Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, February 15, 1908, Page 1

VoL. XV.—No., 34. THE COUNTY BOARD HOLOS MEETING Considerable Business Transacted and Redistricting Discussed. OFFICIAL REPORT PUBLISHED TODAY Adjournment Taken to March 14th When it is Probable That the County Will be Divided Into 5 Commissioner Districts. t The official proceedings of the meet- ing of the board of county commis- sioners held last Saturday appears in this issue of the Herald-Keview, and should be perused by those interested in county affairs, In anticipation of the redistricting of the county into five commissioner districts, there was pres- ent a large delegation of citizens from Nashwauk,,Keewatin, Coleraine and Bovey. The people of these commun- ities are naturally and properly very much interested in securing a repre- sentation on the county board that will protect their large interests and importance both as to population and wealth. The following prominent represent. atives of the range towns were pres- ent: Nashwauk, Capt. J. N. Reigert of the Crosby mine; Capt. F. J. Webb of the LaRue mine; Capt. B. W. Batch- elder of the Hawkins mine, Mayor T. T. Reilley, Recorder H. Hagen and Councilman James Hays of the village council, John Redfern president of the State bank and Dr. John L. Shellman. Bovey, Mayor Provinski, ‘Councilman Rattama, Cashier D. M. Vermilyea of the State bank, attorney E. H. Bither, Ralph Whitmas and Charles Peterson. Coierane, W. J. Stock, druggist and former state representative from Osa- kis, Postmaster E. J. Anderson, G. S. Bolton manager-of the Coleraine Lum- ber company and Alfred Peterson, un- dertaker. Keewatin was represented by Village Recorder P. A. McEachin. Considerable discussion was indulg- ed in by the commissioners and citi- zens present. The representatives present from the range towns desired that the proposed districts be .so laid out as to give one commissioner to a territory including Nashwauk and another including Coleraine,s Bovey and Holman. The proposition] was not rejected, but it appeared that the members of the board were not pre- pared at the present time to take final action, and an adjournment was taken to March 14, when the matter will likely be disposed of. From a reading of a garbled report in the Independent one woutd be led to believe that there exists a prejudice against the mining towns on the part of a majority of the county board and that the people of Grand Rapids are antagonistic to their interests. As us- ual the Independent only succeeded in making a conspcuous display of what it doesn’t know. There certainly can be no antagonism existing between auy of the commissioners and the mining towns to the north. They have all repeatedly stated that 1 was their intention to do justice in the matter of redistricting, as nearly as possible, to all sections of the county, and the Herald-Review believes that their final action will prove their sin- cerity and good judgment. An amic able adjustment of this important action cannot be secured by the crea- tion. of enmities between different sections. It will require the exercise of good judgment and cool dehbera- tion. . The Independent only aims _ to make enemies for certain members of the board, and while it advocates two districts for the mining towns it se- cretly hopes that but one will be granted. It is just such nonentities as the publisher of the Independent that does more harm to a community than a dozen real men can do good. Commissioners Mullins, O’Brien and King need no defense against the reflecting insinuations of the Indepen- dent. Both in their private lives as citizens and as public officials they are 30 infinitely superior to the miserable little creature who 1s responsible for the Independent that anything he may say or leave unsaid will have no effect upon their standing in the com- munity. School- Declamatory ; Contest. A High school declamatory contest will be held at Park Rapids March 13 at which representatives from the following schools will take part: Akeley, Eagle Bend, Cass ake, Granp Rapips, Irasca County, MINN., SaTuRDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1908. Park Rapids. Last year Park Rapids won the banner,’ which is to become the permanent property of the school, winning it three consecutive times. Allen wWoran and Herbert Grove will represent Grand Rapids in the contest. These young men had a similar experience a year ago and acquitted themselves very creditably. WE ARE REBUKED FOR GOOD ADVISE A Few Kinley Risnatles to Brother | Monty Gives Him Hydrophobia | It is disheartening and discourag- | ing to attempt the reformation or | education of one whom nature has | treated unfairly. The unfortunate | individual who is brought into the world “scarce half made up” cannot well be improved by subsequent human effort. Science has taught | this great truth for ages, and the man who will undertake to accomplish the impossible—try to quickeninto action a vacuum beneath a human skull—only merits rebuke, and is not entitled to the shghtest sympathy even though his efforts be inspired by the loftiest motives. Evidence of this 1s almost daily brought to our notice, but never more clearly than when our kindly advise and good counsel to Bro. Montgomery of the International Falls Echo was regarded by himas unfavorable criticism.' Not for all the pleasures that we hope to ever know in ths old world would we have incurred his ill will ana hydro- phobic madness. But inadvertantly that’s just what has happened, and to judge from the surface symptoms the attack is very apt to prove fatal Two or three weeks ago the Herald- Review very gently and _ truthfully ventured to tell Monty that he was not only a damphool but a sneaking demagogue as well; that he was dis- playing his assininity in a manner that was making him the laughing-stock of everyone who happened to read | the foolish things that appear in his paper; that he was a disgrace to the honorable profession that he had butted into; that his wails aid whines were exceedingly tiresome, and that he should reform along lines that the Herali-Review pointed out. “Monty seems to have misunderstood the kindly criticism and generous advise. Instead of appreciating the Herald. Review’s efforts in his behalf Monty turns upon the meek mannered philosopher of this great iconoclast and Itterally “burns us up.” He charges us with being “avoirdupois; with not having gone to Europe at all; with having been on “long periods of drunkenness;” with having a wife who 1s capable of running a newspaper; with being a ‘“degradation;” with having supported Cole for yoyernor; with being a “Judas ot Iscariot;” with having advocated county division; with having pulled up our trousers; with having a soiled vest; with having run our fingers through our disheveled hair; with having a pencil poisoned with saliva, and finally with having written a “characteristic article.” It fairly takes away our breath to repeat it. Monty must have been fairly frothing through the teeth when he wrote all that. He must have felt devilish. The reading of it caused us to feel sad for Monty. It is evidence from start to finish that he knew not what he said. In his -wild delirium: there passed through his vacuum an incoherency of al) she disreputable things of which he had been guilty and charged them up in an itemized account against the very respectable editor of this very respectable paper. When Monty gets drunk he becomes disgustingly sloppy and wallows in his own vomit. He charges the Herald-Review editor with this nasty offense against public decency and self respect. Monty had a wife once, and while she could stand it she was compelled to earn the worthless vagabond a living atthe wash tub. Finally driven to desperation the poor woman secured a divorced, since which time he has eaked out a_pre- carious hving as a professional black- mailer. When Koochiching county was organized a year ago the county printing was awarded to the Echo with the understanding that the other Falls papers were to get a percentage ot the proceeds. Monty proved the Judas and pocketed the whole swag. He charges the Herald-Keview with a similar offense: In short, he charged to our account all the crimes of which he had a personal knowledge through experience, except to the wearing of corsets. Monty wears corsets, but he failed to allege that the Herald-Review editor was guilty of thus being tashion- ably,made up. With this brief but | sincere apology for having inadvetr- | antly oftended Monty we trust that | ~—-HOMESTEADERS Three Congressional Acts of Great People Who Went to Importance to Homesteaders. of Abscence, Commuting on Proofs and Second Home- steads Become Laws. ABSCENCES. Be’ it enacted. etc., that no home- stead entry shal] be canceled and no final proof shall be rejected because of any failure of the entryman named therein to hereafter actually reside upon the lands covered by his entry during the months of December, Jan- uary, February and March, or any portion of such months. Provided, that nothing in this act shall beso construed as to relieve homestead eo- trymen of the duty uf residence dur- ing the months not herein named, and the period of absence permitted by this act shall be computed to ap- ply upon the period of fesidence re- quired under existing law. COMMUTED-HOMESTEADS. Be it evacted, etc., that whenever it shall appear to the commissioner of the general land office that an error has heretofore been made by the officers of any local land office in re- ceiving premature commutation proofs under the homestead laws and that there was no fravd practiced by the entryman in making such proofs and final payment has been made and a final certiticate of entry has been is- sued to the entryman, and that there are no adverse claimants to the land described in the certificates of entry whose rights originated prior to mak- ing such final proofs, and that no other reason why the title should not vest in the entryman exists except that the-commutation was made upon a showing of less than 14 months’ con- tinuous residence upon the land, and that there was at least 8 months’ actual residence in good faith by the homestead entryman on theland prior tosach commutation, such certificates of entry shall be in all things con- firmed to the entryman, his heirs and legal representatives, as of the date of such final certificate of entry and a patent issue thereon, and the title so patented shall insure to the benefit of any grantee or transferee in good faith of such final certificate. Pro- vided, that this act shal) not apply to commutation and homestead en- tries on which final certificates have been issued and which have hereto- fore been canceled when the lands made vacant by such cancellation have been re-entered under the homestead act. Sec. 2. That all acts and parts of acts in conflict with any of the pro- visions of this act are hereby can- celled. 4 SECOND -HOMESTEADS, All persons who failed from any cause to perfect title to their former homestead entry. except those whose those who relinquished for a valuable consideration. Carried Bad Money. George Howard, aged twenty-three, | dropped into town the other,day and —dropped out again. The local had been in the- eastern range town’ with a supply of state of Georgia bills in five and ten dollar denomi- Datigns. Grand Rapids he was spotted by Policeman Seamans and placed under arrest. Upon being searched tive $5 bills were found upon bis person. Some of these bills had been “fixed” in amanner that made them look govud ata glance. The authorities at Hibbing were notified, but concluded that they had no case against Howard. He had no chance togattempt any ““qneer” work in | Grand Rapids as he was pinched about fifteen minutes #fter arriving our former pleasant relations will re- sume without further interruption. H ¥or that tired business feeling try the Herald-Review job printing. t in town. He claimed -Floodwood as his home. Reports from range towns indicated that the fellow had worked off some of the paper on unsuspect- ing victims. ABSENCE, COMMUTE, HOMESTEADS Bills Providing for Stated Leaves | entries are allowed to make another | entries were cancelled for fraud, and | police had been given a description | from Hibbing of a young fellow who. When Howard arrived in | ARE. COMING BAK FOR BETTE LAN Canadian | Northwest Returning to Minnesota. GONDITIONS NOT AS REPRESENTED SOCIETY. Two Dollars a Year. that Judge Spooner will resign. County Attorney Alfred L. Thwing of Grand Rapids is recognized as one of the ablest attorneys in northern Minnegota and the suggestion of his name in connection with the judgship was at once received with favor trom many influential sources. Should Governor Johnson see fit to appoint Mr. Thwing he will have created one of the best judges that ever sat on the bench of Minnesota, VILLAGE TICKET; CLYSDALE, PRES’T ij The following ticket for village officers has been handed to the Farmers From Northwestern States Who.Crossed the Line Giving Up ‘Canadian Homesteads and Returning to Minnesota. Many residents of northern Minne- sota who invested in land in the Canadian northwest have returned from that country, and with a very few exceptions their stories of the conditions out there are not com- mendatory, says the Bemidji Pioneer. Among those who have returned very recently from the Canadian northwest is L. R. Root of Grand Rapids. Mr. Root visited that coun- try with the intention of locating in the livery business, if he had found conditions to his liking. He visited several of the principal cities in the Canadian northwest and made acare- ful investigation of the prospects there. He says that hard times are in vogue, generally, throughout the country, and the hardships which stare the people 1n the face up in that cquntry are rapidly driving oyt many of the settlers. who were induced to go there through lurid advertising by Teal estate agents. “In fact,” says Mr. Root, ‘‘Many of those who went to the Canadian northwest and invested in lands there have written back to Minnesota in- quiring if it would be possible to se- cure homesteads on some of the gevernment land in northern part of State. _These_northwesterp farm- | ers state that they have no money, as their crops were entirely destroyed b; frost during the past two years. Yo wi!l see many of them returning dur- ing the next twelve months.” In this connection George Welsh, commissioner of immigration of the new Minnesota board of immigraticn writes that his department is in re- ceipt of considerable correspondence with Canadian farmers, who lost all of their crops by frost, are very de- sirous of getting homesteads in this state. Mr. Welsh states that he is taking up the matter of securing lands for these people and that he is in corres- pondence with reliable people in nortbern Minnesota, and with land officials, relative to the amount of government land that is available for homestead entry or through purchase in order to provide homes fur the many who are inquiring for Minne- sota land. There is no doubt. but that the emigration of the would-be farmers of Minnesota and the northwestern states to the Canadian northwest is rapidly diminishing, due wholly and | solely to the adverse reports that are received from former residents of the | northwest who are trying to eke out a living in the King’s domain. Much eredit is due Mr. Welsh for his splendid efforts to stop this exo- dus, which has been going on for the | past two orthree years, people who are living there undoubtly not being acquainted with the fact that they can secure first-class land in the northern part of Minnesota at a much less figure than the much-ad- vertised land of the Canadian -north- | west—lands that are imminently more fitted for agricultural purposes in every way. | | Th | Judge Spooner’s Resignation. For some time past there have been rumors afloat to the effect that Judge M. A. Spooner intended to resign as one of the judges of this district. He has complained that the salary is in- sufficient, and the complaint is cer- ; tainly a just one. It appears now that he has notified Governor Johnson that he will tender his resignation on February 20. ‘his report comes from apparently an authoratative source. Possible appointees have been discuss- ed through the press during the past | week, Is is conceeded that the judge should be located either at Grand Rapids or Bemidji. Attention was al- | most immediately centered upon Hon. C. C. McCarthy of Grand Rapids, but he is not a candidate for the * position, probably for the same reason | These over-zea!ous dictators of other th a St EO aa Pla ies PY eae a Herald-Review with a request for its publication, that the voters of Grand THE SUGGESTION [5 WELL RECEIVED George Riddell For President of Village Council Meets With Favor. LIKE OTHER NAMES PRESENTED Many Citwens Express Faith in the Village Rapids may know what some people desire in the way of municipal direc- tors; President, T. E. Clysdale; couneil- men, C. M. Erskin; John W. Aiton, A.C. Bossard; recorder, S. M. Din- widdie; treasurer, John McMahon; constable, Jesse Harry; justice of the peace, Charles Kearney. Mr. McMahon’s name appears on the ticket without any solicitation on his part, as he expected to be ‘candidate for the nomination before the regular village caucus. Mr. Bossard is notin town and he could not be consulted as to his wishes in the premises. Messrs. Bossard and McMahon will very likely be named by the citizens’ caucus for the posi- tions they now hold. Mr. A. J. McGuire called at the Herald-Review office Thursday after- boon and stated that the ticket above named would be placed before the people for their consideration on March 10—the day of election. The object desired to be accomplished is the enforcement of the liquor laws— so the advocates claim. The fact that saloon men of Grand Rapids have generally observed the Sunday closing laws as well as that requiring the cessation of business at 11 o’clock at night does not seem to be satis- factory to certain enthusiastic indi- viduals. As has been heretofore stated in the Herald-Review a ma- jority of the saloon men of Grand Rapids were voluntarily observing the laws regulating the liquor traffic long before the late up-roar spread over the state as a result of the St. Cloud case that was carried to the supreme court. As a result of that decision, however, there were a few local aspirants for fame who im- agined they foresaw an opening to make themselyes conspicuous in the public eye by becoming ideatifled with a “liquor crusade.” Through that channel they might even. get into politics ,and profit thereby. people’s morals were for a time very watchful of the saloons, and even went so far as tohave spies patrol | the streets at night with the hope of finding violators. During all this time there has not been a single case brought before the courts for prose- cution, notwithstanding the vigilant efforts put forth. It should be, re- membered that any individual has the some authority to make com- plaint against liquor dealers who may be guilty of transgressing the law that is vested in an official These men who ask the people to elect them to office would be clothed with no greater power to enforce the law as officials than they now are ‘as private indi- viduals. If any of them have evi- dence that the state laws are being violated by Grand Rapids saloon men they are not guod citizens if they do not prefer charges against the guilty ones, produce their evidence and secure convictions. To come before the public with unsupported claims and ona platform witb no foundation in fact the ticket here named cannot hope to enlist the sympathy of any considerable portion of the people of Grand Rapids. The conditions here existing does not justify the conclu- sion that the parties at the head of alleged “lid movement” are sincere in their undertaking. The Herald- Review does not wish to be under- stood as asserting that the local ad- vocates of temperance and liquor law enforcement are insincere. Some of our most worthy citizens would like to see liquor entirely abolished; and their contention may be right; but with the class that seeks political freferment on an_ issue that 1s wholly imaginary their good faith and honest purposes becomes a Sub- ject for the taxpayers toclosely in- vestigate. Increase in Population. , Grand Rapias is growing. The school enrollment is evidence that is as reliable as a state census. The increase in attendance over last year is 82 for the month of January. Ticket Discussed in the Last = Issue of the Herald- Review. White there is no feeling of appre- hension over the possible result of the forthcoming village election, the in- terest manifested during the past few days has greatly increased. The names discussed in the Herald-Review last week seems to meet with no little favor among taxpayers of the village who usually take a keen interest in municipal afiairs aad the general _wel- fare of the community. It is conced- ed on all sides that the present council has made a good record; has been en- terprising, progressive and yet con- servative. The tax rate has not been raised, except to the extent that was required to meet the obligations in- curred by the issue of $17,000 in bonds. This issue was voted by the people under the former administra- tion, but it became the duty of the present council to make the necessary levy to take care of the bunds as the interest and principal becomes due. The sidewalk improvements made has not increased the tax levy one dollar. These improvements are met by the property owners whose holdings have heen directly benefitted. On the score of law enforcement there cer- tainly can be no kick coming. Grand Rapids’ reputation as a law-abiding community 1s second to that ofno town in the state. ‘The laws relating to the regulation of saloons have been en- forced to an extent that makes this a model town—one that every citizen has reason to feel proud of. Grand Rapids has a most efficient police force. Robberies are very rare oc- currances, and when a ‘‘touch” is made the guilty ones are soon be- hind the bars. The Herald—Review feels proud of this municipality, and hopes that it may always continue to be as well conducted in the future as it has been in the past. Ex-President George Riddell not yet consented to the use of his name to again head the citizens’ ticket, but his friends believe he will accept if nominated. The other gen- tlemen whose names were mentioned in the last issue of the Herald-Review are regarded by the voters as being capable in every essential and could be elected by a big majority should they enter the field. W. C. Yancey, the present recorder, has decided to be a candidate for re-election to that office. James Doran 1s also in the field. Al Roecker has been urged to accept the nomination for councilman by a large number of citizens, but he has not yet decided that he can afford to serve the. vii- lage in that capacity. He would certainly make a capable village legis- jator. has Senior Highs to Entertain. Next Fnday might, February 21, the High school seniors will present a play at the auditorium, entitled “The Professor’s Love Story.” There are twelve in the cast, who have been rehearsing for the past four weeks. The entertainment will be doubly worth the price of admission. The proceeds will be applied toward the issuing of the “Annual.” Twenty-five and thirty-five cents admission. The Old Settlers Dance. Tiere were present at the Old Set- tlers annual ball last Wednesday night about one hundred seventy- five people. No more enjoyable time was ever hadin Village hall. The Grand Rapids orchestra furnished music as only that organization can, and dancing was continous from about 9:30 to 2:30, when the night’s pleasures concluded with “Old Dan Tucker.” If anyone thinks that the old-timers of Itasca county can’t go some when it comes to dancing the idea would haye disappeared had they been present Wednesday night. It was suggested that these social gatherings should be held more fre- quently and an effort may be made for a summer outing of the society. The supper served by the ladies of the Episcopal church 1 nea Ppleccpa was excellent = MINNESOTA HISTORICAL