The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-08-01
CORRESPONDENCE
"Ward Five Favors Benton.

"Ward Five Favors Benton.
Dear Editor: l am not much of a
writer for publication, but would like a
space in your columns, provided you
will put in shape what submit.
want to say that am glad you wrote
what you did last week on the Court
House removal proposition. I for one
feel satisfied with the Court House in
Benton and about every voter east of
Bodcau l have talked to expresses him.
self that way. l have not talked with
others.
Out this way we don't know anything
about ga growing sentiment in favor OF
removal" l haven't heard about it, and
want to notify the Shreveport papers
that at least in one community it isn't
visible to the naked eye.
Bossier City has been making fight
for the Court House for about thirty
years and she hasn't got it yet and won't
be likely to get it for years yet to come.
They'll have to wait until they get big
town and big vote down there before
they can get it.
We fellows who live in the country
and go everywhere either by team or
horseback like to attend court (when
called on to do so) that way and we like
good roads to travel over. We like the
hill roads and not those that lead
through the bottoms. Besides that Bos-
sier City is further from us than Benton.
have been resident of Bossier Par
ish for many years. was born here
and many a time l have seen man
summoned to court, especially to attend
the summer term, who at the time didn't
have dime in ready cash to his name.
With the Court House at Benton it's
easy enough to ride out there, or even
go on foot, if you don't want to stop
your plows, and a man don't have to be
particular about dressing up or prepar-
ing for fancy living out there. The
"boys" know everybody and feel at
home out at Benton and live and feel at
ease and do as they please. In Bossier
CITY conditions would be different. Il
Bossier City got the Court House the
officials would live over on the Shreve-
port side and that would take our bes1
friends away from us.
And, again, we are poor people, bu
as you suggest, we don't want dinky
little two-by- four Court House and Jail
and that's all $4,000 would bQild il
these days of high prices for building
materials. No doubt it would suit ths
Bossier City ring for the balance tt
come out of the farmers and genera
land owners of the parish in the shap'
of extra taxes, but that wouldn't suit u
!, , little bit. We have a good Cour
House and Jail in Benton and they hav,
Just been repaired and put in excellen
shape. They look all right and will b
> all right for years to come. We have
: rich parish and are proud Of it, an
some thirty or more years later (whe
the time is ripe for new public build
IL ings) we want the kind that will be bot
: ornamental and commodious and, a
e you said in print, in keeping with tn
u wealth of our great parish and the prid
: of it's many good citizens.
IS AS for the geographical center OF tn
: parish, it isn't so far from my house.
IS have been told by older heads like my
7. self, who knew what they were talkin
). about. And it is further north tina
J. popularity believed to be. 1t is consid
# erably nearer Benton than Bossier Cit,
1t AS for that matter, guess more tina
10 two thirds or possibly three-fourth
of the people who attend court resie
= nearer Benton than Bossier City.
II Before closing l want to add just
of little more. We country fellows ofte
l. drive through Bossier City on our Wa
lie to Shreveport and know what the TOW
n. is and the little it gives promise to b.
st come. It is kind of back yard +
N Shreveport, as one of my neighbors ca
bt it, and in Shreveport's back yard is tt
ii last place we want our Court Hou
e. located. 1t might be something mo
in convenient for the Shreveport lawye
at and the other fellows there who want
VS. run our parish, but not so for us farmer
a. who the Banner lately referred to as t
es backbone of the country wherever foun
of Then again, we would prefer to ha
es our young men attend court in Bento
d. a quiet, respectable, peace-loving cou
try town, free from blind tigers a
s: other vices, than to go to Bossler Cl1
to They would be forced to spend the q
to in Bossier City, if the Court House "
ed there, but the good Lord only kno
how far they might wander and to WI
dives and what sins might tempt thu
!. before the rising of the sun on anotf
day. We can take care OF our you
Z men who attend court better out
. Benton. And Benton, with its qui
. unassuming country ways suits US
Z the entire rural element of Bossier p
. ish better than the fine airs of Shire
: port, which at Bossier City would co
= across the line with the men who W
2 to show US how to run things.
You may expect more from me on
: subject later if see this in print, ane
9 the fight for removal is not soon alb