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The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., February 10, 1911, page 1

WHITE SALMON COUNTY
Petitioners Meet With Little Opposition - New County Would Start Out With Population of Over Four Thousand

Census returns of 1900 by special wire from Washington dive the population of the proposed new county of White Salmon as 4,361, distributed in the following precincts as follows: White Salmon, 62; Fruit Valley, 743; Appleton 503; Bingen, 211; Camas, 565; Hartland, 168; Husum, 375; Lyle, 446; Major Creek, 146; Trout Lake, 399; Rockland, 138.
The rest of Klickitat county is as follows: Goldendale, 1203; Alder Creek, 42; Alderdale, 102; Cedar Valley, 39; Centerville, 548; Cleveland, 251; Cliffs, 182; Columbus, 369; Dead Canyon, 181; Grant, 209; Harrison, 236; Pine Forest, 257; Pleasant, 190; Roosevelt, 134; Sand Ridge, 106; Sand Springs, 119; Spring Creek, 507; Woodland, 311; Precinct No. 4, 286; Precinct No. 3, 137; total population, Klickitat county, 10,180.
Some of the citizens of the upper country hesitated about signing the county division petitions because of the idea that a new set of officers and court house would make their taxes higher. But let us look at that salary proposition. Because of the larger influx of people in the west end, Klickitat was raised to the 15th salary class and officers at Goldendale now draw salaries as follows:

Auditor..................$1,950.00      
  Three Deputies..........2,700.00
Clerk.....................1,350.00
Treasurer.................1,450.00        
Two Deputies..............1,800.00
Sheriff...................1,450.00    
One Deputy..................900.00
Attorney..................1,300.00
Superintendent schools....1,100.00
	    Total........13,500.00

The new county, in the 23d class, would draw salaries as follows:

Auditor.................$1,050.00
Clerk......................900.00
Treasurer..................900.00
Sheriff..................1,050.00
County Attorney............600.00
Supt. Schools..............600.00
Assessor $4 per day.....
            Total........5,100.00

By reason of the much heavier assessed valuation of lands, the west end is paying a large portion of the present salary, and in the event of a new county the salaries would be, perhaps, about $600 more than at present, a very small cost for a beginner. It would not be necessary, either, to erect a court house for some time. While it would increase taxes slightly more, the large saving in traveling expenses to and from the county seat must be considered and every year the assessed valuation of this end of the county it is raised, while the wheat and range lands are raised by a comparatively small percentage and the consequence is that the longer we put off county division the more we will pay of the county's bonded indebtedness, which is $52,000.
The time is ripe for a division. The west end is able to paddle its own canoe. It has shown a higher percentage of growth than any other portion of the country. Over 60 per cent of the transfers, we have been told, have been by people of the west end. The Enterprise trusts that the legislature will allow the bill that will place White Salmon county on the map, for it will be far more convenient to transact business, facilitate development and bring as many other benefits.
Notwithstanding that the Underwood country wanted to be brought into the proposed new county, it will have to stay where it is, for the state constitution prevents taking away a portion of a county when by doing so the population of the county would be depleted below the 2,000 mark, Skamania's population being around 2,300.
The assessed valuation of the county is in round numbers, $8,700,000, over one-third of which is west end valuation, or about $3,500,000.