The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-02-22

were marked out substantially the
same as they were later organized and
voted on by the people
Country Was Wild.
All of this cou.4try at the time of
the first division was unsettled and
in Ward county there was only one
settler, and no one went there except
in winter. when few fishing expedi-
ditions would go up there and bring
down fish loaded on sleighs like cord
wood. Sheridan, Mclean and Mercer
have changed their boundaries but
slightly under the reorganization when
North Dakota was organized.
There was Williams county, named
at the time Of the other compliment
airy segregations, but that county was
to the south and west OF the present
Williams county, which IL situated in
the extreme northwestern part of the
state. The counties in the eastern part
of the state were not molested as 70
their boundary lines, as they were well
settled and with their organizations
complete.
Allof the organizations OF recent date
of the organizations of recent date
were made necessary by the increasing
population and consequent difficulty of
handling rhe business from one seat of
government.
The only places where there has been
q fight on the reorganization of coun-
ties has come where there has been
some political leader who has seen
some OF his territory being chopped off
or on account of fights between differ
ent towns for the county seaC of the
proposed county
With the exception Of two times. the
division has always carried. The first
one to fall down was the proposed
county of Stevenson. This was to have
been made out of a part of Mclean
county, and at the same time the
proposed Sheridan county was up for
a vote, and taking both these counties
out of Mclean would have left the
original county with only a. very small
territory, and would have left the seat
or government as far from some parts
OF the county as 1t was under the orig
NAL boundaries. Stevenson county was
knocked out by the supreme court on
account Of an error in the election no
tice.
One Of the other things that came
before the supreme court was the In
structions to voters that IL they failed
to vote 1t would mean that they were
opposed TO the proposed division, and
this the court also held was illegal.
Sheridan county was voted on favor
ably at the same time, and has since
been organized and Is now fully
equipped with the necessary oficers.
with McCiuslSy in undisputed posses
sion of the county seat
Voted to Organize MountraiI.
AT the last general election the vot-
ers OF Ward county voted to organize
Mountratl out of the southern part OF
Ward county, and the election and
organization has eceI-tly been de-
clared legal by the supreme court.
Governor Burke has named the COM
missioners, and they have appointed
the officers and the county seat has
been permanently located at Stanley.
At the same election the voters
were called upon TO declare in favor of
or against the organization OF Burke
and Renville counties out OF the north
eastern part of Ward, and according
to the vote as cast both propositions
carried. There was some dispute over
the vote as registered In Kenmare, and
the supreme court threw out several
hundred votes, and the result then
showed Burke to be organized and
Renville proposition knocked out.
There has come bad mixup in the
organization of Burke county. Row
bells people were most active In the
organization of that county, as they
expected to be named as the county
seat. but when the decision of the SUI
preme court was handed down 1t was
discovered that the boundary lines as
described in the papers before the
court left Bowbells in Ward county.
1t Ia claimed by the attorneys for
Burke county that the description con-
tanned In the court records is simply
stenographic error, and application
has been made to the supreme court
for correction of error, and IL that il
allowed the organization OF the county
will be rushed and Bowbells will I'M
doubtedly be named for the county
seat.
The question remains, however, as
to the wording Of the original ballot,
which was vote by the electors. If
that reads Bowbells, in old Ward,
there will be no going back OF the de-
cision, and F'laxton, the only town of
any considerable size, will probably
be named as the seat of government
of Burke county.
The defendants in the case before
the supreme court have twenty days
in which to make an appeal for a new
hearing, and until that time has
passed Governor Burke states that he
will take no steps toward appointing
the county commissioners,
Fight on in Mckenzie.
In Mckenzie county there is a nght
on over the county seat, with Schaver
and Alexander as tbs contestants.
Both of the towns are quite centrally
located and neither OF them ID on the
railway; in fact at the present time
there is not a railroad within the
boundaries of the county, and In pass
ing II might be interesting to know
that thousands OF bushels Of grain are
still in the hands Of the farmers In
Mckenzie county ON account Of in
ability to reach the markets. There
are a number of boats that make
speciality of grain hauling, and there
are many thousand dollars worth of