Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1902 — GOODLAND GETS COUNTY SEAT [ARTICLE]

GOODLAND GETS COUNTY SEAT

Election Laet Saturday Resulted In Her Favor and Fight of Forty i Years Standing Is Ended. \The county Beat election in Newton county on Saturday last resulted in a victory for Goodland, as predicted by The Democrat. The requisite 65 per cent of the votes cast were in Gooodland’s favor, and she has IB votes extra —a mighty close call but amply sufficient to move the county seat from Kentlandto Goodland. TThe north end townships voted almost solidly for Goodland, realizing that it was probably their last chance, and when the good news (to Goodland) was wafted over the telephone from the various townships and the figures compiled and the result knowu, pandemonium broke loose, not only in Goodland, but in Brook, Morocco, Mt. Ayr and other town 6 in the county. The writer was at Goodland and can vouch for the joy of the populace there. Fireworks were shot off, cannon crackers, horns, the brass band and everything capable of making a noise was brought out, and the streets thronged with people shouting joyously over the victory. Kentland, in getting the figures from one of the north townships, misunderstood them and got 50 too many votes for Kentland. This of course, would have given them the election, and the people of that burg also got out their band, lighted bonfires and began celebrating joyously. The error was soon discovered and what was done and said then history does not repeat, but those who are familiar with this long and bitter fight can easily imagine. Kentland yielded gracefully, however, when she realized she was whipped, and telephoned her congratulations to her successful opponent.

The vote by townships was as follows: For Removal. Against. Beaver tp. (Morocco).... 364 30 Colfax 54 32 Grant, (Goodland) ... . 604 40 Iroquois, (Brook) 272 15* Jefferson, (Kentland)*.... 25 545 Jackson, (Mt. Ayr)-. 214 12 Lake, (Lake Village).... 67 37 Lincoln, (Hose Lawn).... 159 11 McClellan 50 2 Washington 05 101

Totals ISM 967 Goodland has reason to feel elated over her victory, and much credit is due the committee who had the work in charge and their able host of lieutenants, who have worked unceasingly to wiu out, and we have no doubt but their names and a history of the work they wrought will be written on unperishable parchment and deposited in the corner stone of the new court house which it is expected will soon be under way at Goodland. The victory is largely due to the superior railroad facilities of Goodland also, it being in direct communication with every township but one in the county. The county Peat of Newton county was located at Kentland through the influence of Alexander Kent, one of the early pioneers of that county and who owned large bodies of land in and around what is now Kentland. In 1860 a frame court house was built there costing, it is said, SI,OOO. This building has since served as a temple of justice, and very little has been expended for repairs. Owing to the growth of the business of the county a small structure was built several years ago some 50 feet north of the court house, and in it the clerk’s and recorder’s offices were moved. Kentland is 1 mile north of the Benton county line and 4 miles east of the Illinois state line, and as the county was about 30 miles long and the county seat hard to reach, it was not long until efforts were being made to remove it to a more central point. This engendered much ill feeling and arrayed the north part of the -county against Kentland, which was simply doing what any other town would have done under the same circumstances — hang on to had. Nearly every legislature that has convened in Indiana for years has been confronted with bills for the re-

moval of the county seat from Kentland. Thousands of dollars and much valuable time has been spent in this fight for removal. Finally, in ISB9, a special act providing for elections to vote on removal, and requiring 65 per cent, of the total vote cast to be in favor of removal, was gotten through the legislature, and about two years ago Morocco tried her hand at an election, but secured only about 60 per cent, owing largely to the jealously of some other towns. Later, Brook entered the race, but Morocco gave her a right-hander square between the eyes in retaliation for the meager support given her when she was a candidate for county seat honors, and Brook went way back and laid down, losing out badly. Then Goodland entered the ring and after considerable sparring in the commissioners and circuit courts and taking the matter through the supreme court, was decided eligible to contest, and the result is now history. Goodland lies 8 miles directly east of Kentland, within 1 mile of the Benton county Hue and 1 mile west of the Jasper county line. In size and volume of business transacted it is about on an equality with Kentland, except in shipping, in which,*>wing to its better railroad facilities, it exceeds the latter place. The acquisition of the county seat will g ve the town a good boom and probably double its population within the next decade.

Kentland has long been handicapped by the uncertainty of retaining its court house and the ill feeling engendered toward the town by the removalists. We have no doubt that nine-tenths of its people are heartily glad that it is at last settled and that the court house will go to some other point. The town has as fine a farming country surrounding it as lies out of doors, and Kentland is a mighty pretty place, with beautiful shady streets, handsome residences and a number of wealthy residents. It will now take on new life and energy and take frout rank in the towns of northern Indiana, and its people will soon see that being the county seat in Newton county is not such a wonderful thing after all. Later on, when the northern part of the county becomes settled up aud the county seat fever breaks out again, she can sympathize with her neighbor on the east, who will then do the lying awake nights to devise schemes for keeping the “uorth-enders” from stealing the court house away from them.