Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, April 1, 1908, Page 1

A THE BEMIDJI DAILY PIONEER. BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 1, 1908. VOLUME 5. NUMBER 294. ANTON ERICKSON TAKES CHARGE OF POSTOFFICE New Postmaster Assumed Position Last Night.---Will Make No Change in Present Corps of Employes.--- Office Is in Excellent Condition. It was “off with the old” and “on with the new” at the Bemidji post- office this morning, when G. E. Car- son, who has been the postmaster of Bemidji the past four years, turned over the office to his successor, Anton R. Erickson, who was recently appointed as the head of the office. On retiring from the office Mr. Carson left the affairs which had been under his direction, in a most| excellent condition, the various re- ports, together with the books and other paraphernalia of the office were turned over in a first-class con- dition; and in assuming the post- mastership Mr. Erickson compli- mented the retiring officer on the general excellent conditien of affairs. The report of the office” for the quarter just passed shows that the receipts were $3,710.89, during January, February and March, and the! expenditures were $2,352.57, metting proceeds for “Uncle Sam” to the amount of $1,352.32. The re- port is a gratifying one and it indi- «cates the healthy development of Bemidji. Mr. Garson, the retiring post- 'master, announces that he will give undivided attention to his ice busi- mess in this city, and will probably also engage in other business, the exact nature of which has not yet ‘been determined. Postmaster Erickson announced that he will make no change in the personnel of the present force, which is as follows: A. Otto, deputy post- master; Erank Slipp, chief mailing clerk; S. A. Cutter, money order clerk; Edmound Gould, general de- livery clerk; free delivery carriers, Harry Geil, J. C. Cobbs, Dennis Considine; rural mail carrier, route No. 1, Ralph L. Grover. Anton R. Erickson, the new post- master of Bemidji, is 46 years of age, being born in Norway in 1861. He .«came to the United States twenty-five years ago and located at Crookston. ANTON R. ERICKSON. He worked three yedrs for W. T. Sampson, when he was appointed deputy sheriff, under Sheriff Paulsrud of Polk county. Mr. Erickson served three years as deputy sheriff and was very prominent in the workings of the republican party in Polk county. Mr. Erickson owned several stores in Polk county, one being located at Mentor, another at Crookston and a third at Thief River Falls. He was president of the Knute Nelson club the first year that the present senator. ran for governor. Ten years ago Mr. Erickson moved to Bemidji. He served two years as deputy sheriff under Thomas Bailey, the present sheriff of Beltrami coun- ty, and he also served as deputy auditor here under County Auditor David Sylvester. In 1903 Mr. Erickson started a store at Rosby, five miles east of Bemidji, which was one-fourth mile over the Beltrami county line in Hubbard county. Mr. Erickson remained at Rosby until two years ago, when he re- turned to Bemidji and has made his home in this city ever since. Mr. Erickson has always been an active republican, and wherever he has lived has been prominently identified with the counsels of the party. Just one Proposition for Suit. "The Pioneer got the wrong idea, welative to the proposed action of ‘Schneider Bros., in selling a suit at auction from submitted bids. The proposition of Schneider Bros., is that they have placed in their window a spring suit, the retail price of which is $15. Bids for this suit will be received until ‘Saturday evening of this week, when the party submitting the best bid may select the size suitable for him from the stock of the same grade as the suit shown in the win- dow—the intention being to give the successful bidder a perfect fit. There will be but the one chance :given on this method of obtaining :a suit, and that is this week, on the grade of suit offered in the win- «dow. Already, there has been much <omment on the proposition offered iby Schneider Bros., and there will sundoubtedly be many bids submitted ifor the suit. “Nothing Doing” In Court. There has been practically “nothing doing” in district court today; in fact, no proceedings whatever were had, during the forenoon, in the court room. When court adjourned yesterday afternoon Judge Spooner gave the attorneys present papers in their cases pending and informed them that court would convene again Thursday. Tomorrow morning the case of the state vs. Ed Johnson will be taken up. Johnson is charged with assault in the first degree for having shot a man named Hill while the two were in a questionable resort in the west - end of the city. John Otis, who has been sentenced to serve a term of three years in the state prison for assault in the second degree, will be taken to Stillwater tomorrow morning to begin serving his sentence. Good Program at Brinkman. At the Brinkman Family Theatre this week young Samson who is giv- ing exhibitions in feats of strength is drawing large crowds and his work proves to be an interesting feature. He makes staples out of 40d spikes, breaks 30d spikes in two, four strong men bend an inch iron bar that he holds in his mouth, he breaksan iron chain by the expansion of his chest, he also handles 300 Ib. dumb bells, he lifts a horse and four men weigh- ing 2,270 pounds, bends iron rods over the muscles of his arms and legs and does many other feats of strength with an ease that astonishes them all. The Lenoirs are giving excellent satisfaction at the Brinkman Family theatre. They are the best in their line that has ever exhibited in the north country and cannot be beat anywhere, They please the most skeptical with their clever original features. Complete change of film tonight. Experienced Piano Tuner. Mr. H. Williams, piano tuner from the factory of Chickering & Son, Boston, Mass., will be in the city tomorrow (Thursday) prepared to do all kinds of piano and organ work. Mr. Williams’ experience extends over a period of twenty-one years, the greater part of which has been spent in practical factory work. He is also a graduate of one of the largest Eastern schools, and guar- antees all work performed by him. Orders left with Bisiar & Fraser, will have immediate attention. * Local news on last page St. Paul Pioneer Press: When a 160-acre tract of land in Northern Minnesota, purchased for $800, will yield a profit of over $5,000 from the removal of the standing timber and then leave the purchaser with 160 acres of fertile farm land, it is hard to discover a good reason for a man continuing among the army of the unemployed, opinion of J. J. Opsahl, member of the state legislature from Bemidji. This has been his experience with a “quarter” in Itasca county, and he has written George Welsh, state commissioner of immigration, giv- ing the details of the transactions which led to this result. The in- formation will be prepared for dis- tribution, with other evidences of the opportunities afforded settlers in this state. Mr. Opsahl writes that he pur- chased the land for $800 in August, 1906. In the fall of that year he offered the timber on the land for sale at $800° and later at $700, but found no takers. Inthe fall of 1907 he offered it for sale at $1,000, but again failed, and he then con- tracted to sell the output and de- liver it atthe railroad. The con- tract was let in September, when labor was scarce and high, but notwithstanding this fact the result of the work that year was as follows: Sale price of the timber cut, $6,770.82; cost per contract for work, $3,905.76, which leaves $2,- 865.06 for the material sold. This did not remove all of the timber, however, and adding the value of the remaining timber, conserva- tively estimated, and figuring on the basis of the actual returns for the other timber, the figures show in the| FORTY CENTS PER MONTH MINNESOTA IS THE LAND OF GREAT OPPORTUNITIES J. J. Opsahl Tells How He Bought 160 Acres for $800, Which Has Yielded $5,000 Profit in Timber, With Fertile Farm Land Left. J. J. OPSAHL that the sale price for all of the timber on the land when he pur- chased it will be $15,690.82, the cost for the work §$10,205.76, leaving a net profit of $5,485.06. Commenting on his experiences Mr. Opsal writes: “The daily papers contain reports of the hundreds ot unemployed wait- ing in the bread line, etc. If they are thrifty and want work and are willing to help themselves Minnesota offers plenty of openings. “On this 160 acres of land the timber gives $10,205 worth of’ labor at good prices, vative profit of. $5,485 and 160 acres of fertile land, all for $300. Show me any business that is a safer invest- ment. The work done there this winter was all done in a farmer’s style, on narrow, ordinary sleds, snow roads and common tools. “Any man with two willing hands and an ax that cost $1.25, saw $3, canthook $1.25, splitting maul $1, cedar peeling knife $2, total $8.50, can do any or all of the work except the hauling, which can be hired by the piece or 1,000, until the farm is in shape to support a team. A man willing to work can get todls and provisions from the local merchants by cutting and piling cordwood. Three days’ work, will pay for all the tools and a week’s provisions. “The above bears the undeniable fact that Minnesota, offers good -openings for energetic and willing workers on its mixed timber lands. Similar land can be secured at rea- sonable prices on very small pay- ments at 6 per cent from private parties, and from the state by pay- ing 15 per cent down with forty years’ time on the balance at 4 per cent “The mill compames and mer- chants are always willing to make liberal advances on timber the settler is cutting and loading, so he can get supplies and pay for his labor as he goes along. When such land is cleared of the timber it can at once be transformed into a first-class farm.” Commissioner Welsh ‘says this is no unusual experience in Northern Minnesota. ‘“Mr. Opsahl is a mem- ber of the Minnesota legislature,” he said, “and in every way reliable. His experience with this tract of land is only one of thousands_of similar variety. Why should a man look for employment in the cities, towns and villages when such opportunities are offered in Minnesota? “In addition to the millions of acres of this kind of land offered for -sale by private parties at very low - DUASS MEETING Will be held in City Hall, [HURSOAY NG, APR. Beginning at 8 o’clock For the purpose of discussing the feasibility of installing a new waterworks plant and extendmg the waterworks system. Let there le a large attendance of all taxpayers in the city, so that true sentiment may be obtained. This is a vital question, and should interest every ecitizen. Thomas Smart, Anton Erickson, L. E. Johnson, FIVE WILL AUGMENT THE POPULATION AT THE “PEN” Judge Spooner, Yesterday Afternoon, Pronounced State’s Prison Sentences for Offenders Who Were Convicted At the Present Term of Court. Vesterday afternoon g was taken advantage of by Judge-Spooner as a sort of “sentencing bee,” and five offenders who had been convicted 6f crimes at this term of court were given penalties for their crimes. In the case of the state vs. Tollef | Otis, found guilty of assault in the second degree, H. J. Loud -spoke a few moments for the prisoner and told the judge that he believed it to have been only a common saloon brawl in which Otis had become in- volved. As Otis’ previous record was not clean, and he had just finished serving a ninety.day sen- tence in the county jail for wife- beating, Judge Spooner sentenced him to three years’ hard labor at the state prison. When Tollef Peterson was ar- raigned for sentence for the crime of grand larceny in the first degree, Attorney Torrance asked the leniency of the court on the ground that the evidence upon which Peter- son had been convicted was purely circumstantial. The court explained that no doubt of the guilt of the prisoner existed in his mind, as there was only one other key to the door and defendant had said he had access to it; and several points pointed to the prisoner’s guilt. The judge then sentenced Peterson to five years at hard labor at Still- water. Mike Shea, convicted of the same crime as Tollef Peterson (grand larceny in -the-first degree) was given the same sentence. When asked as to why sentence should not be prouounced upon him, Shea stated that he knew nothing about the crime for which he had been convicted. The court replied that he would dislike to punish an innocent man, and that if “anything ever came up to dis- prove his guilt, he would do all in in his power to rectify the mistake, and then pronounced the sentence. In the case of Bert Roberts, found “guilty of uttering a forged instrument, County Attorney Henry Funkley recommended the leniency of the court. Roberts was charged, first, with forgery in the first de- gree, which was continued to the next term of court; second, with uttering a forged check, or forgery in the third degree, for which he was sentenced for one year in the state prison at Stillwater. After the pronounciation of the sentence the prisoner looked relieved and smiled. George Asmus changed his plea of not guilty to the charge of grand larceny in the first degree, Monday, to plead guilty to the charge of grand larceny in the sec- ond degree. It appears that he threatened his victim with a knife and compelled him to give up his money. - The judge stated that the prisoner’s countrymen in this part of the state are too free with their knives and that he desired to make an example of one of them. He then sentenced Asmus to three years at hard labor at Stillwater. _——— prices the state will offer thousands of acres of school lands at public auction during June and July.” Good Show Coming. % In speaking of THE MAN IN THE CASE, which The West- Henry Company will play at the local Opera House Friday, April 3, The Fargo Forum says: “The West-Henry company com- menced;a three nights engagement at the Fargo Opera House last night before an audience which taxed the capacity of the theatre. The play EUGENE WEST. presented was Charles Mackay’s charming society drama ‘The Man in the Case,’ 2 most intense play of the highest grade, in wlnch Mr. West and Miss Henry appeared to decided advantage. Miss Henry’s gowns, this season, are certainly marvelous creations., The. support- ing company is remarkably clever and well cast. Henry are decided favorite: Fargo theatre goers and tl merit it, for their produ all times,high class ap?. Mr. West and Mm : JUDGE STANTON WILL BE SWORN IN THIS EVENING Judge Spooner Will Administer the Oath.—John E. Samuelson Will Be Court Reporter.. Hon. C. W. Stanton, the newly- appointed judge of the Fifteenth jucial district, is in the city today and has been acquainting himself with the status of the different cases now pending at the present term of the district court for Bel- trami county. Mr. Stanton will be sworn in as " |judge at the banquet to be given this evening by the Beltrami County Bar association at the Hotel Mark- ham, and the oath will be adminis- tered by the retiring judge, Hon. Marshall A. Spooner. Mr. Stanton will convene court here tomorrow morning, and will undoubtedly at once adjourn until Friday morning. Judge McClenhan, of Brainerd, associate Juége of the Flfteenth Judicial. djstrict, will arriyvs Bamidji tomorrow evenin; officiate on thg,bench ur ent'term of céurt i is S Mr. Stanton national Falls4 %