The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-10-26
FOR TWO new COUNTIES.
Agreement Upon Plan For Division
Of Chouteau County.

Agreement Upon Plan For Division
Of Chouteau County.
In response to an invitation extend.
ed to residents in various parts of
Chouteau county. delegations from
several towns assembled at Havre
Saturday for the purpose of discussing
county division matters and taking
such action as might be considered
best for all parties concerned. The
movement was originated by q num-
Der OF Harlem people. and appealed
to others as q sensible way Of arriving
At q settlement of q problem that
threatened to disrupt the friendly re-
lations that should exist among neigh.
boring communities.
The meeting was held in the Havre
city hall Saturday afternoon, with the
following delegations present as au.
thorized representatives of their re.
spective districts:
Harlem-C. Il. Barton, E. NJ. Ken
nedy, A. p. Rooney, L. Minugh.
Chas. A. Smith, who was to have
been one of the delega tes, was detain.
ed by sickness.
I Chinook-A. S. Lohman, L. V.
Bogy, L. N. Beaulieu, D.. L. Black
stone, A. w. Ziebarth.
Havre-H. w. Stringfellow, D. S.
Mackenzie, c. F. Morris, H. c. De.
Laney, w. L. Herrig.
Fort .Benton-David &. Browne,
John Harris, Jere Sullivan, T. A.
Cummings, w. K. Harber.
H. F. Smith, of Whitlash, attended
as q representative of the Sweet Grass
hills country, and L. D. Pugsley, oI
the Marias, took part in the proceed
ings as q representative of his person
al interests. There was no accredited
representation from Chester or bod
son, although it was stated that for
NAL Invitations had been extended In
each case.
The meeting was. organized by the
election OF w. B. Sands, of Chinook.
as chairman, and Thos. Mckenzie
of Havre, as secretary, and after &
brief discussion it was decided to ap
point q committee to draft q plan o,
county division that could be submit
ted to the meeting. The committee
which consisted of Messrs. Morris
Lohman, Barton, Harder, Pugsley
and Smith, was unable to agree upor
proposed lines of division. 1t finall,
reported to the meeting that 1t. wa
unable to agree and put the natter VI
direct to the delegates themselves.
A long discussion then ensued, dit
ferent division lines being favored b,
the various delegates, and recessed
were taken to enable the conflicting
interests to a adjust their differences
Concessions we're made in matters O
more or less Importance, and fnall!
there was unanimous agreement upol
boundary lines to form two new coun
ties as follows:
The northeast portion, gener ally de
signated as Bear Paw county, is to b
} separated by a dividing line that pass
es through the center of the tier O
townships in range II east-abou
eleven miles west of Chinook. At on
point the line takes q one mile Jog t,
the east through W townships, bu
with this exception it is practically
straight line from the Canadial
boundary to the Missouri river.
The northwest portion. temperate,
designated as Hill county, is separat
ed from the southern portion by a lin
from the western boundar running
along the township line between town
ships 30 and 81 for q distance of 4
miles: thence due south IL miles
thence east along township lines to tn,
western border of Bear Paw county
A general idea of the division lines i.
given in the rough outline plat here
with presented.
An amicable ad u stment of matter
having been reached, it was moved
and carried by reclamation that tn
pending county seat removal fight bt
abandoned-that the matter be KEEP
off the ballot II possible, but that if i
remain on the ballot every effort shall
be made to vote the proposition down
Minutes of the proceedings, with
map OF the proposed division line
were then prepared, the preamble re
citing that the creation of two ne,
counties shall be urged upon the mex