Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, November 9, 1909, Page 1

THE BEMIDJI DAILY PIONEE _Historical Society. WD VOLUME 7. NUMBER 174. BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 9, 1909.7 FORTY CENTS-PER MONTH. J. W. HILLIARD SUSMITS REPLY TO STATE AUDITOR Criticises Auditor Iverson’s Method of Conducting ‘“Swamp Land”’ Contests in Northern Part of State.—Tells of His 0w The following letter from Mr. Hilliard of “Happyland” is pub- lished at the request of Mr. Hil- liard, and is self-explanatory. There appears to have been much criticism of the manner in which the state conducted its campaign for possession of the “swamp” lands re- ferred to, and the Pioneer is pub- lishing these communications from Mr. Hilliard, the state auditor and others in ordeér that the public may have the fullest information relative to the matter. Herewith is given in full Mr. Hil- liard’s letter to the editor of the Pioneer: “Happyland, Nov. 6. “A. G. Rutledge, Editor, Bemidji: “Dear Sir—My attention has been directed to a letter written by Mr. Iverson, state auditor, regard- ing state land contests, and which appeared in your issue of September 24. n Contest. financially poor, it became necessary for us to adopt some means by which we could earn our living un- til our claims were opened up, or filing on them was obtained. The oldest brother had run several small sawmills at times, and as this is a timbered country, we hit upon the plan to form a little company, buy a piece of timber and a small sawmill outfit, and work the timber up into lumber. The land we bought is near Grand Falls and cost $800. The hittle second-hand saw-ring cost us $500. “Did Mr. Iverson really think the {state’s interests were menaced by this vast (?) combination of wealth? or did he purposely conceal the facts to mislead the public? The public my judge who ‘omitted’ stating facts that really had any bearing on the subject, and whether, under the circumstances, his department was giving the settler the ‘fair show’ “Mr. Iverson states that the peo-|that he boasts of. ple of this section are entitled to know the truth, and also disparag- ingly mentions my name 1n connec- tion with these state land contests. | I agree with Mr. Iverson that not alobe this section, but that the whole state, should know the truth. “Mr. Iverson does not deny that bundreds of settlers are being in- jured or driven from the state by the methods his department has adopted; but he attempts to belittle the subject by calling attention to my contest with the state, and states that I am a ‘sawmill man,’ evidentiy expecting the public to get the shivers and drop the matter. I beg pardon for personal mention of my contest, but Mr. Iverson’s letter leaves no other course to pursue; and asit is a fair sample of the methods and manner of conducting | these contests, it will give the public an opportunity to decide whether the settler always gets the ‘fair show’ that the auditor claims. “We, several brothers and sisters, with our families, came into this country a couple of years ago, hop- ing to obtain claims where we mizht be close enough together to be a help to each other in making homes, and building up the community. “No one is allowed to"take tim- ber off their land until they obtain “Mr. Iverson says in the report of the contest in my case: ‘Hilliard isa sawmill man in business at Grand Falls, Koochiching county; his wife and family- have been on the land involved. All four forties are clearly swamp.’ ‘At the contest, the state’s at- torney asked me ifI was not a business man of Grand Falls. I showed him my calloused hands and replied I was that kind of a busi- ness man, “The report briefly states that my wife and family have been on the land, Indeed. they haven't been off the land, overnight even, since before our cabin was finished in July, 1908. «“Why, if they wanted to giye the settlers every possible chance of a fair show, could they not have added something like this: ’His family are living on the land involved; have a comfortable home with fair improvements; he works during the wezk at G:rand Falls in a small sawmill, in which he has an interest, and is usually on his claim or at his home over Sunday? «It would seem to me that nothing lessthanthat kind of ashow would give the settler a fair show, Ah, but it wouldnt give the state a filing at least, and as we were fair show, for it is believed the THE UTTERLY iy rice, wiess sou If You Are Lookin for a Stove that wilf can’t help yourself. Is it not good business economy to select a stove known for years by most everybody, as the first and foremost of its kind and always sold at a reason- able price? The genuine ROUND OAK will burn suc- cessfully and economically any kind of fuel and you can run your fire at just the speed you wish. Then you can close up the stove whenthe propex time arrives—and hold the fire—just as you want it—till next day or next evening. Isn't a stove like the ROUND OAK worth a little more on the start? And can't you see? You get your money back little by little—until finally you have the cheapest stove possible—and then a stove that lasts — that stays sound and good! If it is good business for us to sell it, it is good business for you to buy it. You are invited to see it. It is imitated. See the name ROUND OAK on the leg. \ W. M. WRONG WAY Win,Dor't Qverlook Ni= ROSS HARDWARE, FURNITURE, COAL, Furnaces and Tinsmithing COUNTY AUDITOR WILMANN REMOVED BY THE GOVERNOR Governor Eberhart Signed the Order of Removal This Morn- ing.---Governor Says He Does Not Question Auditor’s Honesty; “Office Loosely Conducted.” A telephone message from St. Paul, received this morning by the editor of the Pioneer from Ralph Wheelock, private secretary to Governor Eberhart, stated that Gov- ernor Eberhart this morning signed an order for the removal of John Wilmann, county auditor of Beltrami county, against whom charges of misfeasance and nonfeasance in office had been lodged by the public examiner's office, and the hearing of which was conducted before Governor Eberhart last Saturday. In telling of the signing of the order, Mr. Wheelock stated that Governor Eberhart did not in any manner question the honesty of Mr. Wilmann, but that he took cog- nizance of the careless manner in which the office of county auditor had been con- ducted by Mr. Wilmann. A local rumor was in circulation, some few weeks ago, to the effect that the late Governor Johnson, just prior to-going to Rochester for surgical aid, signed an order re- moving Mr. Wilmann, at' the same time that he removed Commissioners Wright, Dana- her and Sibley, but that orders were given to withhold the order, so that Mr. Wilmann could act in getting a meeting to elect new commissioners. The Pioneer does not vouch for the truth of this rumor; it has never been verified, to our knowledge. The board of county commissioners select the auditor to fill the vacancy caused by the removal of Mr. Wilmann, and no doubt there will be several candidates for the position. federal land office would hardly turn a man down who was trying to win a home that way, nor believe it is the swamp the report would have them believe. . “M. Iverson says the case was treated at some length and .is pleased at the way it was put in. And why shouldn’t he be? He has a paid attorney at his command as well as his chosen ~cruisers, and almost any other assistance he may ask for or has even without the ask- ing. This talent, those experts, and the vast wealth Mr. Iverson boasts of are at his command and arrayed against the settler, with his small means and inexperience. Why shouldn’t the state be proud of the elegant showing it can make under such circumstances? -¢Add to this fact, the state- ment that Mr, Iverson himself has made, not once but several times, that it was not the actual settlers he was after, but the speculators that were on state lands, and 1t is easy to imagine how the settlers were caught unawares as to giving testimony as to the character of their land in exact scientific terms. They were, as a rule, well pre- pared to give testimony as to their residence, improvements and the character of their land as gener- ally accepted. ¢I would like the papers to either reprint Mr, Iverson’s inter- view which appeared in the early winter, or the one of about two months ago, or state the substance of his interviews regarding these state contest cases or state lands. “The report says *All four for- ties are clearly swamp.” There is not a particle of standing water, in ordinary weather on any of these forties, ncr did the state so claim, except a small puddle about fiftzen or twenty feet across, that was scarcely ankle deep, and within ten feet of my east line, “Be it remembered, the state’s cruisers were at my place before the snow had all gone out of the timber, and before the frost was out of the ground. What astrange proceeding for the great State of Minnesota (whose auditor says he 'has endeavored to give the honest, genuine settler and home-builder the best possible show for obtain- ing his land) to kodak his puddle at that time of the year, in order to show how swampy the whole quarter, or even one forty is, “I wish every ‘honest, law-abiding citizen’ of the state could see this picture. Itisat the Federal land office at Cass Lake, where it was proudly presented as the State’s ex- hibit, along with their expert testi- mony. “That Mr. Iverson is splitting hairs in these contests is shown by some one with the ‘necessary knowledge’ to present the state’s cases. That is to say, 1t was a matter of such grave moment to win these lands from the home- steaders, that the state must em- ploy experts, who could divide the land to a scientific nicety; and the division is so fine that Mr. Iverson technical per cent of these cases against the homesteaders. “I do not believe the government expected such a division when making the swamp land grant, nor do T believe the general public expects such a division. The idea of swamp lands, within the meaning of the grant as far asI have been able to learn, are such lands as are clearly so swampy in character as to require drainage before they can be used for farming, “Of the many cases in our imme- diate neighborhood there is not one claim that the state would ever drain should they, win,every suit- The drainage that the state claims is necessary in these contests is the laughing-stock of the community, for it is a well known fact that where the timber is best, those are the very forties the state fights hardest for and brings- in their claim of necessary drainage. “It is true that government surveyors were the original blund- erers in designating so much land as swamp that was not really swamp, only damp and moss covered because of the thick growth of timber. But once this land is designated by the surveyers as swamp, the state is technically the owner, unless a squatter settled on the land before the acceptance of the survey by the government, In that case the settler possessed the land before the government could turn it over to the state, for the government could turn over only such lands as the survey indi- cated as swampy. «The original swamp land grant gave the state all lands indi- cated by the government surveyors as swamp, and of such a swampy character as to require drzinage before being fit for cultivation. The state now claims all the land indicated by the survey as swampy regardless of whether it requires drainage or not. ““There are several splendid claims in our township which even the state’s cruisers indicated high land that inures to the state because of the technicalities of the law, or the rulings of the United States Land office. “Mr. Iverson virtually admits these facts, but tamely hides behind the law when he says the state only ‘receives such lands as the govern- his own admisssion in hunting up ‘proudly states he expects to win 80, ment officials are pleased to give us,’ and, indeed, he could do no less under the law if he would. “There are two facts which Mr. Iverson virtually admits. One is that the government survey does not always correctly indicate what is really swampland. The other is that the state gets land technically swampy, but in reality high and dry. He not dnly admits these facts, but 10 one, probably, is in a better con- dition to know of the thousands of acres the state has become possessed of through these mere technicalities; orlaose framing of the law covering: the swamp land grant, “In the twin city papers, recently, Mr. Iverson takes up the cudgel against me in particular, and against those who endeavored to have some kind of a law passed last winter relative to these lands the state became possesed of. He also pre- tends to believe there is some sort of conspiracy to take away some of these lands from the state. “Allow me to say right here, that I do not know what the proposed law was, but understood, by the newspapers at that time, that it pro- posed to enact some kind of alaw torelieve settlers who happened to find themselves on lands claimed by the state. If that was its import, what a great service (?) Mr. Iverson has rendered the state by jumping in and stopping tbe proceedings. The settlers must not be relieved; it’ is so much better to add to the immense fund already accumulated and which the state does not need. Isit any wonder that an editorial in the Cass Lake Times declares ‘the state has always acted the part of a hog, with both feet in the com- mon trough.” % “I wish to also state that I do not even know any member of the legis- lature who had enough interest in these state land contests to take up the fight on behalf of the settlers. Regardless of Mr. Iverson’s insinua- tions, they must have been gentle- men who were trying to have justice done for the settlers, and that was sufficient to raise his ire. He also says that ‘under the law’ he could not do less than he is doing without jncurriug the displeasure of the ‘honest, law-abiding citizens,” then winks the other eye and boasts of thwarting legislation, whereby he might be able to do differently. I do not accuse Mr. Iverson of being two-faced in this matrer—his own words admit it. “The inference to be drawn from his communication is to the offect that the settler who happened to find himself on land technically claimed by the state is not honest, or law- abiding. I wish to say, in this con- nection, it is the wonderment of [Continyed on Last Page.] CASS LAKE DRUG STORE IS “RELIEYED” OF LIQUIDS Special Officer Larson Calls on C. M. Johnson and Suc- ceeds in Finding Quantity of “Red Stuff.” —Liquor Confiscated and Destroyed. Cass Lake, Nov. 9.—(Special to Pioneer.)— For the second time within a fortnight, liquor was seized at the store operated by C. M. Johnson in this village and des- troyed and Mr. Johnson warned that a continuance of the practice of handling the “‘ardent spirits” would get him into serious trouble, the seizure and destruction being in comformity with the ruling of the Indian department in forbiding the sale of liquor in the “Indian country” with the exception of two ‘saloons here and for medicial purposes only, under certain conditions, and also forbidding having large stocks of the “stuff that both cheers and inebriates” on hand. H. A. Larson, the special officers of the Indian service who has been “keeping tab” on the situation in this vicinity since the order from the department went into effect, happen- ed into the village yesterday even- ing and entered the Johnson drug store on an investigating trip. Mr. Larson consulted with C. M. Johnson relative to a shipment of liquor which the druggist had received yesterday and was told that there must be a mistake, as the firm had no such a stock on hand. The special officer examined two of the clerks pretty closely, and after considerable ‘“sparring,” brought to light quite a quantity of liquor, bottled goods and “stuff” in jugs that had been received that day. The liquor, with the exception of some “'samples” for evidence, was poured out, the officer having found a considerable quantity of liquor, despite the first assertion of Mr. Johnson that there was none in the store. Mr. Larson also searched the place conducted by H. A. Siddon, but found no liquors. While Mr. nothing concerning his work, it is beginning to be pretty well under- stood by Cass Lakers that the Indian department means business in its campaign to stop the liquor traffic among Indians, and that the orders that have been issued in connection therewith will be rigidly enforced. M. & I. AGAIN SENDING TRAINS OVER THE BRIDGE Trouble at Erickson Lake, Near Ten- strike, Appears to Be Over, at Least Temporarily. The M. &. I. Railway company is again running trains over the; Exickson lake bridge,near Tenstrike, where much trouble has been experi- enced of late with the giving away of the filling which has been made under the bridge, because of an immense sinkhole that seemed "to have the capacity of taking all the gravel that an entire train could haul to the spot for more than a month past. By placing big timbers in the fill- in, the company was able to estab- lish something of permanency,and it now appears that if there would be no further trouble, once the gravel gets the solid foundation. Owing to the trouble at the bridge, no freight trains were run over the north line from Bemidji since last Friday. Freights were again started northward this morning, and no less than three trains have been sent out, accumulated during the enforced idleness of the freight crews. The passenger trains of last night went through from both north and south, to St. Paul and to Interna- tional Falls, and transferring has ceased at Erickson lake. Auto Garage Ready for Autos. The new garage recently com- pleted by John Moberg of this city ia now ready tor the reception and housing of autos, and all desiring to use the garage are at liberty to do so from now on. LEGTURE ON NORWAY. Ola Johann Saervold will deliver an illustrated travel-lecture on “Nor- way, ‘ The Land of the Midnight Sun,’” iun the city hall next Tuesday evening. The lecture will be illustrated by 150 new colored views, and 3,000 feet of new motion pictures. The lecture will be given under the aus- pices of the Scandinavian Lutheran church. Mr. Saervold is spoken of very highly as a lecturer of note, and as his address will be given in the English language undoubtedly a large number of our citizens will attend. Admission — adults, 50 cents; laden with heavy consignments that | children, 25 cents. e, Eastman and Premo Kodaks $1 to $100 Kodak Supplies. Developing and Printing SEND US YOUR MAIL ORDERS E. A. BARKER, Jeweler 217 Third Street WINRESOTA .|8TOH|CAL Larson would say - \ e e