The Dickinson press., 1915-08-07
WORK ON MARMARTH BRIDGE
AND COURT HOUSE AT AMI
DON is STOPPED BY DIS
TRICT COURT ORDERS.
People, of Bessie4and Desart Believe
i Sldte&: 0fficaalas Are Exceeding
Their Authority in Expending
Large Sums Of Money With
out First Getting Vote of
Tax Payers.

On the s1ss4ef July Judge W.. C.
Crawford Issued, injunctional orders
to the officers Of Slope county and
the bridge and construction firms,
who secured contracts from the
county beard, restraining them from
proceeding with the construction of
the big steel bridge across the Little
Missouri river at Marmarth and the
erection Of a $4,000 court house at
Amidon. '-ssA'"'..
The complaint is brought in each
Of these actions in the name of F. NJ.
Belknap, who was in the city Satur-
day, as were also the sureties in
these cases, w. C. McLarty, v. L.
Desart, Peter Oberg and B. E. Haug-
enstadt. John Pierce and William
Byers are other sureties.
The county of Slope was organ
lied in January Of 1915, the southern
part of old Billings, and Amidon was
named as the temporary county seat.
AS cited in the affidavit, considerable
expense has been incurred in fitting
up vaults for the temporary court
house which, in the opinion of the
plaintiff and the voters he represents,
is amply sufficient for the present
needs of the county. The total as
sessed valuation of Slope county is
only $2,700,000. The matter of the
permanent location of the county seat
will be question for the voters to
decide at the next general election.
Meantime Amidon is, of course, not
unwilling to see $4,000 court house
erected there, as it makes her chanc-
es better as a permanent choice.
The Marmarth bridge is the mis-
sing link on the Yellow trail as the
Medora bridge is on the Red Trail,
but the people out in Slope county
were getting In for the whole ex-
pense at Marmarth while the Medora
bridge is being financed largely by
popular subscription.
In June the commissioners of the
new county; E. p. Church, w. C.
Neering and J. P. Devine, advertised
for bids for court house and bridge
and about July s the contract for the
former was awarded to The Meinecke
Building Co. Of Fargo for $12,430.O0,
and for the latter, to the Security
Bridge Co., for $11,243.OO. The COM
missioners have since advertised for
bids for heating and electric wiring
and the heating and lighting systems
will cost at least $1,000 or more.
making the total cost some S14,OOO.OO
or over $25,00O.0O for the bridge
and court house.
The complaint sets forth that
large majority Of the voters of S1one
county are opposed to this expendi-
ture for many reasons. 1st, it is not
according to law, which plainly re-
qulres vote Of the people on such
large expenditure; End, the amount
IS greater than can be provided for
by the annual tax; 3rd, Amidon is
not the permanent county seat; 4th.
If the big Marmarth bridge is built
bridges sorely needed throughout The
county cannot be financed.
Work has already been commenced
on the court house but the injunctiona1
order places that and bridge con-
structi0n at standstill.
The papers we're all signed July 81
and served the first of the week upon
the commissioners, auditor and treas
urer of Slope county and the Fargo
company. The1 bridge company re-
ing foreign corporation, the papers
were served upoh' the secretary Of
state, Thomas Hall:~ Attorney w. F.
Burnett Of Dickinson has both cases
for the plaintiff. -.~~