Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, February 1, 1904, Page 4

WHAT CHILDS ACCOMPLISHED How the First Merger Was Successfully Fought by the Then | Attorney General, Hon. H. W. Childs, Without Expense to the State. In a Quiet and Unostentatious Manner He Fearlessly Performed His Sworn Duty Without Directions or Instruc- tion from Anyone. Amidst the Rantings and Self-Glorification of Cheap Politicians the Splendid Work .of Gen. Childs Has Been Forgotten by the People. Gen. Childs Says Bob -Dunn Was-in Full Sympathy With His Action and Afterwards in Face of Strong Interests Insisted WILL BE READY . SOON SUFFERING ENDS Fred Graham Dies Saturday Even- ing After a Year’s Illness of Tuberculosis. First Installment of City ® Charter Will be Ready for Fred Graham died Saturday Commission This Week. |evening at 11 o’clock at the resi- !dence of his brother, Alderman John Graham, after a year’s ill- ‘ness-of -tuberculosis. - He -has i been a patient and uncomplainin "sufferer and his death which ha,z Work to be Pushed Ramdly 1L !been anticipated for some, time Date of Completion Yet |comes as a relief after a long and Uncertain. i hopeless illness. Mr. Graham came to Bemidji last April from Denver suffering { from tuberculosis and the greater PERTAINS TO ELECTION AND TERMS OF OFFICE. The first inétallment of the chiar ter of the city of Bemidji will SAW BIG W WooDs Theatrical Folks Pay Their First Visit'to Minnesota Camp Yesterday. “The Man From Sweden” com- pany, who appeared in Bemidji Friday and Saturday evenings, saw a Minnesota Iogging camp’ for the first time yesterday, and to say that they enjoyed it: would' be_stating the fact very mildly. The party were chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. A, T. Wheelock, an s left” this city at 10 oclock yesterday morning for Kirk &! in two hours, just in time for din- ner. They were very hospitably received by John Kirks who was in charge at the camp, and after a dmuer, that all vowed was su- perior to anything they had ever before been privileged to discuss, they saw the camp at their Jeisure. They were more than interested and made a thorough inspection. ; After dinner the party walked a distance of about a quarter ofa mile to the logging road, where theysaw & load of seventy-four S lugs which had gotten out of the rut put back on the road. The visit was a genuine pleas- ure to the cntire party. — The company left this morning over Smith’s logging camp atthe head l the Minnesota & Inbernamgnal of the lake. The drive was made! for ,Brmnerd on His Appointment on Tax Commission. Amnid all the tumulfuous out: _pourings and loud professions of politicians more or less disinter- -ested, over the merits of at tempted merging of the railroads known as the Northern Pacific, Great Northern and Burlington systems, but very few persons recall the quiet but decisiveaction taken in 1895 -by Hon. H. W Childs, then attorney general for the state of Minnesota, by which he prevented a proposed, con- solidation of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railway . companies, _*. Without clamor of trumpets, . without theatrical display or a trumphant prcgress in: state, wntbout”’seekmg or soliciting the aid or conusel of the authorities of cher states, or of the United States. Mr. Childs, as the chief |: legal adviser of the State, invoked ~ the laws of Minnesota and en- tirely on his initiative, sustituted proceedings in district court: of Ramsey county, and effectually prevented the proposed railroad consolidation. His actions in this imporant matter were refeshingly cool, ' conservative and businesslike. ' He made no unseemly claim of ‘ superior patriotism, but per- formed his full duty as a sworn - “was early in 1895 when Mr. Harry Horn called upon me an | stated that he had filed a bill in equity in the United States cir- cuit court, on behalf ofa.cli?-nt, one Thomas W. Pearsall,to enjoin the companies from consolidat- ing. He wished me to intervene on behalf of the State of Minne-, sota, After consideration, I de- cided not to intervene, but I at-| tended the hearing of the case as ‘ a spectator and when the deci- sion was filed in the case, refus- ing to enjoin the consolidation, I began, in the name of the State, an action in the district court of Ramsey county for asimilar par- pose, based largely upon inform- ation disclosed by the pleadings | filed in the Pearsall case. The motion was heard by Judge Will- 'iam Louis Kelly and the argu- ments consumed about four days.” “What was the result of the action?” *Judge Kelly, in an able n,nd ex- haustive decision given on: No- vember, 16, 1895, sustained the position taken by the State-of Minunesota and graated the mo- tion for an injunction:”’ “Then the railroad consolida- tion was knocked on the head?” +Judge Kelly held that it was part of the time since his coming to Bemidji he has been an invalid. He did not have a wide local ac- quaintance but during his illness he was endeared to his friends 'by the paticnt and uncomplaining manner in which he bore his af- fliction. He was 24 years of age at the time of his death and his only relatives beside his brother in this city were a brother at St. Louis and a sister who resides in Canada. © Mr. Graham was at one time one .of the best known base ball players in the country and was for several seasons on: the Denver team. The funeral occurred from 'the Presbyterian| church this afternoon at2 o’clock, Rev. McLeod officiating. The in- terment was at Greenwood. —————————————————— terests without fear of the slight- est injury to himself, I have seen too many instances of his sterling manhood to fear the result of any test to which he might be put as betweén public and:private interests. He is a man who will fearlessly perform his duty at all fTmes, in all places and under all circumstances. If any man ever earned the grati- tude of the people of this State, it is Mr, Dunn.” May Not Leave Bemidii. . Judge Reynolds is on record|] be ready for the stenographer tomorrow morning and -it is hoped to have the transcript made ready for the consideration of the commission by Thursday evening. The tirst portion of the charter to be presented for the consider- ation of the commission will per- tain to the election of city officers, their terms of office, duties, etc. While the text was not complete, this morning it is learned that the clauses to be submitted to the commission will be substan: tially the same as those of most of the cities in the state. The charter commission attor- neys, Messrs. McKusick & Gib- on the charter atonce. Theyare still unable to state when the The Awning Man, for Awnings Tents of all kinds and descrip- tions for sale or rent. Hunters Equipments, Flags, Camp . Fur- niture, Ete. Wagon and Stack Covers and all kmds of Canvas Goods : : S Estimates Free on Appllcatlon Tel. 20. Office, 311 Bemidji Av. OUR MOTTO: TRADE WITH THOSE THAT TRADE WITH YOU. bons, propose to get very busy| document will be completed but every effort will be made to bave it ready for submission at the spring election March 8. The time is, comparatively speaking, short and both gentlemen realize this fact and while they will push the work as rapidly as possible they will have accomplished something of a task if they suc- ceed in having it ready for sub mission March 8. In Order to Reduce Stock We W111 durmg January sell EURNITURE at é,‘vvérylofi'v pric%e for ‘cashv. Winter officer of the State, assailing nofin contra.venmon of the State laws man’s character or impugning governing. rmlroads and their the iategtity of anyone, and|power fo consolidate, and so de- with the statement that if his health continues to improve-as-it flhdéfwear found his ¢redit and satisfaction in the unostentatious and faith- ful performance of that duty. His work-was done thoroughly ‘and he did it single handed and unaided” without involving the! Btatein any extra expense for ‘assistant counsel or obher lux- Hries, 1t may be claimed that in the suit against the railroads now pending, that owing to the array of legal luminaries opposing the State, that it was necessary to expend large sums of money, as has been done, in retaining extra ~——and-expert-counsel-t0-assist the present attorney-general, but without detracting from the bril- liancy and reputation for-ability of the counsel for the railroad companies in the present suit, it might be stated that the' coun- sel for the railroads in 1895 in- cluded the Hon. C. K. Davis, M. D. Grover, E. P. Sanborn and C. A. Severance, a quartette whose legal skill and learning could not be excelled, and without assist- ance or the extra expenditure of one dollar, Mr. Childs won the case for the State. It is characteristic of the modesty of the man that when a reporter for the Union sought to . dnterview Mr, Childs-and-secure from him @ statement setting forth the history of the case which he conducted in 1893, and the causes which/led him to com- amence the proceedings, that he ; fested a strong. disinclina- cided,’? replied Mr, Obilds, “Was the 1895 casa carried to the United States supremse court?”’ asked the reporter. “It was, and Judge Sanborn | was reversed,” “Did you consult with the gov- ernor regarding this case, or did he advise or direct you in the matter in any way?’’ asked the reporter. . “No sir,” replied Mr. Childs. “I acted entirely upon my own initiative.” “What was Mr. Dunn’s atui- tude toward you with respecb to that litigation?” ‘T have every reason i to believe that he was 1n full sympathy with my-action.—. The State has never had an official with whom I haye been acquainted, who more zealously guarded the in- tevests of the State than Mr. Dunn. He has taken strong ground against various corporate interests upon the subject of tax- ation. He has been a stickler for the application of strict rules in favor of the State as to several railroad land grants. He has been watchful over the State’s interests as to the swamp land grant. He insisted upon my- ap- nointed to the late Tax Commis- sion-in-the face of strong-eorpor- ate interests; railroad-and-other- wise, which opposed it. When I learned of the strength of the in- ) fluences which were then oppos-; has for some time past he will not léave Bemidji. The project of removal to the coast has all along been distagteful to him and| at one time he believed it abso- lutely necessary. A deal for the ests fell through and necessitated for his remaining for a time at least = He now finds himself sub- stantially improved and only asa last resort will he will leave the city. Commissioners in Session. The county commissioners are in gession at the court house to- day The bond of County Treas- assessors were appointed for the unorganized towns. The Grant Valley road petition and the peti- tion for the setting off into a new more district was considered. A new road petition for a public highway in the town of Port Hope was also before the board. Will Rebuild Store. The store of Faimbanks Bros. at the Red Lake Agency which was destroyed by fire last week entailing a loss of $10,000 will pe rebuilt at once. An agent of the company was in the city Satur- {day night for the purpose of buying stock and states that ness in about a month. Electric Lights for ‘Koochching. ng me, and with a vie w of reliev- ing the members of the board of disposition of his business inter-# urer French was approved and|l’ district of a portion of the Ny-|| | they expect to be ready for busi-|| The vil'age councilof the village Halt " Price. Gbe Clothners FOR SUR Our Semi-Annual Clear ance Sale comes as a bless- ] Take advantage - of it wlule you may. i $12 and $15 Suits an-d‘()ver-, coats reduced in price to + $25, $22, $20 and $18 Suits -5 and Overcoats reduced in | MONEY ALWAYS CHEERFULLY REFUNDEDI OV[RCOAT WEATHER the embairassment which a consideration of my can-! didacy might occasion, I wrote Mr. Dunn requesting him to in- form the board that [ withdrew my name from further consider- ation. I have since been assured " to: discuss the matter, but ily was induced to refer to. it a brief historical way and to wer several questions-bearing apon it. hat led you to commence he action?” was asked. “The first information I re- ceived ‘regarding the proposed consolidation of the Great North ern and Northern Pacific Railway companies,” replied Mr, Childs, for'my appointment. Here was a chance for him to have yielded to the demands of corporate in- that my letter was pigeonholed | and that Mr. Dunn was insistent ! ' of Koochching has called for bids |; (for putting in an electric light|] plant at that village, which will}] adequately cover its present and i future requirements. Bids will be 1'ec.eived up to Fubruary 11. ! French Is in Charge. County Treasurer French as- sumed charge of the treasurer’s “office this morning. Harry Rey- (nolds remaics as his deputy Ffor 'the present. price to $14.75. Boys’ Clothing Reduced in Price. ‘Winter “Capsat . Half Price. E