The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1907-12-27
THE COUNTY SEAT SCRAP
Coeur dAlene Trying to Get
St. Maries' Help
MEETING LAST SATURDAY
But St. Maries is Holding Out
Plays Waiting Game.

According to a news dispatch
Of Dec. II from Coeur d'Alene the
following shows the manner in
which that town received the in
telligence that St. Maries had
entered the race for the county
seat:
Occur d'Alene. December H.
After several preliminary meetings,
the business and professional men
known as the St. Maries Booster club,
called large public mass meeting
for the purpose of discussing the
county seat proposition.
For some time past it was known
that few men in ST. Maries were
agitating the idea, but the matter
seemed to have been dropped. How
ever, since ST. Maries has decided to
enter the race as rival to Occur d.
Alene, she is entitled to recognition.
Her claim for the county seat is
based on the navigable lake and river
route, the new Chicago, Milwaukee,
e. ST. Paul railroad, and the fact that
the Occur d'Alene Indian reservation,
opening in the summer of 1908 will
greatly increase the population.
Several of Occur d'Alene's business
men who are promoting the organized
effort for securing the county seat for
Occur d'Alene were interviewed, but
all say confidently that Coeur d'Alene
has ST. Maries beat on all of its counts
and some more besides. Location as
regards transportation, farming lands
and mining districts seem to make
Occur d'Alene the logical place for
the county seat. The Occur d'Alene
Commercial club is using all OF its ef-
forts to bring 1t here and do not view
St. Maries' fight with much serious
ness.
However, with all the insinua-
ton in the above that in the esti-
nation of Coeur d'Alene business
men St. Maries did not amount to
much anyway, the following from
St. Maries under date of Dec. FL,
shows that Coeur d'Alene is really
very much concerned. The arti-
Gle was evidently written or dictat-
ed by Coeur d'Alene man and
sent out from St. Maries instead oi
Coeur d'Alene in an effort to create
the impression that there may be
some sentiment at St. Maries
favorable to Coeur d'Alene. The
article follows:
St. Maries, Idaho, Dec. 2l.-A
delegation appointed by the Occur d.
Alene Commercial club to confer with
the committee recently appointed a
a public meeting here to determin
the line of action to be pursued b.
st. Maries should it decide to ente
the race for the county seat met will
the latter here last night. Littl
was accomplished, however, owing T.
, the absence of three members of tn
local committee, and the fact that !
has not fully determined the line O
action it will pursue.
J. G. White, president Of the Coeu
dAlene Commercial club, and Count
Attorney Potts, representing that cit
y maintained that as ST. Maries coul
y not reasonably hope to secure th
$ county seat at this time it shoul
I join with Occur d'Alene in its effol
c TO have the county seat removed frol
its present location, and later, whe
" the southern end of the county bt
y came sufficiently developed to Warrar
q second division. Occur d'Aler
,. would not oppose such action on u
part of St. Maries.
The local committee contende,
:, no Hever, that Occur d'Alene ought
wait five or six years before attemp
ing to have the county seat remove
from its present location, durii
" which time the southern end, wi
la its rapid development, already und
te way, would warrant an other divisio