will say that the
| only reasonable argument have
heard against the change is that tax
| es are lower in Fergus and that some
time we will have railway connec-
ton with the county seat.
ITO the first objection, it is enough
to say that most of the petitioners
pay taxes in both counties, and as
they have asked for this same thing
from both the seventh and eighth leg
| islative assemblies, and are still more
earnestly asking it of the ninth. they
have no doubt considered the slight
difference in taxation is more than
Offset in the benefits that will acrue
| through the change.
AS to railway connection with the
| county seat. the writer sometime ex-
poets to see flying machines in use.
and the travelling public relieved OF
worry of any kind over roads. Wheth.
er they or railways will first appear
to make transportation to the metrop-
oils of the basin is at present fair
gamble Meanwhile we are growing
older. and dislike these roads or
magnificent distances more and
more. Without some definite assur-
ance of something doing" in the
| way OF railway construction, II seems
to me that the petitioners prayer Is
entirely just, and should be granted"