Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-01-21

FOLLOW ln6 10 d S6COnu ICLLSI ny a
citizen of St. Maries, published in the
Gazette Of that place, which shows
a strong feeling of friendship for
Occur d'Alene:
Editor st. Maries Gazette: kind
ly allow me space in your columns
to express the views of citizen, who
is loyal to st. Maries on the county
seat question. In the first place l
never went into a losing game with
my eyes open to the facts. And |
fail to see, as well as fail to find, any
one able to show me where St. Maries
has any chance to win fight for the
4 county seat against Occur d'Alene.
On the other hand it would seem to
me they would be throwing away the
substance and grasping at the shad-
ow. All they can possibly derive from
their investment of entering the
fight, would be to incur the enmity
of Occur d'Alene and make the citi-
Gems of our beautiful little village
tools for Rathdrum. What has Rath-
drum, or it's surrounding country, ev-
er done for st. Maries or it's re,
sources? Let us go back few years,
when Mr.. Bush represented the dis
trict, including Rathdrum, on the
board of county commissioners, who,
during his entire administration, Wis
tied this district only once, and then
at the earnest urging OF our citizens
and the roasting of the lOcal press.
On his arrival in st. Maries he was
welcomed by committee, royalty en-
tertained and the best conveyance
suitable was provided (free) to car
ry him through. the several road dis
tricts-which was a saddle horse
the roads being in such condition
at the time that it was next to i'm
possible to travel by vehicle. After
receiving the best entertainment the
village could give at that time, and
which service and attention, | feel
safe in saying was much better than
any st. Maries citizen had ever re-
ceived at the hands of our Rathdrum
neighbors, he told us plainly they
would not give us any money for
roads; he considered our roads good
enoungh for a place like st. Maries.
Rathdrum asks what has Occur
d'Alene done for ST. Maries?
We will cite few facts and find
out if the public thinks what Occur
dAlene has done ever benefited our
town and surroundings or not. In
the first place, when st. Maries was
now is-a company was organized
and Incorporated, known as the St.
Joe Improvement company, and the
larger amount of stock owned and
controlled by men who were, and are
still, citizens of Occur d'Alene and
very largely interested there. Now,
if any one will take the pains to
h find out the real facts, they will
find that these people did not take
their trade from ST. Maries to Occur
d Alene, but purchased every article
of merchandise that the st. Maries
merchants were able to supply them
In quantities they desired, and St
Maries always had the preference
we might also say that they made
their pay office here, and they made
their paper negotiable, so that any
one could handle them, if they so de-
sired, and have always been able to
recover on demand. Also take into
consideration what the occur d'Alent
Lumber company is doing at the
present time. If their interest were
not ours, why in the name of common
sense did they not get their lumber
cut in Occur d'Alene. where they
nave their own mill, and then make
the citizens of st. Maries pay for tbs
rafting of the logs and the towns
of the lumber back to st. Marie.
as we'll as making the pay roll Of
the mill and lumber yard, doine
business here, in Occur d'Alene, a.
they have a perfect right to do
If they so desired.
Also in the. year 1906, when st
Maries could boast of the county
commissioner, representing this dis
trict, being a resident of st. Maries
and the Emida people trying to co
operate with st. Maries people to ge
road from our Santa and St Mariet
road to Emida. thus bringing Enid;
directly in touch with us. and max
ing another good resource for st