Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, February 24, 1900, Page 1

‘ A Ht Vor VII.—No 30. Grand Unpids Fe a shesdsohcobeobsobcobsobevkc aeabescabs ths tbe obese sbesoobobooh thy deabechcsbeehahcdbs dookcobebocbedbiieeodbaok ied ssanesseessees ABE ae hee ae ae ae ae ae Se a a ee ae ae ae ae gk ae ee ae ae ae te eae ae ae ae ae ae ae aE aE EE ae Re ee ae ae ae ae # aa Ss ee 4 ee Be ae epee ae = 4 ae Bie 33 Be - Be = Ladies’ Winter Jackets # ee ts . ae ES Ladies’ Wool Waists 33 HH He s Bk ee ee Hf # Fe Children’s Winter Coats se & e Be FH Go at a Price 28 eS 2 ee T es rH & e ? Fur Muffs and Collaretts, Golf Caps, “CHEAP” MWe Offer a Grist of Bargains... Before Taking Our January Inventory ITASCA NERCANTILE CO. ste ate ate a ae ea SSE Ae aE HE AR AE a HH ME sth SAE SE oe ace ate ate a ate 5 aE ate ake ate ate ae ae age ae ate ate ate ate ate ate ate ae ate ae ate ae ate te ae ate ae th SE a AR a aR ae SRE eae gE ae Ee ae Ne ate he a GIR a ae ae ae a ae ae a ae ae a a ea ae aE” ae oe ae STE ah Pe ae ate a ae ate ate ale ate te ae ak ats ate ate ae a ate ae ae ae ate SESE Sak a A Sage ge ae aE AE aE aie Se a ae ik ae he a ae ae ae a we HEE a han Smrnf 4 A Family Affair Skating is certainly and beautiful pas: bers of the f an enjoyable 8 rail mem- are the celebrated Barney & Barey Skate the very best that money can buy. zi Be sure and see them befure buying and other. Hand Sleds for the Kids All kinds of sleighs for all kinds of kids. Brjng in the boys and girls ‘ and make them happy with a sled of their choice. And see us about Guns, Ammunition Shells, Etc. before you go hunting. We have the best stock of sporting W. J. & H. D. POWERS. HCG E SRB RSS| Coffees d. DB. Powers Grand Rapids, Minnesota. | | take place on the second Tuesday in GRanp Rapips, Itasca County, Minn., Saturpay, ‘FEBRUARY 24, goo, Two, DoLtiars-a. YEAR FOR A PUBLIC LIBRARY | Move to Establish Ove in Grand Rap- ids by Vote of the Electors. NEW COMMISSIONERS TODAY The Appointing Boards Will ‘Assemble in Auditor Farreli’s Office at at Three O’Ciock to Fill Vacancies on Board. A petition was circulated last week by some of the enterprising ladies of the village asking the council to sub- mit the matter of establishing a pub- lic library in Grand Rapids, as pro- vided by chapter 48 of the general laws of 1899. Signatures were freely secured and sixty-three names were attached thereto when it was pres- ented for consideration at a special meeting of the council held on Tues- day evening last. A unanimous vote of the mewbers present was recorded in favor of submitting the question to a decision of the elecivrs at the election to be held on Mareh 13. Itshould receive an aflirmative vote from our citizens. The free traveling library maintained by the state can only be loaned to villages where public libraries and reading rooms exist. The state plan is to loan to such associatioas fifty selected | volumes upon application. These shall be returned within six months when another consignment of the} same number will be made, if called for by the local library board. Thus the nucleus of a library can be estab- lished ata very small expense that will gradually grow to gratifying pro- portions. , The state law reads as fol- lows: “The eity or village councl shall have power to establish and maintain a public library and reading roora, and may levy a tax, not to ex- ceed one mill on the dollar annually, Upon the petition of titty freeholding citizens, the council shall submit the question of the essablishment of such public library to the legal voters at the next general election, and if ay two-thirds majority of the votes cast at such elettiou are in favor, then the council shall establish the same.” Women may vote on any question re- lating to libraries as well as to schools. WILL At Pon TY TODAY. Chairman of Townships and Presidents of Councils Will Name Commissioners. The chairmen of the several town- ships and presidents of the village councils will convene at the auditor’s office and fill the vacancies on the board of county commissioners caus- ed by the resignations of Messr-. Fuller, Everton, Myers and Leeman from the board on the 14th inst. It is difficult to guess who will be selected for the positions as there are very few who appear to be over anx- ious to assume the responsibilities of the office with its accompanying dangers. The following gentlemen have been mentioned: In district No. 1, C. W. Robinson. A. A. Chase, James Sullivan and F. L. Vance; No. 2(Rainy Lake district), Frank Lang and T. H. Walla No. 4, John Cos- tello, Thomas Trainor, H. D. Powers and L. F. Knox; No. 5, Moses Mans- ton and C. A. Buell. Ex-Cummis- sioner A. E. Wilder had been men- tioned, but he positively declines the honor under any circumstances. CANDIDATES NOT PLENTIFUL. George Riddell the Only New Man Urged for Member of the Council, Since our last review of the forth- coming village election there have been no vew developwents or new candidates, except George Riddell, who is being urged to allow his name to be placed on the ticket in place of L. O. D’Anjou. Mr. D’Anjou says he will not accept another term. If this is true, no better man could be selected as a member than Mr. Rid- | dell. He has resided here a number of years, is well acquainted with the needs and conditions of the village and isin every way qualified for that important position, and if’ he will permit the use of his name there will be no doubt of his unanimous elec- tion. Recorder King has posted the notices for the election which will March—the 13th. A president, three trustees, recorder, treasurer and two justices ef the peace are to be elected. The justices will be chosen for a term of two years each. Justice. W. B. Holman will-not. be a candidate. for- re-election as he will be out of town during the coming summer. Justice Barnurd has given good satisfaction since his appointment and will cer- tainly be elected if he becomes a candidate. WILL WAGES GO DOWN? Report That a Large Army of Woodsmen Are Coming to This Section. The Duluth News-Tribune contains an article on the logging situation Uthat will prove of interest to the thousands of men employed in the | woods hereabouts. The Duluth baper says that owing to the unfavor- able logging conditions tbat prevail in southern Michigan and Wisconsin an army of woodsmen are thrown out of employment there, and uearly all These are flocking to vorthern Min e- suta in the hope that they will bave al Opportunity to piece oub the wi:- ter. ‘This, argues the News Wribune, caupol but have a depressing effect on Wages, which are this year ve.y high. ‘he meu who will arrive are nov capitalists in any sense of the word aud must go to work as sovu as auyvhing is offered tuem. While this luay bave some effect ou the mon yeu bo ve uired, we do uot believe 1b will make auy difference to the meu now in the woous. Lt is nob very likely that at this period of the logging seasvi a lunibvermau will let a crew Uhab suils him gim go because there are meu he Kuuws uothing avout lay- jug arouud willing to work fora lew duilats a month less We do not see auy Cause for alarm in the report. THAT NAs:IONAL PARK, The St. Paul Dispateh Foresees a Better Use For This Great, Rich Territory. The Herald Review has no objec- Lion to offer Lo Lhe scheme proposed for the establisuineut iu Northern Minuesota of a ualtonal play ground aud health resort. ‘hs secuivu is unsurpassed by avy in all the north for Ube purposes piauued by Lhe en- thusiastic park piromovers. If lerri- tory unsuited for oLuer purposes can be secured—aad of Uhis there is uo doubt—aud set aside as a national pari, there would~ not “likely be any vpposition from any influential ele- ment interested in any manuer. On ube olher hand, however, if eucroach- hents~are attempted to be made on Valuable agricultural lands the pro- mutes Will tind a fight of uo small proportions. The St. Paul Dispatch has the tuliowiug to’ offer ou the sub- ject that sizes up Lue situation about as iL eXISis: Beiore the scheme.for a national park in the nurthern part of tie state is followed further it might be well for the promoters to stop and cousider the riguts and opiaions of those who ure residents of the localie, where the park is proposed to be establish- ed. The country has been settled up a good deul during the past yeur, and is being set- tied up ata rate that is more eucouraging to those interested in the growth of popula- park sehen to the promoters of the dda y but it ts aisu true that bere is a rextent of vaiuable iand. ‘Toe the headwaters of the M iisofthe same general character along through Mule Lacs, Aivki Wing and Hubbard counties, and is fertile enough to attract immigration frum the more thickly settled communities of south- efn Minnesota und northern lowa. Once these acres are settled up by bona fide resi dents and begin to be cultivated, it will be too late to open a national park there. * * * Itasca and Beltrami counties are as far ad- vanced in agricuiture, and has as good re- sources today, as Pine, Kanabec or Carlton counties had a few years and either of the first naned two have ah area equal to the whole of the last named three. Elocution and Music. Under the auspices of Itasea Circle, Ladies of the G. A. R, Miss Effie Hodgkins of Minneapolis, will lead in an entertainment at Village hall next Monday evening, that promises to be of unusual merit and one that should attract a large attendance. Miss Hodgkins is a graduate of the Minneapolis School of Oratory, but her reputation asa fine elocutionist extends far beyoud the borders of Minnesota, She will be assisted by several of Grand Rapids’ leaders in musical circles, and the following program cannot fail to give eminent satisfaction. Tickets for sale/at Itasca Mercantile store. Raserved seats, 35 cents; general admission, 25 cents; children, 15 cents: PART I. Bosc" Carnival Overture”... R.Schlepegrell Piano, Violin and Cornet. E. Aiken. Mrs. A. E. Kribs, Dr. Calely and C. Reading—"The Sisterly Schem adn Miss E. Hodgkins. Impersonation—*Aunty Doleful’s Visit” Miss E, Hodgkins. ee ae: Fale mo Musical Duet—' t) ¢) ee Utterly Utter” oe son a ‘he Ola Man ana Jim’ iss E. Hodgkins. PART If, Masta Scr Gulely and 0-1 Alken. Reading—"The POE pone tee ae ov pairs Vocai itt eae Gee Maitel Miss E, Hodgkin (NEARLY QUT OF DEBT ; About Thirteen Thousand Dollars Paid Off in Less Than Four Years. REPORT IS FINALLY ISSUED The Northeast: Experiment Station Has Published the Result of Its ! Wo:k During the Past Three Years In Pamphlet Form. There have been times in Grand Rapids when the outlook was very discouraging in the matter ot municipal finances, ‘laxpayers were decidediy dissatistied and emphatic- ally protested when taxes ran up to 8% per cent. That was entirely too much and the protest was justifiable. The time came when new and more economical methods were demanded by the property owners who had to foot the bills. Then it was that men were elected Whu inaugurated a sys- tem that brcught abeut the desired results. The annusl report made July Ist, 1896, showed that the float- ing indebtedness was $22,800, besides the water bonds of $20,000. It was necessary tu apply busiuess measures in order to pay the amount in install- ments from year to year and thus averba one or two-year tax that the property owuers of Grand Rapids could not well afford to bear. The contingent fund plan was adopted and cash was paid tor everything cur- rent. ‘Tue balance. of all money received was applied to the caucella- tion of orders. This plan has since been fu‘lowed. Today we find that the $22,809 has been reduced to $10,000, besides a reduction in the rave of taxation of 23 percent. After the July apportionwent the amount remaining will not exc ed $6,).0 or $7,0U0, and in two years the village will be entirely out of debt—provided, of course that the pian now in vogue shall be continued. remembered, too, that/lagt year abou! two thousand dollars were ex- pended in cash iv connection with the water power project that other- wise would haye beeniapplied to the liquidation of the old debt. When there figures are considered it is quite probable that a strong effort will be tuade by the taxpayers of the village lo iiduce the preseut council to con- Unge 1u office anovber year or two. THAT EXPERIMEN! ‘AL REPORT. Superintendent Chapman Says That it Should bo Here by This Time. We are ip receipt of a ietter from H. H. Chapman, superintendent of tbe expetiment station here, who is at preseut in Wishington, D. C., in- focmivg us that the loug looked-for report of the results of experimeuts at the station should now be ready tor distribution ana ought ere this to be'in the hands of our farmers. Superiuteudent Chapman says that be thought it advisable to embrace the eutire report under oue cover, aud in order that the work should not become two bulky, has handled several subjects very briefly. He has endeavored to be clear, inteiligible and coucise, and hopes that the bul- Jetin will prove of much value to our a ricultural population. He a’so slates that anyoue wishing a copy of the report can secure same by ad- dressing a request to the experiment slaiion at St. Anthony Park. ‘There have enough been issued to supply any demand and it is to be hoped that the class of citizens that this sub-station was intended io benefit will avail themselves of the oppor- tunity and secure this first full re port of the work of the institution. ‘The fact that the station has been in operation for three years without a report before the present one is in no way chargeable to Mr. Chapman, and has beeu a source of greater annoy- ance to him than to those awaiting the bulletin’s appearance. The sta- tistics for the repdért have been out of his hands for a long time, and tre delay has occurred in other quarters. But the fact of its being late does not in any way. effect the value of the work. The bulletin is more complete now than it could possibly have been mad¢ two years ago; and the only difference is that our people will get the benefit of three years experi- menting instead of one. Mr. Chapman says that his work in the east is exclusively along the lines of. forestry, which, he believes, will cion in this section. His opportuni- It should ook this branch are the best as he is mak- ing the Division of Forestry his head- quarters. Before he returns, which will be about April 1, he will visit the Vanderbilt forest estate at Bilt- more, N. C. WOULD LIKE TO KNOW: Citizens Ask That the Doings of the Town and School Boards be Published. “Why is it,” asked one of our citi- zens the other day, “that we never see a report of the meetings of the school board or the town board? There certainly must be things hap- pening at their gatherings tbat is of interest to the general public. The minutes should be published.” The gentleman wuo made the above re- mark did not do so because he thought that the bodies referred to had. done anything they wished to conceal but simply because he Ubought that as a taxpayer he was entitled to know what was being done by public ouic.als. He is not the only one who has spoken to us con- cerning this matter, but we have re- frained from saying anything on the subject because suvuld the buards de- cide to have their reports published the newspapers would, to a very slight extent, be the beneficiaries. We consider, however, that the offi- cials owe it, not. only to the public but to themselves, to let,their actions be knowa. No one doubis tueir hon- esty nor their competency; they cer- tainly do nothiug to be ashamed of al their meetings, and they should be anxious to have une.r work ex- amined and endorsed by tite people. It is hardly reasonavie tu suppose that these reports are witheld on the score of economy, because the cust of having them printed would be trifling- in fact, itis doubtfulif the revenue derived from their pub.ication by either of the Grand Rapias papers in a year would be enough tu-pay one man’s wages for a week. Tie min- utes of similar budies in sther seec- tiuns of the state ure always printed, and inasmuch as it weuld be a con- - venience to the public, a benefit to the otficials and the cose almost nothing, it should be done here. According to the Border Budget a North End Commissioner is Desired. Tine Border Budget, published ab Kodchiching, has the following’ to offer on the important subject of coun- ty commissiouer “Although the governor’s decision relative to the citations issued to three of our county commissioners, as mentioned in our last week’s issue. will nob be made public until tue 20ub inst, consid- erable interestin the matter of tiling vacancies, should any occur, is being manifested by residents of Northeru Itasca. ‘This is probably due to the fact that the oppor! unity to designate a representative. for this section would lie, if not with the people here directly, with their chosen represent- atives, and as this «sou: first chance at even a semblance of representation at the county seat, it comes as a sweet morsel to their palates. It is to be hoped that, should the governor ex- ercise uhe power in him vested, the filling of the ‘vacancy thus created will be attended by united support and approval of some suitable candi- date for the position now held by Commissioner Meyers. That the power vested in iue chairman of the towns of Kay an Koochiching and the president of the village of Rainy Lake us constituting the electoral board, is not wholly without its trouble, is evident. ‘Chey have constituencies te consult as to their general wishes, aud though it would lie within their power to ignore all but their own in- clinations, it is not tu be presumed that such will prove to be the course pursu-d, and as the meu soccupying those trusted positions are well known to have long standing, hunorable re- cords We may reasonably look for a wise choice in the matter of filling any vacancies that may be so created. Inu the matier of cundidates, but one aspirant for the position is as yet knowu to the pnblic. Thegentleman referred tois Frank Lang, the pres- eut postmaster at Rainy Lake City, and who has been associated with his brother, C. B. Lang, in conducting a geueral Store at that place, since bis arcival in the district some two years © ugo. Mr. Lang, although a young man, bas taken hold of the affairs connected with Northern Itasca with | in the near future Le the great ques- a willing and strong hand, and as we bear of no sentiment adverse to his aspirations, it at presentappears that his chances for success are very good, In the meantime the governor's de- cision will be awaited with interest.” The Rebekab’s have postponed their ties for making a thorough study of | card party until Tuosday night, PORTH TRASEX SPEAKS.