CHAPTER VII.
ESTABLISHING JUSTICE IN THE COUNTY.
Classes of Cases .-- There are three general classes of judicial business carried on in the county: probate business, civil actions, and criminal prosecutions.
PROBATE COURTS.
Jurisdiction .-- The principal business and characteristic work of probate courts is the settlement of the estates of deceased persons.

Jurisdiction extends in most states over both personal property and real estate.
Incidentally probate courts appoint guardians for minors and others subject to guardianship, and control the conduct and settle the accounts of such appointees.
In many states jurisdiction wholly extraneous to the characteristic work of these courts is imposed upon them, or the probate business is associated with other jurisdiction in the same court.

Thus, in Minnesota the judge of probate is petitioned in the organization of cities, as we have seen.

In Wisconsin, the county court, which has charge of the probate business, has civil jurisdiction also.

In Illinois, the county court in addition to the probate business has jurisdiction "in proceedings for the collection of taxes and assessments." And in Kansas, the probate court has jurisdiction in cases of _habeas corpus_.
Procedure in case a Will has been made .-- The proceedings of a probate court have in view two chief objects, namely, to pay the debts of the deceased and to distribute the remainder of his property among those entitled to it.