Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, December 30, 1908, Page 1

T THE BEMIDJI D MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. VOLUME 6. NUMBER 217. E. R. DAMPIER REPLIES TO HIS PARK RAPIDS CRITICS Reiterates Charges of Mismanagement of the Itasca State Park and Foresty School, Under Supervision of the Forestry Board. E. R. Dampier of Akeley, county attorney of Hubbard county, has sent the following communication to the Pioneer, the same being a reply to the resolutions proported to have been adopted by the Park Rapids Commercial Club, which resolution is said to have censured Mr. Dam- pier for his critisism of ‘the manage- ment of the Itasca State Park, which critisism was rpublished in a recent issue of the Pioneer. “Akeley, Dec. 27. “To the Editor of the Bemidji Pioneer: “Your kind offer of space in which to make reply to the Park Rapids resolutions at hand. I had decided that the resolutions were not of sufficient merit to receive a reply, but my friends and the friends of the Park have urged me to reply, and I accept your offer. “The resolutions spoken of were claimed to have been adopted at a meeting of the Commercial Club of Park Rapids and put that body on record as stating that my former letter was in effect false, and that it misrepresented the sentiment of Hubbard county, and that it did anj injustice to the Forestry school. “I shall take these matters up in their turn. “My former letter contained ex- plicit charges of mismanagement ' of the park by the forestry board and of the uselessness of the school as now conducted. To reply to those charges by a mere denial of the facts and a charge of their being false without attempting to show wherein they are untrue will hardly satisfy the thinking public. If the statements are untrue, there should be some facts to prove them untrue. To merely brand them as false leaves them as charges against the board and school and discloses the weakuess of the position of the for- estry board and its friends. “I have no personal intesest in any way, shape or manner save that of a citizen interested in protecting the Ttasca State Park from the de- signs of Professor Green and the neglect of the balance of the Forestry board. I have been accused of some personal animonsity toward some of the members of this board and to this I wish to reply that I do not personally know one member of that board. “The so-called meeting of the Commercial club of Park Rapids was as great a farce as the Forestry ‘school is, for it was not a meeting of the Commercial club atall. It was not a public meeting of the club. Very few of the club mem- bers knew of the meeting, and those who did attend were there by personal invitation, not by a public call. Mr. U. G. Wray, vice- AN OPPORTUNITY Of a lifetime. Don’t getting one of those let it go by without half acre lots in Rey- nolds’ Subdivision of White’s Addition. Easy terms within the reach of anyone that wants to own their own home. H. E. REYNOLDS 805 Bemidji Ave. Phone 316 ane Irvirg Avenue. brands of Flour: Barley Feed, Wheat, NOTICE When in need of anything in our line please tele- phone 374 or call at our store on the corner of 4th Street White Lily, Occident, Nodak. Bran, Shorts, Oats, Corn, Corn Feed, Grits, Graham Flour, Rye Flour, Meal, Buckwheat Flour, Oatmeal, Choice Upland Hay and Timothy. FALLS @ CAMERON Our line is complete and consists of three leading Shell Corn, Wheat Corn GhHe Ford Automobile 1909 Model “T” BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, WEDNESQA;Y EVENING. DECEMBER 30, 1908. president of the club, has an office in tke postoffice building. He was in town all that day, but even he, an officer, knew nothing of the meeting until he was told by mere chance. The so-called resolutions were prepared in advance by Mr. J. D. Haradon of the Enterprise, a personal friend of Professor Green, and when introduced by him re- ceived only four votes. Others present refused to vote. - I doubt very much_ if this Star Chamber session of the Park Rapids Commer- cial club will be taken as the sen- ment of the people of Hubbard county, even in Park Rapids, and if a public meeting of that club was to be called and the same reso- lutions were to be introduced, I am beaten by a vote of over two to one. “The people of Hubbard county have put themselves on record in this matter jn.no uncertain manner as théfollowing resolution was unanimously adopted at the Repub- lican county convention held at Akeley, last June. “‘It is the sense of this conven- tion that the Park feature of Itasca State Park be taken from the control of the Forestry board and the con- trol of said Park be reinvested in a Park board.’ “This resolution was adopted in an cpen convention composed of men from all over Hubbard county, and to me it seems that it better expresses the opinion of the county than does the resolution drawn up in the Enterprise office at the sug- gestion of Green and introduced by his friend, Haradon, at a select meeting of his particular friends. It might not be out of the way to state here that the chairman of the resolu- tion committee who presented the foregoing resolution to that conven- tion, last June, was the same Har- adon who now claims that the reso- lution does not express the sentiment of the people. It would be proper for somebody to now present this gentleman’s name to the Ananias club. “The third charge is that I have done an injustice to the Forestry school. In what way, even Mr. Haradon could not tell me, for when I asked him to state to me just one thing of merit about that school he wassilent. I did not state the facts about this school half so harshly as they might be stated. That it is a farce is more and more evident. “This past summer there were twenty-one students there, and’ the professors and their friends who were there at the expense of the state numbered twenty-four. Professor Green’s work this year was mostly political, for he put in the greater part of the. summer entertaining politicians at the Forestry school at the expense of the state. That the students accomplished anything more important than ruining 120 acres of the best pine on the park is yet to be proven, but they did that much is well known. “The state has recently acquired 120 acres of choice pine land at the entrance to the Park. The students are turned 1n on this pine to estimate it and as they estimated a tree, they blazed it. Some of the trees are blazed in two or three places. Every tree is blazed at least once. The trees are bleeding and the pitch has run to the ground. If a fire ever gets into that pine a great part of it will be destroyed, for the fire will run up that pitch and do serious injury to the tree. “The public is interested in the question at issue, but they are not interested iu personal attacks upon the advocates of one side or the other, and it is my suggestion to the members of the Forestry board and their friends that they present the public with facts and not denun- ciations. - “Sincerely, “—E. R. Dampier.” 1909 Diaries. The largest and best line of 1909 diaries ever carried in this part of the state can now be seenat the Pioneer office. We have made special efforts ot secure the largest assortment ever shown in the northwest. Those who want special kinds should call early and make theit selection. of the opinion that they would be | T ER e To hE Our Dear Friend The Merchant: Do you know how o sell goods? Your clerks, of course, know how to #ell goods when people call and ask for them. But when people do not call and ask for what they want and what you have In stock, what then? Let the people know what you have. Our columns are open to advertisers with bargains who want to commect with bargain hyaters. ° 4 Try Pioneer Advertising. NEW BANK IN OPERATION AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS M. F. Murphy of Grand Forks and W. J. Mooney of Langdon, N. D., Are Heavy Stockholders. The International State Bask, capitalized at $30,000, opened up for business Saturday and is now an organized institution of Interna- tional Falls, according to the bank’s president, M. F. Murphy of Grand Forks, N. D., who arrived in the city this morning on his way home from the “Falls.” y This is the second bank establish- ed at International Falls and is a criterion by which the prosperity of the thriving little town on the Canadian border can be judged. This is the flrst invasion of North Dakota capital in that section of the country, the other bank at that place being controlled by the F. P. Sheldon interests of Minnea- polis. ¢ The officers of the International State Bank are: M. F. Murphy, Grand Forks, N. D. president; R. S. McDonald, International Falls, vice- president: John B. Mooney, Lang- don N. D., cashier; and Harry Hil- liard, Reynolds, N. D., assistant cashier, . The controlling stock of the new institution is owned by Mr. Murphy of Grand Forks and W. J. Mooney of Langdon, N. D. John B. Mooney, cashier, is a son of W. J. Mooney. The remainder of the stockholders are as follows: E. W. Backus, of the Backus-Brooks Lumber company; Chief Engineer Curtiss, of the power company at International Falls; Mr. Clark of Columbus, Ohio, a financier and speculator interested in this section of the country. These residents of Iaternational Falls are also interested in the bank: R. S. McDonald; Mitchell Burton, a clothier; F. H. Reyes, general mer- chant; Peterson & Olson, merchants; Mr. Stone, who is heavily interested in the townsite company there; and E. L. Smith, a store-keeper. Mr. Murphy was accompanied by Stephen Collins, also of Grand Forks and who is a large stockholder in the new institution. The gentle- men returned to their homes at Grand Forks on this afternoon’s train, Dance Friday Evening. There will be a dance Friday evening in the Masonic hall for the benefit of the members of the Be- midji Dancing Club. All members are requested to be present. Additiona'- local matter will be found |on fourth.page. MAYOR OF GITY IS NOT ENTITLED TO A SALARY Such Is the Decision Just Filed by District Judge W. S. McClenahan. —Judgment Ordered. Judge McClennaban has filed his decision in the case of the City of Bemidji, a municipal corporation, against A. A, Carter, mayor of said city during the year 1906, in which he directs "judgment against Mr, Carter for the sum of $150.00 and costs. Soon after Mayor Pogue’s election to office, he declared that the city charter made no provision for the salary of mayor, and that the mayor was entitled to no salary. Proceedings were brought by Mr. Pogue, through City Attorney John F. Gibbons, for- the recovery of the salary paid Mr. Carter. The decision in its entirety is as follows: State of Minnesota, County of Bel- trami. In District Court, 15th Judicial Dis- trict. City of Bemidji, a municipal cor- poration, plaintiff, vs. A. A. Car- ter, defendant. ‘The within cause having been duly tried before the court without a jury on the within statement of facts which the court adopts as its findings of fact and further decides s © CONCLUSIONS OF LAW 1. That the defendant was not as upon the’ facts as stipulated en- titled to receive a salary for his services as mayor of the City of Be- midji, pursuant to the action of its council on January 15th, 1906 and the charter of said city. 2. That the plaintiff is entitled to judgment against the defendent for the amount demanded-.in its complaint with costs and disburse- ments, ~Dated December 21st,1908. W. S. McClenahan, District Judge. MEMO My reasons for the above deci- sion were stated in open court. The City Charter does not permit the payment of the salary in question and the action of the council was a nullity. No Paper New Year’s Day. New Year’s Day being a legal holiday, the Pioneer will not be issued on that date. All notices in- tended for Friday should reach this office by noon tomorrow. Marriage Licenses. Fred M. Kelsey to Josephine Gravelin. Simon Kittleson to Caroline Lar- son. Local News on Last Page. FORTY CENTS PER MONTH CITY OF BEMIDJI SPENT MUCH ON IMPROVEMENTS City Engineer Stoner Submits Annual Report Showing $21,647.93 Was Spent by City During Year for Cement Walks, Sewer, Ete. Bemidji spent the sum of $21,647,- 93, during the past year, for public; improvements over which the city has jurisdiction, and the sum was most wisely spent in the putting in of cement walks, laying of new sewer, grading of streets and repair- ing and renovating of the city hall. This is the sum stated by City Engineer Stoner, in his annual report, which was filed with the members of the city council Monday evening. Mr. Stoner’s report contains much “|interesting information relative to the beautifying of the city and in- stalling of public improvements dur- ing the past year, and is as follows: SEWERS. Total number of feet of sewers laid, 1677. Total amount of contract for same, $2603.64. Amount assessed, $1811.04. Amount paid from permanent im- provement fund, $792 60 SIDEWALKS. Total amount of sidewalks built, 16,140 feet or 3 miles and 1 block. Total cost of walks, $13,791.75. Amount assessed to property, $2955.09. Amount paid by city for alley crossings, etc., $536.66. Amount paid direct to cement men by property owners, $10,300.00. CITY HALL PLUMBING. Amount paid for City Hall plumb- ing, $447.00. Street Grading, etc. Amount of money expended on street grading and other public improvmen by the Street Commis- sioner Miller, $4206.04. City Engineer. Total amount paid the City Engi- neer for 1908, $431.00. Total amount paid the City Engi- neer for assistants, $168.50. Grand total cost of all public im- provements, $21,647.93. Total amount paid City Engineer and assistants being 2.6 per cent of total money expended. Total amount of cement walk now laid in the city 6}% miles ranging in widths from 5 to 14 feet. ATTEMPTED 7 SUIGIDE; FOUND WiTH THROAT GUT Erick Bjerkman, a Slightly-Demented “Lumberjack,” Is Now Dying at Poor Farm. Erick Bjerkman, a half-crazed lumberjack who has been loitering about the city during the last few days, was found this morning in his room over E. K. Anderson’s saloon with a self-inflicted gash across his throat and the windpipe partially served. Bjerkman was taken into custody yesterday afternoon by the local " | police and submitted to a thorough examination He seemed to be sane, with the exception that he thought the railway officials were after him, and was dismissed, appar- ently able to care for himself. The lumberjack then went to E. K. Anderson’s saloon and hired a room. He was called about 9 o’clock this morning and stated that he felt sick and wanted a doctor. The bartender new the man to be slightly demented and sent for the deputy sheriff, John Bailey, who | found Bjerkman in a gasping and bloody condition when he reached his room. Bjerkman was taken to the county poor farm and given medical atten- tention but it is believed that his’ death is only a matter of a few hours. The unfortunate man ad- mitted that his wound was self- inflicted in an attempted suicide. Doctors Take Notice. Sealed bids will be received by the City Clerk of the City of Bemidji to be opened before the City Coun- cil on January 4, 1909, for the ser- vices of a city physician to look after and administer to the health of the city’s ailing and worthy poor, said physician to furnish medicine, drugs for ha.bituall users, pay for assistant’ physicians and transportation for patients to pest house, for the year ending January 1, 1520. The City Council will give due consideration | to the lowest and best bids but they reserve the right to reject any or all bids. Bemidji, Minn., 12, 29, *08. Thos. Maloy, City Clerk. Two hundred pounds new soft shelled walnuts, special New Year’s price, 15 cents a pound at Peter- son’s. The “Eagle Russet” Fountain Pen The Best Dollar Fountain Pen on the Market The Pen is always ready for use and may be carried in any "position without danger of leakage . Ask for Russet Fountain Pens at The Pioneer 1 Office EAGLE PENCIL CO,NE; .