The Elbert County tribune., 1909-02-11
The County Division Question

There seems to be quite little confu-
sion in some sections Of Elbert county in
regard to bills which have been presented
and are now pending in the legislature
in which Elbert county is included.
Reading between the lines Of the Di-
vide Farmer, published at Calhan, we
c.n plainly see that their only grievances
are based on the county seat question.
Calhan has undoubtedly been figuring
on having a county division in such
manner as to make Calhan the county
seat and now they are taking up the
light against the county seat division for
fear that some neighboring town might
capture the prize they themselves had
contemplated winning.
A proposed addition to Elbert county
is three mile strip for a short distance
in Douglas county. The people there
are seemingly very much interested, as
most Of them have land lying in Elbert
county and another good reason is that
moet Of them do their trading in this
county and would rather leave their
money IN the county in which they live.
The public highways are much more lev
81 leading to Elbert than the roads west
Of them.
OF course We will have to acknowledge
that q complaint from Kiowa is in de
fense OF their interests and we criticize
no ons there for the stand they take.
The only argument they can give is on
the county seat question.
Kiowa, although very inconvenient for
many Elbert county taxpayers from the
north, east and south, has bean the tenn
porary county. sest for many years. A
lev Of tths inconyeniences experienced
are 4. solloun: Ths Cototsdo 4 Ees4n-l
sfn Ydns north ssd south through the
western portion Of Elbert county and q
taxpayer near Holt, in this county, for
example. when going to transact business
1t the present county seat has to travel
overland sixty-five miles or take the
Rock Island train at Ramah, change at
Limon to the Union Pacific for Denver
and then take the Colorado & Southern
from Denver to Elizabeth, where he has
to go q distance Of eight miles by stage
before reaching the county seat. 1t
involves more time and expense to make
this trip than is required to travel from
Denver to Chicago. During district
court sessions at Kiowa the judge, law.
ysrs, witnesses and in fact, everyone
interested, must be hauled down in wag-
ons and great deal OF time and unnec-
essary expense is added to the county's
burden. A person living in Denver de.
string to transact business in Kiowa is
compelled to lose two nights in making
the trip. One week of district court
here costs more than in any other county
in the state except Routt county and we
understand that bill has been present.
I'd to divide 1t for the convenience OF the
people.
We have heard that the main fight is
to keep the county seat from Ebert, but
that story evidently originated in the
north end Of the county, as up to the
present time Elbert has made no great
nght for the prize. We believe, how.
ever, that 1t should be located in a bet
ter place along the railroad such as
Eastonville, Elbert or Elizabeth.
Owing to the numerous bills pending
in the legislature in regard to counties
and county lines the bill will not come
up for hearing until March % il the
bills are taken in order.