Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-10-15

might follow q IRE 10 the old frame
court house. but the citizens Of coouE
d'Alene, who Witnessed the burning
Of the Auditorium and Franklin
block. have some idea Of the rapidly
with which a large frame building
will be consumed when once q IRE
starts and they can realize what slim
chances there would be for saving
the county records. The loss from
such a calamity Is beyond compnta-
ton IN dollars and cents. Stored in
the old finder box at Rathdrum are
the records Of marriages for a quarter
Of q century, OF deeds and prop
erty transfers, the settlements Of
estates and Of those in process OF
settlement, records Of Wills and other
probate business, records Of mort
cages given and released, the pro-
ceedings OF the boards OF county
commissioners since the organization
OF the county and records showing
the results Of years OF litigation,
school records, surveys and land
descriptions, the treasurer's books
and those Of the assessor dating back
20 years all would 90 up in smoke
II hre should unfortunately consume
kootenai county's court house, an
old wooden structure, which is a |
finder box. These records are worth |
hundreds OF thousands Of dollars in
money and their loss could not be
replaced. No sane business man
would trust such valuable papers in
so dangerous place and would not
rest easy until he had them safely
stored In a fireproof safe or valut,
yet he looks complacently on and
has permitted his public records to
be placed In this dangerous position
for years and now that the city of
Occur d'Alene Is Offering free ofices
and hreproof vaults in the new fire.
proof city hall, built OF stone and
brick. It looks as though the average
citizen would become interested and
go to work for the removal OF the
county seat to q place where such
protection is guaranteed. 1t is a
duty you owe to posterity.
II Is sincerely hoped that a dis
lstrous fire viii not clean out the
sounty records, but should such
calamity overtake the people at this
lime, they would exclaim that some
hing should have been done before
md many would be the regrets. DO
'ou know that such a thing might in
validate the title to your home, to
he place where you live? Suppose
'our deed 10 lost and the records +,
consumed. or suppose there Il an UNI ,
'eleased mortgage on your property. ,
$ there not chance for at least
expensive litigation to determine the
title to the property? There are
hundreds Of ways in which any citi-
EN- may be personal loser with the
destruction OF the county records.
MINK THESE tnlngs over, reason them
ut to your own satisfaction and take
no statements Of no one. then vote
or the protection Of your home.
Bonded Debt Light.
In the county seat removal con-
est the Occur d'Alene removal club 4
nd the Press are making an horon- !
bic fight on the merits OF the ques- q
lon. Not so with the Rathdrum 4
'ribune. which proposes to fool the a
eople II possible and with this OBJ 4
sct In view It recently contained the I,
tatement that the county has a Il
onded Indebtedness OF $4,000 and o
emoval at this time would result d
Increasing the Indebtedness with /,
corresponding increase in taxation. n
et us take the face OF the records /,
nd see how much truth there ID Il
this statement; In the first place q
he records show the bonded indebt- p
iness Of Kootenai county TO be /,
62.S0O instead OF $4,000, a diff q,