Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1921-12-09

d newspaper puDllSneu In Coltax, re-
garding the matter as a high-handed
proceeding, got together and solemn
ly resolved that any attempt on the
part of future legislatures of the ter
ritory to carve more than two states
off of Whitman county would be con
sidered an unfriendly act. l think
this resolution very fairly represent
ed the sentiment which prevailed in
the county.
The Palouse Gazette was some
what silent about the matter. but it
did venture to congratulate Whitman
county upon thus getting rid of Aims
worth, which had, up to that time.
supplied the district court with most
of the material for it's criminal
docket.
! The first meeting of the board of
county commissioners, and therefore
the first official action of the county
government, was an February 5, in
1872. The meeting was held at the
residence of James A. Perkins.
While l have been unable, from
available records, to fix the date on
which ColfaX post office was estab-
lished or opened, my Investigations
have led me to believe that it was
not in actual operation on the date
of this first meeting of the board.
However, the government map of this
township produced from the survey
made late in the summer of that year
has ColfaX marked upon it at it's
present location. The post office
was probably opened very soon after
February, 1872.
The county commissioners present
at this organization meeting were G.
d. WILDER and w R. Rexford, Cap
tain James Ewart, auditor, and c.
D. Porter, sheriff and assessor. were
also present.
G. d. WILDER was elected chair
man Of the board pro. TEN. and was
afterward elected permanent chair
can. The official bonds of James
Ewart auditor; c. D. Porter, sheriff
and assessor, and c. G. White, school
superintendent, were approved and
these officers entered upon the du-
ties of their respective offices. In
the act creating the county MIR.
Whites initials were shown to be
c. f., but this was merely an error
for C. G. White was the man intend
ed to be appointed.
1t is found that John Denny was
at this time a nonresident of the
county, and the board appointed
David S. Bowman as probate judge
in his stead, fixing his bond at
$1,000.
w. A. Belcher, who was appointed
county treasurer by the legislature,
failed to qualify and the board APP
pointed James Benton to the posi-
ton and named a bond of $4,000.
The office was not sufficiently allur-
ing to Mr.. Benton and he declined
the appointment At the August
meeting the board reappointed
Belcher and required of him bond
OF $4,000. But even this handsome
raise in the size of his bond was not
regarded by Mr.. Belcher as sufficient
inducement to warrant his accep-
lance of the first treasurership of
Whitman county. And so the new
county worried along without a
/ treasurer until November 8, 1872,
when c. d. Porter, the duly quail
/ fled and acting sheriff and assessor,
was appointed county treasurer pro-
TEN. Mr. Porter seems to have been
willing to assume the duties and bur
/ den of the county administration
without any limit and accepted the
appointment. He qualified by fill
ing the required bond and became
the first qualified county treasurer.
/ Times have changed. We don t
have near so much trouble in these
later years in getting men to accept
/ TINS office.
The report which has gained cur
rency that all the county treasurers
the county has ever had are still
living is, therefore, not exactly cor
rect, for Mr.. Porter died about 10
years ago. 1t is true, however, that
all the county treasurers who were
ever elected in the county are liv-
ing. Perhaps it was Mr. Porters
misfortune that he was not regular
ly elected
At the first meeting of the board
several important things were done
Road matters were considered on a
rather large scale. In this line Of
county endeavor the commissioners
in recent years seem to have fol-
lowed the pace set at that time. A
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