Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, July 15, 1905, Page 4

amas > wraps, ‘MAY SHUT DOWN STATE MINES 1F COURTS DECLARE THE MIN- ERAL LEASE LAW UNCONSTI- TUTIONAL. fi WILL CAUSE HAVOC ON RANGE THOUSANDS OF MEN WOULD BE THROWN OUT OF EM- PLOYMENT. St. Paul, July 12. — All the state mines on the Mesabe and Vermillion ranges will be shut down, thousands of men will be thrown out of employ- ment, Minnesota will be left without a Jaw authorizing it to lease lands for mining purposes, and the United States Steel corporation will be seri- ously handicapped if Attorney General Young succeeds in establishing his claim that the state mineral lease law is unconstitutional. The constitutionality of the law, which the attorney general will ques- tion in the suit of the state against Mabel Evans of Princeton to set aside a mineral lease issued to the defend- ant, is probably the most important question affecting the status of the state mining lands that has ever been raised in a Minnesota court. Every Lease Void. Minnesota has five or six mines that are now producing 5,000 to 40,000 tons of iron ore a month each. They are operated by corporations which have erected expensive plants. Railroads have built lines to the mines and great preparations have been made to mine ihe ore on the suppesition that the fifty-vear contracts issued by the state are valid. If the law is declared un- constitutional every mineral lease is- sued by the state will be declared void. In discussing the effects of a decision by the courts that the law is unconsti- tutional, Mr. Young said yesterday: No Law for Leases. “If the law is declared unconstitu- tional there wiil be no law under which the state may lease its lands for mining purposes until the legislature passes one. The mines, which are of untold value, would revert to the state. The present royalty is 25 cents a ton. If the present law is held unconstitu- tional the next legislature can pass a Jaw which gives the’ state larger re- turns for the ore which is. taken out of the ground owned by the state.” Look Over the Mines. In connection with this suit and in pursuance of a resolution passed by the recent legislature, an important in- vestigation is about to be made by state officials. Gov. John A. Johnson, Attorney General Young and the state auditor will leave Saturday night for a week’s inspection of the mines, These officials were appointed a com- mission by the last legislature to make a thorough investigation of the value of the state mines, the output and con- ditions generally. The party will visit every mine owned by the state and will report to the next legislature the results of the investigation. EXCITING AUTO RACES. Closing Day at Hamline Meet Fur- nishes Excitement. St. Paul, July 12. — With two cars traveling at the rate of a mile a min- ute crashing through fences, and three of the world’s fastest drivers contest- ing against one another in the final round for a $2,500 prize, the final races of the automobile carnival at the Ham- line track furnished plenty of excite- ment for 15,000 spectators yesterday afternoon. It was miraculous that the two drivers escaped without sustain- ing serious injury. The most inter- esting contest was the final heat for the $2,500 prize. The contestants were Barney Oldfield, Eari Kiser and Webb Jay, Oldfield and Kiser closed the afternoon’s program with separate attempts to break the world’s mile -eircular track record and established a record for the Hamline track. Both took a trip around the course on a pre- liminary round before time was taken. Kiser made it in :56 4-5 and Oldfield in 255 flat. After Operation, Kills Seif. La Crosse, Wis., July 12.—Gilbert Javelin, a wealthy and aged land own- er of Holmen, Wis., after an operation for appendicitis, escaped from the hospital, walked two miles in a hospi- tal dress and committed silicide in a cemetery by cutting his throat. He is supposed to have been temporarily insane. Robber Suspects Captured. Winona, Minn., July 12.—Three sus- pects, Homer Trainer, Andrew Cun- ningham and J. C. Crane, have been taken to La Crosse by Postoffice In- spector Frazer, being identified as the men who blew the safe in the postof- fice at Stoddard, hiring a rig at La Crosse and getting. back just in time to 2atch the éarly Burlington train for Winona.. They secured two $50 bills in money and a quantity of postage stamps, which were planted before coming here. 5 ee rs ‘Pierre and Midland. BELIEVE WOMEN HAVE DROWNED Party Bound From Fort Pierre Has Not Been Found. Pierre, S. D., July 11—The waters of Bad river have receded and the people of Fort Pierre are beginning to take stock. They find that seventeen houses went down the, Missouri, and that forty-three are more or less wrecked, while all which withstood the flood are damaged. Reports from the valley show wrecked homes, and there is scarcely a ranch building standing on the river valley between Fort * The party: of women from Fort Pierre has not yet reported, and it is not known if they reached the ranch they started for. DAMP AND GAS KILL TWO. Woman and Girl Are Found Dead in a Cellar on Farm. Janesville, Wis., July 11.—Mrs. El- mer Burtness, thirty years old, and Delia Burtness, her sister-in-law, aged twelve, were found dead in the cellar of the Burtness home at Orford- ville, Wis., near here, when. Mr. Burt- ness returned home from work. Death is supposed to have resulted from gas escape and cellar damp. The coro- ner’s jury returned a verdict of acci- dental death, but considerable mys- tery attaches to the affair and a fur- ther investigation will be made. BOAT CRASHES INTO PIER. Panic Among Passengers on Diamond Jo Line Steamer. La Crosse, Wis., July 11. — An ex- ceedingly swift current, caused by the high water, caused.the Diamond Jo line packet Sydney to crash into the pier of the steel bridge over the Mis- sissippi with such force as to cause wild excitement among the passen- gers. The strong current made the big engines almost powerless, and the stiff gale threw her against the rocks and projections with considerable force. The boat was badly jarred, but was not materially damaged. THREE MORE DIE IN FLOOD. Fourth Man Chops Way Through Roof of House. Pierre, S. D., July 11.—Three more fatalities have resulted from the Bad river flood. Perry Rifenberg, Ed Cook and Fred Trumbo, with Albert Rifen- berg, were in the Rifenberg ranch, at the junction of the Bad river and Squaw creek, near Newlin, when the rush of water carried away the house before the occupants were aware of the danger. Albert Rifenberg saved his life by breaking his way through the roof. BRAKEMAN FOUND DYING. Great Northern Employe ts Killed While at Work. Williston, N. D., July 11. — Harry Smith, a Great Northern brakeman, was killed in the railroad yards about thirty miles east of Williston. It is thought he met death while making a coupling or while passing between the cars. No one saw the accident. The body was caught between the draw- bars and mangled. The body was found about five minutes after the ac- cident and while Smith was breathing his last. MAY RECOUNT IN LA CROSSE. Census Figures Held Up in Two Doubtful Wards. La Crosse, Wis., July 11.—After the state census is completed, two doubt- ful wards will be recanvassed at the expense of the city, and if it is found to be listed incorrectly in the state re- ports, the entire city will be recounted. This decision was reached at a meet- ing of the presidents of the three com- mercial bodies after a careful study of the census muddle. Continued falling off is noted as additional reports are received. POISONS, SHOOTS, DROWNS. Man’s Corpse and Clues to Death In- dicate Suicide. Fergus Falls, Minn., July 11.—Mag- nus Johnson Geving, one of the earli- est settlers here, was found in the riv- er, apparently having committed sui- cide. Two bottles of strychnine and an empty revolver indicated he had taken poison and shot himself on the river bank. He was seventy-three years old. WHOLE TRAIN DERAILED. Woman and Two Men _ Moose Island. Herman, Minn., July 1i.—A passen- ger train left the track while running Injured at WITHDRAW. FROM. WISCONSIN. State to Quit Inspecting Grain at Su perior. It is probable that Minnesota soon will discontinue its system of grain in- spectign at Superior and West Superi- or, Wis. The Minnesota railroad and warehouse commission has received word of the appointment of the Wis- consin board of grain inspection under the new Wisconsin law, and, although the Minnesota commission has not been requestéd to discontinue its in- spection, the commissioners say they will do so as soon as they are notified by the Wisconsin authorities that the | Wisconsin board will begin its work. The Minnesota commission has in- spected grain at Superior most of the time since 1886. The inspection lias been made at the request of the ship- pers of the Northwest and with the consent of the Wisconsin authorities. The Minnesota commissioners have never maintained that they had a le- gal authority to carry their inspection outside of Minnesota, but since there was a demand for it from the shippers in Minnesota and the dealers in Su- perior the work has been continued. The first Minnesota inspection of grain was made in West Superior in 1886, when the Great Northern Eleva- tor company erected an elevator in that city with a capacity of 1,800,000 bushels for the purpose of facilitating the handling of grain along its lines in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Previous to that Duluth got practically all of the grain from the Northwest. The grain dealers at West Superior organized a board of trade and started out to get some of the business which had gone to Duluth. The business. at Duluth had increased from 560,000 bushels in 1871 to 23,000,000 in 1886. It was at the request of the Great Northern Elevator company and ship- pers in Minnesota that a system of in- spection was inaugurated in West Su- perior and later in Superior. Wisconsin passed a grain inspection law in 1895 and a year later the Wis- consin authorities notified the Minne- sota commission to discontinue the in- spection at West Superior, stating that they were ready to inaugurate a system of their own. The Minnesota commission complied with the request. The Wisconsin system did not work satisfactorily, however, and a few months later Minnesota was requested to resume the inspection. “We are ready at any time to dis- continue the inspection in West Su- perior and Superier” said an official of the railroad and warehouse commis- sion. “We have no interest in the matter other than a desire to comply with the request of the grain shippers of Minnesota.” DRAIN LANDS ON A SYSTEM. Plans for Complete Survey of Swamp Lands. Rapid progress is being made in preparation for the topographical sur- vey of the state swamp lands in the northern part of Minnesota, author- ized by the last legislature. The United States bureau of geo- detic survey and nearly all the rail- roads running into Minnesota are co- operating with state officials in pre- paring the survey, which will be con- ducted by John Abercrombie, survey- ing engineer of the state drainage commission. The railroads are furnishing maps and blue prints of the lands through which they run, and the United States government is furnishing reports on triangulation and geodetic survey which have been made by the federal bureau. The state is getting most of this information without expense; if it had to pay for the information the cost would be many thousand dollars. This prqposed survey is probably the most important movement in the history of drainage in Minnesota and the Northwest. It means that here- after instead of building patches of ditches here and there the commission ‘will construct‘a series of main‘ chan- nels as the foundation for a compre- hensive system, covering the millions of acres of swamp lands in Northern Minnesota. The state drainage com- mission will have at its disposal com- plete information regarding the topog- raphy of the swamp lands, the eleva- tions, the depressions, the inclines, the levels and the like. When it has an application for a ditch it can refer to the records and tell at a glance FULL HOUSE AT’STILLWATER. Prison Population Increases 40.2 Per Cent. Some surprise was caused at the capitol recently by the announcement tiat the number of criminals at the state penitentiary is increasing more than four times as fast as the popula- tion of the state. The population of the prison has increased 40.2 per cent since 1900, while the census bureau of- ficials will be highly pleased. if there is an increase of 10 per cent in the pop- ulation of the state. There are 702 prisoners at Still- water, by far the largest number in the history of the institution. The number a year ago was 634 three years ago 553 and five years ago 486. Mem- bers of the board of control who re- turned yesterday from Stillwater an- nounced that all the cells are full and the prisoners are compelled to sleep in the corridors. State officials are wondering wheth- er the marvelous increase in the popu- lation of the prison is due to an in- crease in crime throughout the state or to a more stringent enforcement of the law in the various cities and vil- lages. ? “The fact that there are more in- mates at Stillwater does not necessari- ly mean that crime is on the increase in Minnesota, although the natural in- ference is that it is,” said a state of- ficial. “There is no question that the system of detecting criminals is more efficient than ever before; this means, of course, that a larger percentage of the criminals are caught. Whether this increase in perfection of police supervision accounts for the remarka- ble increase in the number of prison- ers at Stillwater, I cannot say.” The increase in population at the prison is seen from‘the following state- ment: Number Per Cent of Increase Prisoners. Since 1900. July 31, 1900... eae 13.8 July 31, 1902. July 31, 1904.. 30.4 June 29, 1905. 44.2 The population of Minnesota in 1900 was 1,751,394, and as there were 486 prisoners at Stillwater, there was one prisoner for every 3,601 persons. State census officials estimate on the basis of returns received so far that the count will show an increase of about 10 par cent, making the total popula- tion 1,926,533. The fact that there are 702 prisoners at Stillwater means that .| there is one criminal for every 2,744 || persons. DRAINAGE CAMPAIGN IS PLANNED State League Will Meet at Crookston to Discuss the Problem. The best methods of draining the hundreds of thousands of acres of swamp lands in the northern part of the state will be discussed at a meet- ing of the Minnesota Drainage League which will be held at Crookston on | Aug. 1. The organization of the league which was begun a few weeks ago, will be perfected. Gov. John A. Johnson, State Engin- eers George A. Ralph and John Aber- crombie, the nine Minnesota congress- men and the two United States sen- ators have been invited to speak at the meeting. “The purpose of the league is to promote sentiment in favor of the drainage of swamp lands,” said Sen- ator A. D, Stephen of Crookston, who was in St. Paul recently preparing for the meeting. “The league plans to co- operate with the state authorities in drainage lands and it will also take an active part in the drainage of private lands, in which the state-is not direct- ly interested. “We plan to carry on a sort of edu- cational campaign in favor of drain- age. It is only necessary to present the practical advantages of drainage to pursuade property owners that it is a good thing. It is a business propo- sition for the state and for property owners. If by spending $1,000 in the construction of a ditch, the state in- creases the value of its land to the whether the proposed ditch is feasible. Casts Doubt on Leases. | The validity of the mineral leases issued by the state, the ‘total value of | which reaches into the millions of dol- lars, depends on the termination of the suit of the State of Minnesota vs. Mabel Evans of Princeton, which At- | $9,000. | we wish to present to the people. extent of $10,000, it has thereby gained It is such facts as these that “Our league is opened to every one } who is interested in reclaiming Minne- sota’s swamp lands. It is not re- stricted to those who live in the north- ern part of the state. We have mem- bers as far south as Nicollet county, which has recently spent a consider- at the rate of fifty miles an hour at torney General Young has brought inh able sum for drainage. In the league Moose Island, five miles south of here, last evening. All the cars left the track. One woman and two men were injured, none fatally. It is supposed spreading rails caused the accident. Shot by Accident. the district court of St. Louis county to set aside a lease issued to the de- fendant. Attorney General. Young _ believes that the mineral lease law, under which the evans lease was issued, is unconstitutional and he will argue this Helena, Mont., July 11. — Albert) when the case comes up for trial. Mr. Ficener, a young man living at Bel- grade, accidentally shot George F. Young takes the position that: the law is in violation of that. section of the Contor while cleaning a rifle. The ball) state constitution which provides that passed through the thigh and is con- sidered dangerous. Crest of High Water in Sight. no portion of the state school lands shall be sold in any other manner than at public sale, and that swamp lands shall be appraised and sold in the St. Paul, July 11. — The stage of|same manner. water was at 14.5 feet last night, and rivermen predicted that to-day there will be a decline in the high water No one knows the exact value of the leases which the state has granted ‘are merchants, real estate men, law- yers, in fact all classes of people who are interested in the subject.” WISCONSIN BOY’S LUCK. He Becomes Appointment Chief in the Postoffice Department. Washington, July 8.—Richard Perry Covert of Wisconsin, who served as a seaman with Dewey in Manila bay, and who is one of the few Americans injured in that engagement, has been appointed chief of the appointment dl- vision in the office of the fourth assis- tant postmaster general. The chief of the appointment division has jurisdic- since the discovery of ore on the. which has marked ‘the Mississippi dur-| yesabe and Vermillion bs, bat thre ing the week. amount is in the millions of doliars. tion over about 75,000 postmasters Pagd has a salary of $2,000 a year. x * In Minnesota. of Stewartville, died of heart failure. Lightning struck Martin J. Bowe's big barn in Mankato township and de- stroyed it, together with ten tons of hay. - Fire broke out in the basement of the saloon of Frank Steadman at Ano- ka, and damaged the building and contents to the extent of $200. The two-vearold son of F. Harris of Spring Valley is dead from the ef- fects of drinking acid. The child found the bottle in the garden. A hotelkeeper, a druggist and two others were found guilty at Fosston of selling intoxicating liquors and fined in sums ranging from $25 to $50. A large black bear entered Mizpab recently and was finally brought ta bay by the village marshal, Will Hangsleben, who killed it at the first shot. : Carson Cannon, secretary of Wash- ington League lodge at Sauk Center, is under arrest charged with the mis- appropriation of $126 of the funds of the society. A $2,000 barn, owned by John Pes- chek of Sauk Center, was destroyed by fire caused by lightning. Five val- uable horses were killed. Insurance carried, $1,000. August Busse, of the firm of Busse, Betcher & Gaetke, dealers in farm im- plements, is:dead-at Ada. His back was broken by a heavy sliding door that fell upon him last fall. The two-year-old son of F. Harris, living four miles south of Spring Val- ley, is dead from theeffects of drink- ing acid from a bottle. The child found the bottle in the garden. Daring safecrackers, who departed without leaving a single clew, blew up the safe in the postoffice and gen: eral store of Weum & Dalens, at Georgetown, escaping with $300 in cash and stamps. tay ches ye John Hutchinson, son of Prof. Hutch. inson of the state university, was drowned in Ten-Mile lake, near Fergus Falis. He was visiting a sister who teaches in the high school. The body has not been recovered. T. M. Martin, a traveling salesman, was fined at Owatonna for selling adulterated raspberry preserves to merchants. The. warrant for his ar rest was sworn out by Deputy State Food Inspector McCabe. W. D. Abbott of Winona was in consultation with Pfau & Pfau at Mankato in regard to the Koch mur- der case. It is understood the de- fense will have some new. evidence, but that it will not be of a startling or sensational nature. The census figures for Owatonna, while not yet officially announced, in- dicate that the population has been almost at a standstill for five years. This is accounted for by the unusually large exodus of young men to the cities in search of employment. The figures are expected to be slightly un- der 5,600. A two-year-old child of John Wester lund, residing in Charlestown town ship, Redwood county, was poisoned ta death by eating mushrooms which it picked up in the yard. It was ill about two hours and died in terrible con- vulsions. An older child ate of the mushrooms, but proper medical aid was given before the poison had reached the fatal stage and its life While the Fourth of July program was being carried out at the pavilion at Excelsior two men robbed the rooms occupied by George Dérsow above his bakery and secured $30 in cash and jewelry. The cashier of the restaurant discovered the men rifling a dresser and was held up while the burglars finished their work. The rob- bers were well dressed and a good de- scription of them has been furnished to the Minneapolis police. The decomposed body of August Byjornson was found in a swamp fif- teen miles from Eveleth by Olle Holm. quist. Byjornsen had been missing for a week and when his body was found murder was first suspected, but a slightly rusted revolver was evi- dence that it was a case of suicide. Byjornson was twenty-two or twenty- three years of age and lived with his widowed mother on a homestead. No reason for the rash deed Is known, as the mother is distracted and can give little information Blind pigs of Underwood were raid- ed recently, Sheriff Albertson going out and seizing large quantities of beer nd other drinks nd rresting Gustave Schmitz, Stafford Leatch, Jr., and Julius Rackstad. Leach and Rackstad paidpaid fines of $25 and costs and Schmitz paid $50 and costs. ae ae Iie Special Agent Thomas Downs and School Supervisor Sam P. Davis of the United States Indian service, and 8. M. Brosius, agent of the Indian Rights association. of Washington’ are at the — Three Farmers Quality to Pass on Dentist’s Fate. Mankato, Minn., July 12. — Three men were found yesterday to serve on the jury that is to try Dr. George R. Koch on the charge of murder in the first degree. They said they would vote for conviction upon circumstaa- tial evidence if convinced of guilt be- yond a reasonable doubt, even though the penalty for that degree of murder be death. These men were not asked whether they had formed opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the ac- cused, as the other thirty-two tales- men were, for that might have meant the necessary rejection of these men who were otherwise acceptable to both sides. MUCH CRIME FOUND. United States Grand Jury at Duluth Indicts. Duluth, Minn., July 12.—Grand jur- ors sitting in the United States circuit court yesterday returned seven true bills for counterfeiting, raising post- office orders and selling whisky to In- dians. The indictments are as fol- lows: Harry Burton, Grand Rapids, coun- terfeiting, two charges; Philip Connor, Deer River, counterfeiting, two charges; Marvin Moore, Deer River, counterfeiting, two charges; William Bison, Little Falls, raising postoffice order, one charge; Hugh Funk, White Oak, selling whisky to Indians.on fed- eral lands. HIGH WATER IS RECEDING. Danger of Greater Flood Probably Is Passed. St. Paul, July 12.—The Mississippi river was stationary several hours yesterday, and late last evening began to show a slight fall. The record yes- terday Was 14.8 feet above low water, a rise of .2 of a foot during the twenty- four hours. When the water reached 14.8, fortunately it showed no further signs of an increased rise, and several hours afterward a fall was noted. A fall is also reported from points north of St. Paul. It is probable, judging from weather predictions, that the fall will continue, and that the danger is over. SEVEN DEATHS IN FLOOD. Dozen Others Still Unaccounted For and a Search Is Made. Pierre, S. D., July 12. — Up to the present the list of known dead in the floods in the western part of the-state comprises seven perso: They are Arthur Austin at Midland, Joe Branek at Bovine. the Wheeler boy near Fort Pierre, Verne Torrance at Pedro, Per- ry Rifeberg, Ed Cook and Frem Trum- bo at Nowlin. About a dozen people whose places were swepi away by the floods have not been located, and searching parties are out to find if they are alive. It will be a week or more yet before all are accounted for. HORSE SLIPS; While Fording Deep Creek South Da- kota Man Meets Death. Sturgis, S. D., July 12.—Word was received yester that Verne Tor- rance, twenty-five years old, of Pedro, was drowned in a deep creek a week ago while attempting to cross on horseback. The horse slipped and fell on him. The stream is high and the body has not been found and a re- ward of $100 is offered for its recov- ery. The dead man was a brother of W. C. Torrance, recently killed by lightning at Elm Spring. THREE SURVEYORS DROWN. Maj. Sankey of Grand Trunk One of Victims in Canoe That Upsets. Winnipeg, Man., July 12. — Maj. Villiers Sankey and two Grand Truak Pacific surveyors named Hill and Beanchamp, were drowned yesterday in Manitou lake, twenty-five miles north of Kenora. They were engaged in locating the line of the new railway when their canoe upset. Sankey held on until within 500 feet of the shore, when he was compelled to let go. PAYS DEAR FOR GUN PLAY. Farmer Who Seeks City Father Is Sent to Insane Asylum. Albert Lea, Minn., July 12. — After an alleged attempt to “get the drop” on Ald, W. P. Sorenson of this city, Hans P. Jensen, a farmer who lives near here, was ordered to furnish a bond of $500 to keep the peace. He could not raise the bond so was com- pelled to sleep in jail over night. Yes- terday morning he was examined a3 to his sanity and was sent to the hos- pital for the insane at Rochester. Robber Suspects in Jail. Pipestone, Minn., July 12. — Three men suspected of the robbery at Caze- novia, this county, on July 4, are in jail at Brookings. They were arrested at Elkton, S. D., and sentenced to thirty days in jail. At the expiration of their time County Attorney Cady proposes to secure requisition papers and bring them here. te Two Fatalities. F Marshalltown, Iowa, July 12.—Geo. Halter, Sr., a prominent farmer, while climbing on a load of hay fell under the horses’ feet and was trampled to death. Mrs. Garis of Rhodes was acci- dentally killed by her husband, who was cleaning a gun. Morris Church Burns. Morris, Minn., July 12. — The fine Catholic church at this place burned yesterday morning about 2 o'clock. The loss is practically total and aggre- CE ins REBEL Y gates about $20,000, + # RIDER DROWNS.