Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, September 19, 1903, Page 7

a | be | § | \ +— | ; | | | t | | | ‘ | i ? } { | | 5 | Li NORTHWEST SUFFERS SEVERELY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN- STORM. WASHOUTS ON THE RAILROADS ‘OFFICIALS TAXED TO UTMOST TO .MAINTAIN | THEIR SERVICE. SSNOWPLOWS ARE CALLED OUT ‘HEAVY FALL IN WESTERN STATES AND REGULAR BLIZZARD IN ‘MANITOBA, St. Paul, Sept. 16. — With losses amounting to $250,000 a day for three days, several fatal wrecks, numerous derailments, more than 100 washouts, telegraph wires down, a soaking rain in progress over several states and snowplows working on the Western lines, Northwestern railways are taxed to the utmost limit of their ability to maintain anything like regular service and to preserve the safety of their passengers. It has been years siuce there was a situation so serious. Beginning with the heavy rainstorm Friday night and early Saturday morn- ing, there has been an almost contin-, uous downpour over Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas and sections of Ne- braska. ‘The widespread damage of: ‘the first storm has been followed by Incessant Washouts, and in every direction tracks are in bad condition and the operation of trains requires the utmost precautions. Late yesterday afternoon reports from the northern part of the state showed that rains were still general. Southwest of St. Paul worse condi- tions prevail, and through most of Iowa, Southern Minnesota and Eastern Wisconsin it was raining. The vio- lence of the first big storm was lack- ing but the rain was even more dangerous than that of Friday night because it is steadily eating away roadbed and embankments, undermin- ing the tracks and swelling the rivers and streams. Another sudden and heavy rain, conservative operating of- ficials said yesterday, would of itself cause a loss of more than $1,000,000. Grain in the shock suffered great damage throughout the Northwest. There has been no such disastrous harvest weather in the Northwest since 1881. Bridges and Dams Carried Away. Pepin, Wis., Sept. 16.—Never in the ‘history of the oldest settlers in this -country has there been such destruc- tion from rain as there has been here since Friday evening. The water tushed down the valleys, taking every- thing before it. Bridges, fences, and in many cases stock were carried away. Throughout the country mill- dams were taken out. Fields that had been plowed and sowed to fall gr#n -were washed away down as far as the plow had gone. Lost creek, a dry run two miles north of here, raised twelve feeet, filling the valley with a raging river. Lake Pepin is rising at the rate of an insh an hour. During .the night word was sent to people living in the Chippewa bottoms, below here, that dams above were going and warning them to flee at once. Rain Falls in Torrents. Menomonie, Wis., Sept. 16. — The heaviest rainstorm of: many years oc- curred here, the rain coming down in torrents for twelVe hours. This whole farming region is flooded and exten- sive damage has been done. Thou- sands of acres of unstacked grain have been soaked with water and much of it ruined. Ashland reports 100 feet of track on the Northern Pacific road near Brule washed out, delaying traffic. At Black River Falls “he river is fourteen feet above low water mark and many bridges have been washed: away. age. Ten Inches of Snow. Winnipeg, Man., Sept. 16. — One of the earliest autumnal storms experi- enced in the Northwest for many years swept over the country on Saturday and early Sunday morning. It is im- possible to learn to what extent the crops have been damaged, but reports to hand are not reassuring. The only fatality reported comes from Gretna, where an old man fell from a buggy and perished in the storm. At Hartney, twelve horses died in the anadian Pacific yards and in the vicinity other live stock are re- ported to have perished. The fullest fury of the blizzard appears to have been felt in the northwestern part of Manitoba A telephone message received from Minnedosa reported that the storm was one of the worst experienced there in five years. It started to blow about 10 o’clock in the morning and a heavy rain soon followed. At noon this developed into a snowstorm, and by dark the snow was ten inches deep on the level prairie. This storm was a regular old-time blizzard, and neither man nor beast could stand against it. Snow Storm in North Dakota. Minot, N. D., Sept. 16.—One of the worst snow storms ever known in this part_of the country occurred og S=;- Farmers suffered heavy cam- urday, a heavy snow falling all day long. _ By night there were two feet of wet snow on the level, and the wires ‘were down along both the Soo and the Great Northern for miles. The storm confined itself mainly between Stan- Jey, fifty miles west of here, and Rug- by, about as far east. It came from the north and did thousands of dollars worth of damage. The worst damage was done to the crops. One man, named Kerkey, was found frozen stiff not far from his home, twelve miles northwest of here. Great loss is reported among the ranchers. Cattle went with the storm and hundreds perished. J. J. HILL.IN A WRECK. Locomotive Hits a Track. Alma, Wis., Sept. 16—A special train consisting of an engine and two cars, carrying President James J. Hill of the Great Northern and the Northern Securities company; President Harris of the Burlington, the first and second vice presidents, Chief Engineer Breck- enridge and other officials, struck a washout a couple of miles south of Alma while going at a moderate rate of speed. The locomotive hit two big rocks brought down by the storm and the front end was badly damaged and put partly off the track. Besides a shaking up the officials were not in- jured. THREE PRISONERS RELEASED. Cannot Be Connected With Valley Springs Bank Robbery. Sioux Falls, S. D., Sept. 16—Three of the five men who were arrested on suspicion of having been implicated in the sensational robbery of the Minne- haha County bank at Valley Springs early last Saturday morning have been released from custody, nothing having developed that would connect them with the robbery. The two men who are yet in custody are the ones who were seen at Brandon, between this city and Valley Springs, last Thursday and Friday, and who took a train for the latter place late Friday night. STATUE OF GOV. RAMSEY. Minnesota's War Governor in the Stat- uary Hall. St. Paul, Sept. 16—Minnesota will probably take advantage of its right to have statues of two of its leading citi- zens placed in the famous statuary hall of the national capitol at Wash- ington for selecting, for one, Former Gov. Alexander Ramsey. The sug- gestion was presented to the state his- torical society last night in a resolu- tion introduced by Greenleaf Clark, di- recting that the next state legislature be memorialized to appropriate funds for a statue of the war governor. WOMAN STRANGLES HERSELF. Insane Over Threat to Steal the Family Dog. Redwood Falls, Minn., Sept. 16. — Mrs. Herman Froelich,.aged sixty-five, the wife of a retired farmer, committed suicide by strangling herself while alone in her residence.. Temporary in- sanity brought on over threats of stealing the family dog is supposed ta have been the cause. ESCAPED PRISONER RETURNS. He Is Charged With Murder and Said to Be a Desperado. Butte, Mont., Sept. 16. — Lewellyn Felker, one of the six prisoners who escaped from the county jail here on Aug. 12, walked into the sheriff's of- fice and gave himself up. Felker was charged with murder, and was consid- ered one of the most dangerous of the escaped prisoners. DAY ALONE TO BLAME. Coroner’s Jury Verdict Regarding Au- tomobile Accident. Milwaukee, Sept. 16—The coroner’s jury returned a verdict to the effect that no one was to blame for Chauf- feur Frank M. Day’s death in an auto- mobile accident at the state fair grounds ‘on Saturday. Testimony brought out the fact that the state fair officials demanded no faster time than a mile in 1:10, and Day is said to have understood that. Found Dead in Railroad Yards. Marshfield, Wis., Sept. 16.—William Schender, married, aged twenty-seven, was found in the Omaha yards lying face downward and dead. He leaves a vife and four small children. Accidentally Killed Himself. Plainfield, Wis., Sept. 16.—Ira Devoe accidentally shot himself while draw- ing his gun through a fence after him. Death resulted several hours after- ward. Bankers Offer Reward. Redwood Falls, Minn., Sept. 16. — The Gold-Stabeck banking interests have offered a reward of $500 for the arrest and capture of the burglars who attempted to rob the vault and safe in their bank at Wabasso. The bur- glars were frightened away by alarm gongs. ‘Tobacco Warehouse Destroyed. Stoughton, Wis., Sept. 16.—Fire de- stroyed Levi Kittilsen’s ironclad to- bacco warehouse, together with its contents, entailing a loss of $75,000. a Rock on the | | which visited St. Paul BANDITS ROB BANK WHILE PICK: ETS KEEP THE CITIZENS AT BAY. SECURE ABOUT $10,000 IN CASH RESIDENTS OF VALLEY SPRINGS, S. D., ARE AROUSED BY EX- PLOSIONS. FIVE SUSPECTS ARE CAPTURED AUTHORITIES CONFIDENT THAT THEY HAVE ROUNDED UP THE GANG. Sioux Falls, S. D., Sept. 15.—Valley Springs, thirteen miles east of here, was, between 2 and 3 o’clock Saturday morning, the scene of a regular Jesse James band of robbers. The reSidents of the town were aroused between the hours named by a series of explosions said to be nine in number. When they appeared on the street to ascertain the cause they discovered that the town was picketed by armed men, who drove the residents from the streets on the pain of instant death if they at- tempted to interfere with the robbers. The Minnehaha County bank was the object of the desperadoes, who blew open the safe which stood out- side the vault and secured between $8,000 and $10,000 in cash. The vault was not molested. During the rob- bery one of the pickets fired at a citizen, hut owing to the shortage of firearms the citizens were compelled to keep in the background until the robbers had completed their work and left town. Among the citizens who were aroused by the noise was F. L. Skill- man. Before he had proceeded very far toward the bank, where he speed- ily ascertained the disturbance to be, he ran into one of the heavily armed pickets, who instantly covered him with a revolver and compelled him ta throw up his hands. Some of the citizens think there were as many as nine of the robbers. The hand car upon which the despe- radoes made their escape has been found between Sioux Falls and Valley Springs. On the car, stuffed into a box, were discovered a quantity of notes and mortgagers which had been taken from the bank. and which were of no use to the cracksmeu. Five men whom there is every reason to believe were implicated in the robbery have been apprehended and they are now-in the custody of the authorities of this county. Two were captured at Garretson and thy other three at Lester, the, next station on the line. The two captured at Gar- retson have been identified as men who were in Brandon and vicinity. between here and* Valley Springs, for several days. They ran out of money and pawned a knife. Afterward four more strangers, doubtless confederates of the two, appeared in Brandon ana it was not long until the two men were supplied with money and had re- deemed the knife. It is said that the two took an Omaha train for Valley Springs Friday night, arriving there about 11 o’clock. The robbery was committed about three hours later. Sheriff Houston is confident the entire gang has been captured ST. PAUL IS SOAKED. Heaviest Rainstorm in Eleven Year: Strikes the City. 5 St. Paul, Sept. 15.—The rainstorm Friday night and Saturday morning was the worst in eleven years, and its record was ex- ceeded only once in the history of the city. During the night 5.2 inches of rain fell. The torrent crippled rail- way traffic to and from St. Paul, the trains on almost all the lines being several hours late, and some of them were abandoned. The street car ser- vice was interrupted, and it became necessary to abandon attempts at run- ning cars on some of the _ lines Streets, sewers and even water mains were injured in the washouts on some of the streets of the city, SUICIDE IN JAIL. Had Murdered His Wife ahd His Mother-in-Law. ‘ Prairie du Chien, ‘Wis., Sept. 15.—A telephon@ message from Dodgeville says that George Brandt, who con- fessed to having murdered his di- vorced wife and his mother-in-law. Mrs. Mary Murpby, at Wyoming last Tuesday night, hanged himself in the Iowa county jail at Dodgeville. He was found hanging by his suspenders in his cell by jailors. Comfortable Balance. Pierre, S. D., Sept. 15.—The figures in the office of the state auditor of warrants issued and cash received for the year ending June 30 last show that the receipts of the state were $976,850.29, $915,061.91, leaving a balance at that time of $61,788.38. The same author- ity shows that the loans of the perma- nent school fund for the year ending for that date amounted to $1,379,789, while for the previous year the total loans amounted to $577,355. and the disbursements | EVERY RAIRY TO BE A MODEL: In and Abo PAPER SCHOOLS WON'T GET AID. Commissioner McConnell Will Issue | Rural Schools Must Have ‘at Least a Regulations. Every dairy in Minnesota must be put in first-class sanitary conndition- by Dee. 1, 1903, A ruling to this effect has been made by W. W. P. McConnell, state dairy and food commissioner, and circulars will be prepared and distributed among the dairies of the state. “A vigorous inspection of dairies will be com- menced Dec. 1, and Mr. McConnell wishes to give due warning. If the order is carried out in detail there will be no ground for the criti- cism of the state board of health that the dairies of teh Twin Cities are un- sanitary, or that Maj. Alvord, chief of the dairy division of the department. of agriculture, that St. Paul has no “model dairy.” Mr. McConnell’s instructions direct dairymen first to provide comfortable and sanitary barns for their cows. There must be a modern system of ventilation. A mere door and a win- dow will not be sufficient. The cows must be kept clean. The walls of the stables should be whitewashed, and the floors of the stables must be fre- quently scrubbed and kept dry. Every dairy must have a detached milk house. As soon as the milk comes from the cows it must be aerat- ed and cooled for several hours. The utensils in which it is placed must be boiled in hot water to kill possible dis- ease germs. Mr. McConnell is trying to bring the dairies of Minnesota to the highest possible standard. He has an efficient corps of inspectors and he takes spe- cial pride in the dairy industry of Min- nesota. The dairies of the Twin Cities, he admits, may not be above criticism, but he believes that they are improving rapidly. He invites dis- cussion, and offers to help dairymen inany possible way. SMALLPOX IS ALMOST GONE. ‘Smallest Number of Cases in State i Since 1899. The stateboard of health reported for the week ending Sept. 7 the small- est number of smallpox cases of all weeks since 1899, when the disease became epidemic in Minnesota. Only three cases occurred for the week, and ‘they were in St. Cloud township, Stearns county. The recards of the board since Feb- ruary, 1903, show that the cases have ‘steadfly decreased in number, but that ‘the death rate from the disease has as steadily increased. There were 889 ‘cases in February, and only 3 deaths. ‘By April the cases had diminished to 635 with 10 deaths. In May there were 447 cases with 13 deaths. Ow- ing to old cases not previously report- ed there were 480 cascs in June and 19 deaths. The highest death rate of all was in August, when there were 6 ‘deaths out of 90 cases. ; A table of the cases and deaths since January follows: \ Cases. Deaths. January . 790 2 February . 889 3 ‘March . 617 “8 April . 535 va May .. 447 13 June . 480 ae b July .. 120 August . 90 oes Sept. 7. 3 ™ SE GEBE 4. tai eies eis ova 3.971 54 Average death rate, 1.36. BOX CAR MERCHANTS GO WEST. North Dakota Commissioner Has Trou- ble With Those Sent From Minre- sota. The state dairy and food commis- sion has received word from North Da- kota that that state is overrun with the box-car merchants who, after sey- eral years of efforts on the part of the commission, have been driven from Minnesota. “We have just finished the first round with the first box-car merchant, anw we won out,” says E. F. Ladd, food commissioner of North Dakota, i na letter to George L. Dingman, as- sistant commissioner of Minnesota. “The merchant was fined $100, but he has appealed to the district court on points of law. We have already brought another case and have mate- ria Ifo ra third. We expect to have a great many cases in the next few weeks, but, if each pays $100 per in- dictment. I have an idea that they will soon find poor picking in North Da- kota. The box-car merchants have already found it poor picking in Minnesota. Nearly $1,000’in fines have been paid into the state treasury by these mer- chants in the last year or two, They have been found in nearly every coun- ty in the state. The following are a few places where they were arrested and paid fines: Willmot, $185: Hal- lock, $150; Chokio, $110; Kasson, $100; Bird Island, $65; Elmore, $50; Fosston, $50; Lester Prairie, $45; Worthington, $20; Lyle, $25; Rochester, $25; Little Falls, $10. Both Now Dead. Pittsburg, Sept. 15. — John Newing-| ham, proprietor of a general store at Latrobe, killed his wife and fatally shot himself in the home of his wife at Apollo. They had been estranged owing to the man’s dissolute habits. Tornado in Oklahoma. Guthrie, Okla., Sept. 15.—A tornada| apout two months ago. Dozen Pupils. J. W. Olsen, state superintendent of public instruction, has announced a new set of rules governing state aid to semi-graded rural schools for the year ending Aug. 1, 1904. The rules are intended to raise the standard of in- struction, and are more strict than those of previous years. Hereafter rural schools will not receive aid un- less there is an average daily attend- ance of at least twelve and unless books to the amount of $15 are added to the school annually.. Semi-graded schools must purchase $20 worth of books a year. The application of each school must show that it has maintained its stand: ard of efficiency, both in the character of the work and in the equipment, and that some improvement has been made during the year. The school grounds must be kept neat and clean, and present an orderly and attractive appearance. The teachers, from the beginning of and through the school year, shall have held the certificate required by law. Aid will not be granted unless the teachers hold the state certificate designated, or those of higher rank. The school building and each room must be clean and well kept. Proper | provision must be made for heating, so -that the heat is evenly distributed, without making any one part of the ‘room uncomfortably warm while an- other may be cold. This end can best be attained either by steam or furnace heat; or, if a stove is used, it should be placed in one corner of the room and inclosed by a sheet iron jacket. A stove placed in the body of the room, and without any inclosure, will not be considered a satisfactory means of heating the room. A system of ventilation must be provided that will furnish a constan supply of fresh air without causing draft. Ventilation by only doors and windows will be regarded as inade- quate. Each room must be supplied with sufficient blacktoard space, slate preferred. The school must have a Webster international dictionary. BOARD BOOSTS TAX VALUES. Assessments on Personal Property Raised From 33 1-3 to 50 Per Cent. The state board of equalization has decided to raise the assessment of all personal property in the state from 33 1-3 to 50 per cent of the cash value. The resolution making the change was introduced by J. E. Cooley of Du- luth, who argued that sinee banks are assessed at 50 per cent of the value of their property as returned in sworn statements to the public examiner, all personal property should be assessed on the same basis. The resoluticn was strenuously opposed by some of the members of the board on the ground that farmers and live stock owners will have to pay more than their share of taxes. “It’s jst simply saddling a load on the farmers,” said one of the members. “Farmers pay enough taxes as it is. They have no show to escape taxes. All their sheep, cattle, horses, hogs and machinery are in plain sight where the assessor can put them down on the list, while the capitalists and money men can conceal their property.” “I don’t see how the farmers or any- bedy else will be getting the worst of it,” said J. E. Cooley. “We simply fix a rule that all personal property shall be assessed at 50 per cent of its cash value. This simply means that cows, horses, cattle and the like shall be as- sessed on the same basis as bank stock.” “That’s what I say,” said C. M. Sprague of Sauk Center, president of the board. “This idea of assessing property way below what it is worth is not right. All personal property should be assesed at 100 per cent of its cash value, whether it be cows, horses, sewing machines or bank stock. At any rate the basis should be the same on all classes of prop- erty.” The total valuation of the personal property of the state, as returned by the county boards, shows an increase of $14,000,000 over last year. Last year the county boards valued the property at $130,000,000, and this year the returns reach $144,000,000. ‘The state board raised the returns last year to $137,000,000. The records show that this year 259,000 people are assessed as compared with 253,000 a year ago. Killed in Freight Wreck. Waupaca, Wis., Sept. 12—Thomas Kildorf and John Lox were killed in a freight wreck that occurred on the Wisconsin Central road in this city. The men were stealing a ride. / + Marshall Seizes a Steamer. Detroit, Mich., Sept. 12.—Late last night a United States marshal seized the great Christal steamer Craig on a libel filed by the Great Lakes. Tow- ing company for $22,405.65, which the towing company claims as salvage for saving the steamer after it had been grounded in the Straits of Mackinaw The under- struck the vicinity of Bloomington, do-| writers had advertised the auction sale .ing extensive damage. Severe hall} of the boat Wednesday afternoon, and storm followed the cyclone. The resi. after the bidding had reached $18,000 dence of Mrs. George Carter was de stroyed. without the vessel being sold, the sale was suddenly terminated. - SS CS SS ut the State. MINNESOTA CROPS. Weekly Bulletin of the Government Weather Station. The weather was dry most of the week in the northern half of the state till the 6th, when rains set in; in the southern half there was much cloudy and damp weather, with frequent light showers, though in Sibley and Blue Earth counties the showers on the 1st were heavy and accompanied by severe hailstorms, The 1st and 2d were the warmest days of the week, the highest temperature being 84 de grees at St. Paul on the 2d. The morn- ings of the 4th and 5th were cool, with light frosts in exposed places in northern and central portions, with slight injury to some corn and tender vegetables. In the northern half threshing from the shock, stacking and cutting iate flax have progressed well, but in the southern half the damp weather and showers have de- layed shock threshing and stacking, and in the Southeast the soil is so soft as to prevent the cutting of late flax and buckwheat with binders, and to stop the moving of threshing ma chines. Reports of continued injury by dampness to wheat, oats, barley and flax in shock are coming in, and in some cases the stacked grain is said to be injured. Considerable plowing is being done, though in Stearns county rain is needed to soften the ground. The complaints of potato rot in south- ern counties continue. Some rye is be ing sown. Early corn in sandy and warm soils is about ripe, but unless there is good corn weather for about two weeks much corn will be injured by frost. INHERITED INDIAN LANDS, Average of $10 an Acre Realized at the Sale at White Earth. At the sale of inherited Indian lands held at the White Earth agency by In- dian Agent Simon Michelet, eleven tracts or allotments, amounting to 967 acres, were sold, the average price paid an acre being $10. One tract ol 160 acres, situated on the Wild Rice | river near Beaulieu, was sold for $1¢ an acre. . The price bid on the major portion of these lands at a previous sale was only about $5 an acre. The latter price being far below the figure esti mated by the agency or government officials, the tracts were relisted and the sale demonstrated the fact that would-be purchasers have realt%ed they must pay the estimated price, ag set by the agency officials, if they would secure these fine tracts of agri- cultural lands. The Soo extension through the res- ervation has tended to enhance the value and price of these lands and it is expected that some very lively bidding will witness all future sales of inher- ited Indian lands on the reservation. All of the tracts but one were pur chased by T. N. McLean of Fergus Falls, representing the West End Banking Company of Washington, D.C. DECISIONS FOR THE RAILROADS. Land Cases in Which Settlers Los« Will Be Appeated. In the past few days the St. Cloud land office has received twenty decis- ions from the commissioner of the general land office covering cases in the so-called Northern Pacific indemni- ty belt in Crow Wing, Morrison and Todd counties. In all cases the decis: ions favor the railroads. The decisions, unless reversed by the United Statés supreme court, will be the means of losing to the settlers 200 quarter sections of land, with fees aggregating some $20,000 to the attorneys. The decisions are covered by an om- nibus decision filed by the commis- sioner in which judgment was found for the railroad company, and the in dividual decisions are coming so rap idly at the local land office that no at tempt is made to enter them at the present time. The settlers are for the most part men of ordinary means and the appeal: ing of the cases to a higher court will mean a great hardship to them, many preferring to settle with the company by paying them as much as $10 an acre for the land rather than ga through an expensive litigation. It has been decided by the attorneys to appeal all cases to the secretary oj the interior and, if necessary, carry them still higher. Bishop Bars Union Printers. Omaha, Sept. 12. — Bishop Richard Scannell, bishop of the Omaha diocese of the Catholic church, has taken a definite stand in the matter of Catho- lics becoming members of the Interna- tional Typographical union, and makes the plain statement that a Catholic capnot belong to the union and re ceive absolution from a priest. Banker Missing. Pittsburg, Sept. 12. — Arthur Amie sen, banker, steamship agent and for- eign collector and proprietor of the Slavia Exchange bank, has been miss- ing from his place of business since Aug. 18. Many of his clients among the Hungarians, Slavs, Poles and Rus- sians besieged his closed office yester- day, seeking the return of their de posits or assurance of their safety. Amiesen is accused by his depositors of fleeing, taking their money with him. The aggregate of these sums it is believed will reach $40,000. DEFECTIVE PAGE ; 4