The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-03-04
COUNTY DIVISION.

The passage of the bill to abolish
Kootenai county and create the new
counties OF Lewis and CLARK is hailed
with delight by the citizens of this
city. IL il is constitutional, which
a number Of the best lawyers in the
state say it Is, then Occur d'Alene is
to be congratulated, and indeed the
whole Of the people in the new county
OF Clark are to be congratulated, for
1t means that with the exception Of
a comparatively small number north
Of the Northern Pacific, the facilities
for reaching the county seat are
much better, the methods Of travel
more convenient and the better ac-
cOmmodation of the public generally
will be served.
The success of the division bill is
due to the efforts of @. j. Shoemaker
and J. L. McClear, so far as this part
Of the county is concerned. They
were ably assisted by c. B. King,
]. 7. Sullivan and ". B. Mcfarland,
who went to Boise and worked for
the measure. Representative Spauld-
ing was loyal in his support Of the
measure and deserves much credit,
for without his support the bill
could not have passed And there is
that loyal old PIONEER Of Shoshoue
county, Representative Adam AuI-
bach, who put his shoulder to the
wheel and gave the bill a hard push
just when the hardest part Of the hill
was reached. B. F. O'NeaI and
others rendered valuable assistance
which is appreciated by the division
lists.
There is sentiment about parting
with old Koptenai, especially among
the old timers, who have lived to see
1t grow from few hundred people TO
its present state, yet sentiment must
not be allowed to usurp our better
judgment, the old county must 90
and the new take its place. 1t is
better for all concerned aud while
the people Of Rathdrum may figbt it
In the supreme court, we doubt if
they can win. They are 10 the same
position that Occur d'Alene was when
she lost the garrison at old Fort
Sherman. We thought that the very
life Of the place depended on the
post aud after it had been abandoned
found that there we're other resources
which needed development only to
make it better than ever before. So
long a. it depended on the post and
made no effort for progress it re-
manned stationary. The same con
ditions exist in Rathdrum. Its
citizens have depended on the court
house largely for their existence and
If that is taken away they sill turn
their energies to something else
which will be OF greater benefit.
There will BE- sort Of an awakening
as there was in Occur d'Alene and it
Is our candid opinion that in a year
from the time the court house is
taken away Rathdrum will be a bet
ter town than it is today. We at
least hope so, and We want 10 say
further that We admire the hard fight
Rathdrum put up at Boise through
her loyal representative. G. L. Heit-
man. Had it not been for his efforts
the bill wonld have passed the house
By big majority.
The county seat will be a factor in
building up Occur d'Aleue because
the city is already growing and every
additional help is an assistance 10
further growth. Otherwise It would
not have proven such a big thing.
because cities are not built b county
seats; they must have other resources.
All hail to the counties nf Lewis
and Clark whose birth dates from
the year when We are celebrating the
discoveries Of the great explorers who
passed through this country 100
years ago aud reached the Pacific
coast. The party left the east in
1903 and started on tbs return
journey in 1906, after having explor-
ed the country and secured iuforma-
tion which led to the first immiRra-
tion from the east and resulted In
the development ~e see today. TT
proper that two Idaho counties should
be named in honor Of these two great
explorers.