Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, July 2, 1910, Page 1

e TH EMIDJI D. | WINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIET VOLUME 8. NUMBER 6! 5. BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, SATURDAY EVENII:{G, JULY 2, 1910. TEN CENTS PER WEEK. McKUSICK SAYS KELLIHER COUNCIL NOT DISCREDITED Public Examiner’s Report Correct, But Casts No Reflee- tions When Taken in Connection With the Surrounding Circumstances. July 1, 1910. To the Pioneer: I have examined the report on the affairs of the Village of Kelliher which has been filed by the Public Examiner in the Couaty Auditor’s office. I desire to make a statement regarding the same in order that an injustice may not be visited upon the heads of the present village officers of Kelliber. The report, so far as figures and facts go, is absolutely correct, and standing alone might create the impression that the affairs of the village have been grossly misman- aged, but when taken in connection with the situation in that village and when viewed in the light of sur- rounding circumstances, it can cast no discredit whatever present village council nor their predecessors in office. No claim is made that any dis- honesty has been practised in the management of the affairs of the village and no claim is made in the report that any muneys have been diverted from their proper course. In years gone by the village has paid commissions on its orders, that is to say, the orders being at a discouat, the village in order to obtain money for necessary purposes has made good the dis- count to the holders of the orders. ‘This, of course, was in violation of the law, but the officers of the village at that time believed that they were acting within the law aud derived no personal benefits from the transactions. The pay- ment of these commissions, however took place long before the present officers took charge of the affairs of the village and no commissions| have been paid by the present village council. The situation at Kelliher is differ- ent from that of any other village in the county. ‘The village was first upon | upon the| organized and the township was organized afterwards, and the village has never been a separate assess- ment district. All the moneys-have been paid into the town treasury and the village -has never derived any benefit from such moneys, and no tax has ever at any time been levied by the village. ‘The expenses of running the village have been paid entirely from fines and license moneys, while, as stated in the report, these moneys have not at all times passed through the hands of the treasurer, the moneys have been very economically bandled and there is not the slight- est supicion that any of the officers bave misappropriated any of the funds. . A strict account has been kept of every cent of money that has been received and expended and all the books and vouchers have been pre- served, and with the disadvantages that the officers of the village have labored under they are, in my opin- ion, entitled to a great deal of credit for coping with the situation as suc- cessfully as they have. The principal tax payer in the village of Kelliher is the townsite company and the pext largest tax payer is William Lennon. No com- plaint is made by the largest tax payers and and the residents of the village as a whole, are more than satisfied with the management of the affairs of the village. There is not a thing in the Public Examiners report that could be made the basis of a criminal action of any kind, and if civil proceedings are to be instituted against any of the officers the parties who were inter- ested in having the investigation made by the Public Examiner will have to take the initiative. Yours respectfully, Chester McKusick, County Attorney. DOINGS IN THE VARIOUS GHURCHES OF THE CITY Hours of Worship and Subjects of Ser- mons to Be Delivered in the City Sunday. Swedish ~ Lutheran—Services at| 10:30 a. m. Episcopal —No preaching service. Sunday school at 10:30 a. m. Norwegian Lutheran—Services in the morning at 10:30; Sunday school, Norwegian and English, at 12; evening service at 8 p. m. German Lutheran —Services at 3 p. m. at the Baptist church, 8th and Beltrami. Rev. Theodore Buenger, Cass Lake, will preach. First Methodist Episcopal —Services Masonic Temple; preaching 11 and 8; Sunday school 12; Epworth League 7, topic, “The Christian’s Citizenship,” Aarold Herd, leader. Prayer meeting Thursday evening at the home of Mrs. Courtney. Everybody = welcome. Chas. H. Flesher, Pastor. Presbyterian—The services at the Presbyterian church tomorrow will be conducted by the pastor, Rev. S. E. P. White. Morning worship at 11, subject “Thirty Minutes with The General Assembly at Atlantic City.” Bible class and Sunday school. 12:15; Y. P.S. C. E. at 7. Evening service 8; subject, ‘“Mount Vernon, Its Message of Patriotism to This Age.” The public is cordi- ally invited to all these services. Baptist—Men’s Bible class, 10:00 a., m. Morning service 11:00. Subject—"'What Is Your Birthright?” Sunday school session 12:15. After- noon services 4:00 at East fiemxd)l hall. B.Y. P. U. 7:00. Leader, Otis Baker. Evening song and gospel service 8:00. Short address with the commemoration of the Lord’s supper and hand of fellow- ship to new members. ~Strangers are cordially invited to our services. Standing of the GClubs American Association Won Lost Pet Minneapolis ...51 25 .67 St. Paul . .. 47 27 635 Toledo. .44 28 614 Milwauke ... 31 38 .446 Kansas City. ..29 87 .439 Indianapolis 31 44 414 Columbus 41 414 Louisville.. 48 342 National League Won Lost Pet Chicago.. . -39 21 .850 New York . 37 22 .627 Pittsburg 31 27 .534 Cincinnati .31 30 .508 Philadelphia .29 381 480 St. Louis. .. 29 35 453 Brooklyn Boston 34 424 43 .339 American League Won Lost Pet Philadelphia .39 22 639 New York 37 22 .629 Detroit 38 28..576 Boston 32 28 .533 Cleveland . 26 29 473 Chicago. . . 26 88 441 Washington 25 38 .397 St. Louis 18 41 .305 Yesterday’s Res l , Amercian Association Minneapolis 8—St. Paul 6. Indianapolis 1—Milwaukee 3. American League Boston 1— Washington 2. Cleveland 8—Detroit 3. New York 0-5—Philadelphia 2-4. Chicago 0—St. Louis 2. National League Philadelphia 6-6—Boston 2-5. Brooklyn 4—New York 0. Pittsburg {—Cincinnati 4. Chicago 2—$ P. J. RUSSELL GHOSEN AS IlHATflR OF THE DAY Will Deliver Oration in ‘City Park on Lake Front—Is Very Able Speaker. Attorney P. J. Russell is one of the most widely known lawyers of Northern Minnesota, An orator, he has few equals in this section, and Bemidji is indeed fortunate P.J. RUSSEL, Of Bemidji, Oratorof the day. in having secured his services as orator of theday next Monday. Mr. Russels’ services have been in great demand for this day, several other cities having made effort to secure him as their day orator, Right after the big parade the crowds will assemble - in the city park on the lake front where this feature event of the day will take place. Other numbers on the program |will be addresses by Mayor J. C. Parker and president of the associa- tion, Earl Geil; also Thos. John- stone of Crookston. HORSE RAGES SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON Will Start at Fair Grounds at 2 o’clock —Bemidji Band will Furnish Music. Few Bemidji people realized until last night the high standard which the Bemidji band has set for itself. The boys have been heard in nearly every possible situation and have always made good, but never before have accompanied a singer. The feat is hard when all are under cover, but it is extremely difficult when band, singer and audience are all under the stars, Mrs. W. L. Matthews, who is spending her summer on the lake, was the soloist and her two songs showed that she is an artist as well as a lover of music. Her voice was clear and powerful and carried far out over the lake in spite of the fact that it was barred by the fine wire mesh of the band stand screen. Professor Masten has asked the Pioneer to thank Mrs, Mathews in behalf of the band, for assisting in the concert. No concert will be played next Friday night as the band will be playing during the four days of the" firemen’s tourna- ment. McGivern Killed Under Gravel Train. Joe McGivern was killed Thurs- day night one mile this side of Little Fork by falling from a gravel train and breaking his neck. He was standing on a hopper and must have missed his footing. The engineer was watching him for a signal and saw the light go out. He immediately stopped the train but McGivern was dead when they picked him up. The body was taken to Big Falls where it was viewed by the coroner and then taken to his home in Brainerd yesterday. lives in Staples. ICE CREAM SOCIAL. Some of the prominent ladies of Bemidji will give ice cream social |f in park opposite St. Anthony. hos-1 - His family | ! WORK ON BIG DITCH 10 BE STAMED SOON Application Made to Suu Investment Board for $150,000 as First Installmes WILL, RECLAIM 800,000 ACRES OF OPENED HOMSTEAD LAND Two Thirds of Country Improved Lies In Marshall County—The Rest In Beltrami. Application will be made to the state investment board days by the counties of Beltrami and Marshall for a loan of $150,000 as first installment on the cost of a great drninagé 'Flilch‘ W. R. Mackenzie says the estimated cost of this ditch iz $676, With its three main ditches nr}d the laterals it will be 552 mikaj‘long, with a road on every section line, and will drain 800,000 agres of land in eastern Marshall dnd northern Beltrami counties just: west of one of the Indian rese{\ratinn tracts opened for homestead entry June 20. Mr. Mackenzie wis one of the committee from the Northern Min- nesota Development = association which waited on the; state invest- ment board Saturday, 'nnd requested the board to sell bonds of other states now held for the school fund, and use the money to help drainage work, i ““The decision of the board to sell these outside bonds as the money is needed - for applicatibns. at -home, will release ~~ $2,000,000 of -state money for use in northern Minne- sots,” said Mr. Mackenzie today. “There is a vast amount of work waiting for funds, and I have no doubt all this money will be needed. The loans will be amply secured, for the credit of the counties is behind them, and the land benefited pays the cost in assessments running for twenty years. The bonds are se- cured by the land, and when the ditches are in, the land will be first- in a few “ | class agricultural property. “The contract for the Beltrami- Marshall ditch has been let and the bonds have been issued, but have been lying in a Minneapolis bank waiting till we can get the money. ‘The bond market has been poor, so they have not been sold. The con- tractors are bound to take them if we ask it, but they will get five per cent, aud the state'will loan at four, which will save the counties consid- erable interest. Even then the state will be getting three-quarters to one per cent more interest than it is drawing on the foreign bonds.” About two-thirds of the ditch re- ferred to is in Marshall county, and the remainder in Beltrami. When the first $150,000 is taken by the state the work can begin, and it is expected to take more than two years, The rest of the $676,000 is- sue will be floated as the money is needed. MRS. MATTHEWS PROVES A PLEASING SOLDIST Her Songs Show Toat She isan Artist as Well as a Music-lover— No Con- cert Next Friday. Three races are scheduled for TIME IN ““BLUE BULLET” " | Will Speed it up on the Fair Grounds Track in His New Perry 3 Roadster. C. W. Jewett, of the Northern Auto company, will drive his new Perry roadster, known as the “Blue Bullet,” against time on the fair grounds track next Monday after- HARRY F. GEIL Just returned from a western trip to assist in entertaining the firemen. He is Secretary of the Bemidji Pioneer Firemen's Relief Association. noon. Mr. Jewett’s new car is a powerful one and if the track is in any kind of shape, he ought to hang up a good record. No entries have been .handed in to Secretary Cunningham for the prize drill by degree teams but it is expected that the prizes of $25 and $15 will attract entries before the race Monday afternoon. The base- ball game scheduled for the Fourth had to be-abandoned and - the sham battle' has been- substituted in “its place. The smoker originally planned. for Wednesday night has been com- bined with the annual meeting of the association on Tuesday so that the firemen will feel free to attend the ball given in their honor on Wednesday night. A baseball game has been arranged for Thursday afternoon between Company K and Blackduck, Tents are being set up on the down town corner lots and the city is fast taking on a festive appear- ance. The merry-go-round got to working yesterday and did a rushing business. All the business houses are decorating in red, white and blue with posters and streamers. The fire department was out practicing last night during the|; band concert and some pretty good marks were set. OWNERSHIP OF SUPPOSED . PUBLIC ROAD IN DOUBT Has Been Fenced in Where Soo Crosses —Haul to Bemidji Increased _by Two Miles. The road on section 36 line between Bemidji and Rosby has been known as a public road for traveled as such, but lately the road has been fenced over and gates put up. was in Bemidji yesterday and said that the blocking of the road made the haul to Bemidji two miles longer - for famers near Nary and Guthrie. "Pete Ersbo who owns the land on the road, put a fence across and claims that the road belongs to him. Sunday : afternoon. at the lalr{The Soo goes through the section at grouads, In the free for all pace, Prince Hal, Skidoo, and- Better Promise will complete. In the 2:35 trot, Lulu Blackiord, George H, entared. Sevenl horses have been entered in the r this point and the survey qkes_ in part of the"fidd. It-has been hint- ed that there'isa deal on whereby troying it for travel. a case for the county authorities. Old settlers say the road has been y | public for aver. twenty year JEWETT TO GO AGAINST NORTHERN MINNESOTA T0 ASK FOR STATE LAND TAX Monster Petition to be Circulated Through the Country And Presented to Next Legislature—Money to Be Used For Schools and Roads. County Auditor Hayner today be- gan the circulation of a petition for the purpose of obtaining signatures showing the feeling of the northern part of the state relative to the taxation of state lands in this and other couaties in Minnesota. Since assuming the office as audi- tor, Mr. Hayner has been con- stantly agitating the feasibility of the taxation of state lands especially for roads and school purposes. In January, in an interview published in the Pioneer, Mr. Hay- ner advanced the theory that state lands could be taxed for all puposes. Holding that inasmuch as the state had, by legislative act, offered for lease all state lands for pasturage purposes that in the passage of that act all state lands ceased to be used exclusively for public pur- poses and This interview was commented upon byall the papers in the north- ern part of the state aud in addi- tion to newspaper comments, Mr. Hayner has had numerous com- munications from prominent-attor- neys throughout the state andin nearly every case they ‘expressed their belief that sucha tax could be collected, When asked why he did not levy the tax, Mr. Hayner said ¢That over twenty years and _has been |. Mr. J. Ofterdahl. the Soo can use the road and des- It seems tobe beyond a question of a doubtit would mean a long legal fight in the courts and would necesitate a Supreme Court decision and I wish to avoid that cost and delay if possible. But there is another rem- edy which would give us relief al- most immediately and that is an act by the coming _legislatnre either instructing the auditor to assess all state lands for roads and schools or appropriating so much per acre for all state lands, the money to be used for the build- ing of reads through and adjacent to these lands.” During the first part of Iune, Mr. Hayner went to St. Paul and while there secured the promise of the Minnesota Tax Commission that they would go with him. before the committee on taxation and would assist him to get such an act passed by the legislature. This promise was verified in an article published in the News-Tribune, of Duluth, bearing date of June 14 in which Hon. Samuel Lord, member of the Minnesota Tax Commission, stated his position and set forth the injus- tice to the northern part of the state being forced to bear the burden of GANADIAN GRITIC HIGH IN PRAISE OF “ST. ELM0” Says the Company is Good and Ably Supports the Principals—Calls St. Elmoa Cad. “St.Elmo” has been plaving in Alberta for the past week and as the play will be given here four times next week, the review of the Col- gary Daily Herald is of interest. “The play of ‘St. Elmo’ that was produced at the Lyric last night and will be given again tonight by the George Amusement com- pany, was unusually good and the performance as a whole met with the very hearty applause of the audience. A good many people have read the book ‘St. Elmo’ and they are prepared in & manner for the strange study of a man the play délh with. 'St. Elmo’ is very state lands without receiving any direct remuneration from such lands for the purpose of building roads and schools. The petition is to be circulated throughout the entire northern part of the state and as Mr. Hayner states he hopes to obtain 40,000 to 50,000 signatures, and he feels that when this is shown to the legislature that body of men will not ignore the appeal. The following is a copy of the petition: To the senators and representa- tives of Minnesota: Gentlemen:—We, the undersigned citizens of Minnesota, do hereby re- spectfully yet earnestly request you, to secure, if possible, the passage of an act, appropriating, in the form of a standing appropriation, an amount equal to a reasonable sum per acre, each year for each acre owned by the state, such appropriation to be paid to the town authorities and by the town authorities used upon roads, adjacent to and in the vicinity of, or leading to state lands, under such regulations and supervision as will secure the best possible results from its use.” From a business standpoint the the state cannot make any better investment than to build roads in the vicinity of and leading up to its land. This year the state only sold 563 acres at the annual sale of state lands, at Bemidji, and the highest price paid was $7.00 per acre while if there had been good roads adja- cent to these lands there is not the least doubt but what there would have been a great deal more land sold and the price paid would have been much. Higher this would be a direct benefit to the state and in- directly if this section of the coun- try bad good roads so that the farmer could be assured at all times that he could get his produce to the market it would be but a short time until the fields of grain would take the place of the trackless swamp and every quarter section of land could boast of an actual settler. Mr. Hayner says that he would like to have every man, that is in- terested in his efforts to secure this appropriation, write him a letter stating the condition of the roads in his section of the country and what he believes would be the result if ®ood roads could be secured. These letters would be of great benefit if shown to the members of the legislature. voice, gestures, the playing with her hands, shrugs of the shoulders and the expresson of contempt in her eyes for the cad St. Elmo were finely rendered and completely satisfying in their dramatic value to the audience. The St. Elmo of Mr. Salter sufficiently emphasises the brutal qualities ot the queer study the author of this book took in hand. At times St. Elmo is more painful than the Mephistoph- eles in Faust, and infinitely more brutal by virtue of the fact heis a devilin modern costume, whereas most mediaeval men were devils. “The rest of the players very capably performed their allotted parts and contrib uted to the suc- cess of the evening.” STORM KING Will make regular evening excur- sion trips around the lake. Starts arrives at 9:30. Round trip 25c. Sunday trips—starts at 10 s, m. ut arrives at 11:30 a. m.; and arrives at 4:30 p. m.; and] at 8 p. m., returning at 9:30. from boat house dock at & o'clock; _starts at 3