Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-08-29

rs SLOW ON
Court HOUSE
Wing and the County
Jail Are Finished After
Several Years
8 az GEO. WEAThERHEAD.


',Washburn, n. D., Aug. 27.-Several
| years ago this county started the
| erection of a new and modern court
house building, but so far only the
county Jail and one wing of the new
court house has been completed.
While all of the rooms Of the new
building are occupied by county Of
fees, the new building has not as yet
been recognized as the official court
house. The old frame building down
town on main street is the official
court house, while it is only occupied
by the offices of the states attorney,
clerk Of court and the s%uperinten.
dent of schools. The upstairs of the
old building is used for a jury room
when court is in session.
The new building started on a lOca.
ton of a north side hill which com.
mands a view of the entire little city,
is occupied by the county auditor,
county treasurer, register OF deeds,
county Judge, and two abstract Of
fees, thus Washburn is probably the
only county seat in the state that
occupies the unique distinction of
having two court houses
| have never been given any clear
understanding as to why the new
building was never completed. Some
told me that about the time the new
building wa started, the mater of
county division was affiliated, and
with the prospects Of Sheridan our
ty and Stevenson county being Great
ed 1t was thought best to proceed no
further with tn enew building till it
could be ascertained how much terri
tory would be left in Mclean coun-
ty. Sheridan county was duly Great
ed but the final action in the supreme
court has probably settled definitely
that Stevenson county will never be
created, and Mclean county will prob
ably never be made any smaller.
Others told me that the completion
Of the new building was prevented
because Of faulty proceedings, and
that the people of the county were
neve given any opportunity to vote
on the proposition o a new court
house. But at any rate Mclean needs
a new, modern and complete court
house. The COUNT is a large n
and is one of the richest in the state.
The county Jail is a model building
and is kept in bette. rsanitary cOndi-
ton than most Of the county prisons
of the state, and it seems peculiar
that as foremost a county as the king
dom of Mclean does not proceed at
once to finish the handsome county
building contemplated some time ago.
One of the most imnortant indus.
TRIES in this section is the Ignite coal
mines. five miles directly west of
Washburn. owned bv Hon. John Sat
terlund. who owns 800 acres of land,
where this mine is located.
With Mr.. Satterlund I visited this
mine a few days ago and following
the light OF a small miners lamp,
walked several directions for a long
distance through the solid mass of
solid Ignite that no doubt abounds
for miles.
Edward Kugler has operated this
mine for the past six years and
though he has had a limited amount
of machinery with which to conduct
the enterprise he has made remak-
able progress. With only a small
crew he has taken enough coal each
year to supply the farmers for miles
around who come to this mine and
secure their whites fuel at a nomi-
nal figure and practically all the
homes and business houses have also
been supplied from this mine.
Just recently Mr.. Satterlund return.
ed from Minneapolis. whera he secur.
ed a large amount of modern machin-
cry which is nlow being installed and
during the coming winter the output
will be greatly increased. Were this
mine located on a railroad or could
be reached with a spur it would give
Washburn a great industry and a
large force of miners and laborers
would be steadily employed.
There is no question about the ~.
cellent quality of this mine, but the
method of landing the coal by team
for five miles before a railroad can
be reached makes it a herculean task
to reach the markets.
There is a storage warehouse at
the mine that will hold, over 1000
tons, and II at Washburn that holds
over 300 tons, and thus the local de-
mand can always be supplied.