Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, December 9, 1908, Page 2

VoL, XVI.—No, 25. Granp Rapips, Irasca County, MINN., Wepnzspay, DECEMBER 9g, 1908. : THAT WOOD DEAL ———SETTEDAT UST A Jury of Itasca County Taxpayers Decide That Four Dollars Per Cord is Not Too Much. O'BRIEN GETS THE FULL AMOUNT Cord Wood Purchased For County | From John O’Brien at $4 Per Cord Is Held by Jury to Be a Fair Price. The lndependent’s campaign ma- terial against Commissioners O’Brien, Mullins and King was spoiled in dis- trict court last week by a jury of twelve good men and true. It pro- bably served its purpose during the campaign for all it was worth—which must have been very little, jaccord- ing to the verdict of the people at the polls and the jury in district court. 'The-story has been told and retold so often in the local press that it is only necessary to here, briefly state the facts. Last spring a committee was a ‘appointed by the board of county » commissioners to purchase a quantity ‘ of green wood for fuel at the court i house and jail to be delivered at that time fur use during the fall and The required amount was contracted for with John G. | . Fraser and others. The sleighing disappeared earlier than was luoked for and the parties would not make the delivery at the price agreed upon —4 per cord—as it would be neces- sary to haul it on wagons, which ma- terially increases the cost of produc- tion. Jobn O’Brien had a quantity of four-foot jack piney which he of- fered to deliver at $4 per cord, ‘ihis was accepted by the committee, and . about seventy cords was delivered. Nothing was said at the time against the contract, but when the local cam- = ‘paign opened up Commissioner Pas- sard thought he saw“a chance to make himself solid with the voters by protesting. The Independent foresaw a chance to also make some political capital out of the incident and proceeded to how} itself hoarse over the outrageous squandering of the people’s money by the three com- missioners that the Independent felt would not be favorable to itsinterests in the matter of county printing. Finally nine taxpayers were secured who signed a protest against pay- , ment of the bill as allowed Mr. present winter. O’Brien. Among the signers was A. L. Lafreniere, publisher of the Inde- pendent. The case was tried in dis- trict court last week before the fol- lowing twelve citizens who served as | jJurymen: Joho Pennett, Charles Warner, Lee Cochran, Charles John- ston, Charles Mealey, Nelson Philips, Louis Vogal, Ed. Inksted, Wm. Walker, Wm. Ashton, Frank Wall and C A. Nelson. Nearly three days’ time was spent in the trial of the case and it took the jury about fifteen minutes to find a verdict in favor of O’Brien for the full amount of his claim with interest at the rate of 6 per cent since last June. It is esti- mated that the total costs uf the case will bring the price of the wood up to nearly six dollars per cord. This is a case of campaigning with a vengeance at the expence of the tax- payers.- The charge of fraud was made in the first iastance wholly for political purposes, and with no idea that the county had been charged an | exorbitant price under the circum- stances. If the signers of the pro- test against the bill could be made to pay the coste of the case it would serve asa valuable lesson to cheap politicians who cry “stop thief” while endeavoring to dip into the public pocket. Ferestere Elect Officers. ‘The United Order of Foresters held | a meeting at K. P. ball last evening | and elected the following officers for \ the ensuing year: Chief ranger, Mrs. Kearney; past chief ranger, Mrs. Mc- Donald; vice ranger, Mrs. Brooks, treasurer, Mrs. Guan; secretary, Mrs. Finnegan; oper archer, Mrs. Langh- é fu plain, Mrs. Lent; inner wood- { ward, Mrs. Vipond; outer woodward, Mrs. Tulley. Mrs. 1 Duff, deputy state organizer, and ae Bai- ley of Duluth were present, and aided to make the evening a very oazant ope, A luncheon was ser Fi Duff will organize a local lodge A , Coleraine. ; | The Great Northern Railway Now TWO RAILROADS TO GRAND RAPIDS Building From Nrshwauk to This Point. DULUTH, MESABA & NORTHERN ALSO Contract Let For Extension of Great Northern to Grand Rapids and Construction Work Begun— D.,M. &N. Will Follow Suit. That which the people of Grand Rapids have long looked and hoped for in the matter of increased rail- road facilities will be realized saris in the spring of 1909. The Great Northern and the Duluth, Mesaba & Northern are both headed this way and it will be a race to see which will be first to run trains into this town from the Western Mesaba range. The Great Northern will very likely enter Grand Rapids on the east side of town, while the D., M. & N. will come in on the west side. The fol- lowing railroad news was sent out from Hibbing on Monday: The contract for-the extension of the Great Northern from Nashwauk to Grand Rapids has been let to Riley & Guthrie, and work upon the extension will begin in about two weeks. Mr. Riley is now in Hibbing THE GRAND JURY (NOT SATISFIED HAS SHORT TERM) WITH NEWRATES © BOARD'S FIGURES) AGRICULTURISTS Transacts Business Brought Before it in Four Days and Makes Re- port to Judge Stanton. SEVERAL INDICTMENTS RETURNED Malfeasance in Office and Forgery Charged Against Andrew H. and Hannes E. Randahl, Officers of Arbo Township. The grand jury concluded its in- vestigation of matters brought up for its consideration on Friday even- ‘ing of last week, and submitted the final report to Judge Stanton. Six- teen indictments were returned. Andrew H. Randahl, supervisor of the town of Arbo, was indicted on three charges, for auditing, allowing and paying unlawful claims against the township. Hannes E, Randahl, clerk of Arbo township, also drew three indict- ments on similar charges. Andrew Peterson of Bovey was in- dicted fur assault in the second de- giee. He was charged with having used a knife on a Bovey bartender on November 16. Rady Korditza of Bovey is held for trial on a charge of assault in the first degree. He used a revolver on making preparations for the work, and states that dirt will begin to fly on the Nashwauk end of the exten- sion just as soos as he can assemble the necessary machinery. The line will be built clear through to Grand Rapids during the winter and will be in operation early in the summer and possibly late in the spring of next year. The contractors are the same who built tbe Great Northern cut-off a year ago from Kelley Lake to Fer- moy, and they are well equipped to push the construction of the line rapidly. The Great Northern now has a line from Hibbing to Nashwauk, a dis- tance of 14 miles, so that the work to be done this winter will give Hib- bing a direct line 34 miles tong to Grand Rapidsand will make com- munication with the western part of the state much quicker and easier. The extension will run _ directly through the most valuable of the Hill ore lands, which were recently leased to the steel corperation. The D. M. & N. bas had engineers at work going over the ground from Coleraine, the present terminus of the road, to the mineral lands south and west of Pokegama lake. Camps have been established at several points, the men remaining several days, and it is considered probable that the D., M. & N. road will also build through toGrand Rapids. The road at the present time is built as far as Buckeye lake, two miles this side of Coleraine, the track on this side being used as storage for extra rolling stock. This would leave only six miles of track to build into Grand Rapids, Judge Stanton will adjourn the December term of court tomorrow. He has not decided whether it will be until the regular March term or to some earlier date. Matters in chambers that must be attended to at this time require his presence io Bemidji. There is enough business now awaiting consideration by the} to court in this county to keep the wheels of justice revolving steadily for at least six months. A sumber of criminal cases acted upon by the late grand jury cannot be disposed of at this time and hence a number of alleged offenders will be retained io jail at the county’s expense for some months. Frank Roach, charged with grand larceny in the firet degree, pleaded guilty. The court has not-yet im- posed sentence. Frank Ryan, who was arrested in company with Koach and charged by the grand jury with the same crime, had a jury trial and was acquitted. ‘The case of Lunt and Johnson, for- gery and larceny, Nashwauk, is now being tried before a jury. two of his countrymen ina boarding house at Bovey. R. H. Philligs for assaulting Wil- liam Davis on October 5, was in- dicted for assault in the second de- gree. The offense was committed west of Cohasset on a wanagan. Nelson Lunt and Gust Johnson were indicted for the alleged forgery of an order for $41.62, issued on the township of Nashwauk by Archie McWilliams. They were also held on a charge of grand larceny. Louis Bechlich of Iron Range town- ship was indicted for selling liquor without a license. Nikola Jolicich was charged with grand larceny in the second degree. It is alleged that he confiscated about $200 collected for beer sold for another party. Frank Roach, Frank Ryan and and robpery «f the saloon of John Specht at Bovey on the night of November 27. True bills were re- turned against the three. REPORT OF GRAND JURY We, the grand jury of said Itasca county, assembled at the general December, 1908, term of the district court above named, do respectively report to the court: 1. We yisited the county jail in a bedy and found the same clean, well kept and in good condition; it is our opinion, however, that the same is not large enough to accomodate ali the prisioners who are sometimes con- fined therein; there are accomod tions such as are required, for but six- teen prisoners in said jail, and we are informed that there ace sometimes as many as thirty prisioners in the jail; we recommed that the board of county commissioners enlarge the jai} for present and future needs; we aleo recommend that the padded cell be re- paired, it being useless in its present condition, 2. We call the attention of the board of county commissioners to the condition of the south wall of the court house, and we recommend that | ¥¢Fe @ retaining wall be byilt at the foot of the embankment below that wall to prevent the earth from being washed away by rain etc.. and that they take such steps as to them seem necessary to prevent further damage to the building; we also call the at- tegtion of the board to the seats pro- vided in the court room for the petit Jory; this matter has been reported on before by former grand juries, and we ask that measures be taken by the | board at their next meeting to pro- vide comfortable seats for the jury- men so that they be ‘no longer tor- tured. 3. The poor farm has been visited by us in a body and we cannot give a favorable report upon the condition 1m which the same has been main- tained; we specify the chairs pro- vided for the inmates, the same bein: [Contiaued on Page Four] INTENTIONAL DUPLICATE EXPOSURE John Doe were charged with burglary | Many Business Men Attend Council | Meeting Monday Evening To Register Kick. OW PROPOSED TELEPHONE CHARGES Village Attorney Instructed to Frame Ordinance Prohibiting the En- forcement of New Rate Fixed by Mesaba Telephone Co. § The regular monthly meeting of the Village council was held at the council foom Monday evening. ‘There were present quite asnumber of prominent business men whose purpose at the meeting was to-register a protest against the proposed increase of rates by the Mesaba: Telephone company. It is claimed that as a result of the increase many private residences are discontining the use of ‘phones and bence the system is becoming less } yaluable to business houses. A number of the business men present expressed the opinion that at least one-third of the patrons would order out their ‘phones on the first of the year when the new rate is to go into effect. It was argued that under the original franchise, which is stil in ef- fect, that the company has no right to arbitrarily raise the rate without the consent of the village council. It was also suggested that the people are in a position to demand fair treatment at the hands of the com- pany should the latter insist on exacting a higher rate for rentals than was originally agreed upon. The council may, at its option, re- fe the removal of all telepnore poles from the streets and alleys and reqnire that they be put underground. The general sentiment to discontinue the service is alsy a leverage on the company that will no doubt prove effectual against the proposed raise. State Senator D M. Gunn was present and expressed the opinion that the local service would not be worth anything to Grand Rapids subscribers if any considerable number of patrons should order their *phones taken out. He was not pre- pared to say tbat the proposed in- crease of charges would be exorbitant, but he was satisfied that the public was entitled to a more efficient ser- vice than is now furnished. Dr. Rus- sell, T. A. McHugh, B. C. Finnegan and others also addressed the council and there appeared to be a unanimous opposition and criticism to the in- crease of rates and to the present service. ‘The members of the council were ungnimous in expressing their wil- lingn@ss to take such action as the the village attorney to draw an or- dinance which will restrict the in- crease of charges was carried without Opposition. Attorney Pratt will have the ordinance ready for consideration at a meeti ng to be held next Monday evening. Dieselute and Destitute. Lon Johnson, aged fifty years, his wi aged twenty-one, and five children ranging in aze from seven years to nineteen months, were brought down from Houpt on the 4th inst., and taken before Judge of Probate Huson. Complaint had been made by neighbors that the children were neglected and that the parents were unfit persons to have charge of the: The evidence produced indi- cated that the parents are buth bha- bitual drunkards and that the family lived in a hovel unfit for brutes to in- habit. The children were sent to the state school for dependent and neglected children at Owatonna and the mao and woman were sent to the poor house forthe present. The fer is sick and physically unable forhimself and he will re- eeive temporary care at the county ital. The mother is enciente nd will also be cared for at the cousty hospital. bs! poe ing the Far East,” in Merritte Driver, ionday M oecthongag This anil be the number of the Lyceum course. Get tickets reserved at the Mercantile store. at Two Dollars a Year. Some Interesting Figures Given Out That Are Easily Understood and Highly Attractive. SHOULD BE WIDELY CIRCULATED Minnesota Offers Twenty Million Acres of Good Farming Land at Five to Twenty-Five Dollars Per Acre. The average citizen of the North Star state realizes more or less vivid- ly that he lives ina splendid coms monwealth, with large opportunities for profitable industry and distin- gished public service, with rich re- sources and a splendid rate of devel- opment. It ishelpful and encour- aging, however, to take an occa- sional glimpse at tangible figures and facts which paint in rosy but natural colors the advantages and | possibilities$ of the state, says the Duleth Herald. The Minnesvta board of immigra- tion was formed, in part, to com- pile such facts and to spread them abrodd. This is mainly with the idea that people who are “missing it’? by living elsewhere should be taught that the proper place for them to dwell is in Minnesota; but no harm and much good can be done if the people of this state get the figures in their own minds. They will kuow how, then, to give convincing expression to their state pride, and they will be able to found that state pride upon a substantial edifice of unquestioned statistics. Here are some of the facts that the commissioner of immigration is pub- lishing to the world: Minnesota offers 20,000,000 acres of good farming land at #5 to $25 an acre; not half the land in the state has been awakened to productive- ness by the kiss of the plow. Minoesota has 3,000,000 acres of school land, certain tracts of which are sold at auction every year in tracts of 40 to 320 acres. Land is ap- praised at $5 to $7 per acre and sold at 15 percentin cash and the bal- ance in forty years with 4 per cent interest. Minnesota has six navigable rivers, hundreds of minor streams, thous- ands of beautiful lakes, and at Duluth it has access to the greatest inland waterway in the world. Minnesota has eighty-five counties and 8,000 miles of railroad. Minnesota is destined to stand first people desired. A motion to instruct | among all the states in livestock pro- duction. Minnesota never fails to make record-breaking displays of butter and itturns out yearly a million pounds of the finest creamery butter in the world. Minnesota’s state fair, made pos- sible by the richness of the state’s resources and accomplishments, is the largest and best in the couutry. Minnesota ranks fourth among the forty-six states in agricultural pro- ducts. Minoesota ranks first in the pro- ductiosa of the finest hard spring wheat in the world; first in the growth and manufacture of flaxseed, linseed oi} and oil cake; first in iron ore and flour production, and finest ip charay of natural scenery and summer resorts. Minnesota has a state university, & state agricultural college and state experiment stations that rank among the best in the country. Minnesota is a state in the heart of civilization and the vanguard of progress, and with an abuodance of opportunity of all kinds. “Minnesota,” concludes the immi- gration board’s catalogue of advan- tages, “is a state for health and wealtb; both are yours in Minnesota. —— The Catholic Fair a Success. The Catholic fair closed on Satur- day evening. The ladies who had charge of the event feel very well satisfied with the patronage given the fair and we venture to say that those who attended feel well repaid for the time and money spent. The suppers were well patronized each evening. | has The total receipts were about five} in hundred dollars. ; THE IMMIGRATION ‘TUESDAY FOR THE Every Farmer Within Reach of Grand Rapids Should Be Here to Attend the Big Institute. ABLE INSTRUCTORS WILL SPEAK The Business Men of Grand Rapids Will Serve a Free Dinner For All in Attendance—Every- body Cordially Invited. The farmers should remember Tuesday next, December 15, and come to Grand Rapids to attend the Farmers Institute. The weather man bas promised to provide a good day for this important event. Of course, the weather man cannot al- ways be depended upon, but itis to be hoped that he will make yood on this occasion. The business men of Grand Rapids haye promised a big free dinner tu the visitors, and the business meu of Grand Rapids al- ways make good. Everybody and their families are iuvited to be pres- ent. A special invitation is extended to the ladies. There is a great dea) to learn at the institute that is of interest to the women folks as well as the men folks. it will be a busy day, an interesting and profitable day. Itshould be made the most valuable day of the year to the farm- ers. The first session will beyin at 10 o’clock in the forenvon and the second session will begin at 1:30. Mr McGuire will be in charge of the pro- gram. He will be assisted by F. B. MeLearn of Wrensha}l and C. E. Brown of Elk River. Farmers institutes have been held almost daily during the past six weeks in vortheastern Minnesota counties The Herald-Review has noted by its exchanges that a greater interest than ever before bas been taken in these meetings. The farm- ers are beginning to realize the im- portance and necessity of adopting scientific methods iu the operation and tilling of their !ands, and they are also realizing the necessity of ap- plying modern methods in the selec- tion and care of their stock. It is to be hoped that the institute to be held next Tuesday at Grand Rapids will prove no exception to the rule that appears to be now prevalent throughout this section. HAVE RECOUNTED THE PRECINCTS Inspectors Appointed by the Court to Canvass Votes on Shrivalty Contest Complete Labors. W. E. Crangle of Nashwauk, A. E. Wilder and C. E. Aiken of Grand Rapids, the inspectors appointed by Judge Stanton to recount the votes of certain precincts in connection with the contest instituted by George Rid- dell against T, T. Riley ior the office of sheriff, completed their }abors on Monday and prepared their report to the court. The precincts recounted and the votes of each were jas fol- lows: Sand Lake, 91; Iron Range No. 1, 232; tron Rapge No. 2, 137; Iron Range No. 3, 215;-Greenway, 161; Nashwauk No.1, 230; Nashwavk No. 2, 137; Crooked Lake, 32; Grand Rap- ids No. 1, 352; Grand Rapids No, 2, 186; Grand Rapids No. 3, 32; Splithand, 32; Blackberry, 16; Fraser, 10; McCor- mick, 22. ‘Phe total number counted was 1,885. Of that number 36 were marked as disputed and will be passed on by the court. Ae-a-reault of the count Mr. Riley gained one vote. Judge Stanton expressed himself as feeling a sence of dilicacy to hear the case and requested Judge Cant of Duluth to take the matter up: The latter has advised Judge Stanton that either ‘himself or Judge Dibbell will be here tomorrow to taxe the testimony and hear arguments of the attorneys, The weekly bible study at St. mil beh Catholic church this evening hata at 7:30 o'clock. There it is it a eae will continue toimcrease, i i } i