Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-22

vote was to be taken two years later
on the two towns receiving the highest
votes in the first election.
Interest ran high in the 1920 cleo
ton. Froid, one of the principal
towns of the county, located on the
Bainyille- Scobey branch, in the north
eastern part of the county, decided
not to press her claims, so the leading
candidates became Bainville. gilbert
son, Poplar and Wolf Point. With
four in the race, it became quite evil
dent that no town could get over 5n
per cent, and reasonably sure that
Wolf Point would be high town.
Wolf Point Gets Most Votes
Bainville and Culbertson took a straw
vote to determine which tow should
withdraw. Culbertson was loser in the
straw vote, which was finished just
before the date of the election, and
Bainville's stock tool a jump. But
something happened. Poplar's superior
political methods again came into play,
and she received 2S1 of Culbertson's
votes and Bainville 80, with % pre-
ferring Wolf Point. The total vote in
the election was, Bainville 1,101, Pop
lar 1901, Wolf Point 1924, Culbert-
son 40, Brocton 3, Mondak /.
Greatly to the surprise and disap-
pointment of Mondak and the whole
east end, the county commissioners,
within a few hours after the vote was
canvassed, had the county records load
ed on army trucks and on the way TO
Poplar. These east enders have not
yet recovered from their disappoint-
ment. After all their -magnanimous
Withdrawals and fairly taken straw
votes, they saw the county seat depart
for the western portion of the county
! with M ahonao Of hrinOin1 - hocL az
the next election.
Geography of Roosevelt County
A brief mention of some of the
geographical features of the county
will give a clearer understanding of
the matters herein discussed. Roose-
welt county extends east and west
along the Missouri river, which is its
southern boundary, between the North
Dakota state line and Valley county.
It has an extreme length of IS miles.
From an average width of about 33
miles in the west and middle portions
it stairSteps dow on the north side
to an average width of about 81 miles
in the eastern portion. The towns,
excepting Froid and McCabe, are at
the southern edge on the Great
Northern's main line. Figured in di-
rect lines and disregarding minor
fractions, Bainville is eight miles and
Culbertson % miles from the eastern
boundary. while Wolf Point is nine and
Poplar IS miles from the western
boundary. Brockton, only a mile and
a half from he midway point In
the only really central town in the
county. The population of the county
is distributed much after the manner
of the weight in a dumbbel-bunched
at the ends without nearly so much
in the middle portion. Dividing the
east and west dimension into three
equal sectors of approximately IS
miles each. and estimating the popu-
lation of each on the basis of regis
t~rations and votes. the ~county's 10000
or 10000 population is about 5000 in
the eastern ball of the dumbbell, 5000
in the western ball, and about $500 in
the middle or grip. The population
is much more dense at the east end
but there is 30 per cent more area
in the west sector. and that much
more room for new population.
Wolf Point with 2400 to $500 has
about 10 per cent of the tow pOpula-
ton of the county and maintains that
within n few years half the popula-
ton of the county will be in her Sec
tor. The middle sector is thinly set
tied and contains a large amount of
lnulil diIOJH1eulS, IOpIuT anu DTOCk-
ton being the only towns.
Putting Then Through Their PAGES
According to the claims Of her OPP
ponents Poplar. located at the grip
of the ~dumbbell, has so far kept a
firm hold ON it while doing stunts
and developing her political strength.
were loud complaints from some sec
tions.~ The first set of officials were
all candidates for reelection and all
managed to land. strongly backed by
Poplar. The western sector of the
county was again left without repre-
sentation on the county staff.
The campaign of 1922 began quite
early in the summer the first battle
ending with the nominating primaries
August %. Poplar. during her two
years of probation as temporary
county seat, had lost the confidence
of many of her former friends. There
were ominous rumblings in all sec
tons induced by rumors of %extrava-
gance, mismanagement and a rapidly
growing county debt. But definite, re-
liable facts were hard to obtain. II
was known that the state examiner
had gone over the county records last
April and May and it finally became
known that the report of the examlna-
ton was in the hands of the county
officials but efforts to obtain copies
were fruitless as the report had not
been filed in the county records, or
published in the official paper: On
top of this situation all the old OF.
ficials whose terms had expired, ana
who were eligible. announced them
selves as candidates for third terms:
The patient ends of the "dumbbe'i
| decided they had been swung enough
4 movement. with its centers of great
est activity in Bainville and Wolf Point.
adopted as a suitable slogan, Let's
Clean House in Roosevelt County,
Strong representative candidates were
induced to accept places on the Clean
House ticket and two of the old off
Gals. assessor and school superintend.
emit. were indorsed. Seven towns and
communities were represented on the
ticket.
Million Dollars Indebtedness
For the purpose of getting at least
a portion Of the truth of the existing
condition of county affairs before the
whole people, Wolf Point had a copy
fContinned on Pare Two)