Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, December 29, 1909, Page 1

ia ”~ ow AUDITOR WERSON ~ ANSWERS CAITICS In Reply to Article by P. J. Russell Criticising State Auditor on Swamp Contests. ieee ‘STATE DOES NOT SELECT LAND Says Friends of Northern Minnesota Should Get Together and Settle | 1908-Amount of Levy on Tax- | Mr. F. B. McLeran, of Marshall, { Important Improvements Made Questions—New Laws ~ able Property in Itasca Coun- Practical Dairyman and : Buried Political Differences May Be Needed. ty About $735,000.00. P Fruit Grower. ; for Public Good. Sometime ago an article appeared in the Bemidji Pioneer, signed by P. . +, i} J. Russell, criticising State Auditor by Auditor Spang and his assistants, | Rapids on Tuesday, January, 11. Two|the board of conuty commissio Iverson’s methods in regard to state| ‘B® people of Itasca county will be/ sessions will be held, one at 10 o'-|Wiu h- tu lest meeting * required; to pay the sum of about) clock a. m., and another at 1:30 o’- r yester, "he Herald-R swamp land contests. The following is Mr. Iverson’s reply. “Ihave read the article prepared by ?. J. Russell, Esq. regarding swamp land contests. He complains of legislative acts 30 to 44 years ago giving swamp lands to help build rail- roads; that the state did sell its swam lands and used the proceeds for re- claiming them by drainage; that the state is not warranted in defending the contests against settlers. “He gives me too much credit for the personal efforts I may have exert ed. It is evident that learned law- yers do not fully comprehend sone phases of these swamp land matters. “I should like to advance a few thoughts that I hope may clear up some details that appear to be mis- understood. “First: The state did not begin any swamp land contests. We are always 0 ej defense., eitir “Second: The state does not select ~hé swamp land: From the'~#eld hotes of the surveyors made by the suveyor general those tracts shown to be swampy are placed in a selec- tion list and, with a copy of the town ship pla s sent to the state auditor, AUDITOR ISSUES TAX LEVY FOR 1909 Highest Rate is in Village of Deer River, Lowest’ Rate is in Nashwauk Township. GRAND RAPIDS’ RATE IS 51.4 MILLS 2.5 Mills Higher Than Rate For Year According to the abstract of taxes, which will be completed Thursday, $735,000 in taxes for the year just closing. This sum is assessed on the valuation of $23,031,598, which accord ing to the assessment and the chang- es made by the county and state boards of equalization, is the tax- able value of all the real and person: al property in Itasca county. To raise the amount of taxes stat- ed requires an average rate of about HOLD INSTITUTE. ~AT GRAN PAIS z eau er & Will Hold Two Sessions January One at 10 O'clock a. m. and 1:30 p. m. 7 RE. REA The Meeting Will Be In Charge Preparations are being made to hold a farmer's institute at Grand clock. The institute will be in charge of F, D. McLeran of Marshall, Minn., @ practical farmer and fruit raiser. He is also an authority on clearing stump lands and those who have tracts to clear should not fail to hear lhis tall. Mr. McLeran will be assisted in the work by H. G. Larson, of Berner, Minnesota. Mr. Larson has a dairy 37 mills, a little higher than the rate for last year. The rates for the varjous villages and towns has not yet been figured up, but it has been ascertained the highest rate is 61.6 mills, which is for the village of Deer River. The lowest rate is 20.1 mills, in Nashwauk township. The rate for the village of Grand Rapids is 51.4 mills and is figured as follows: 2.8 mills for state revenue; 8.4 mills, county revenue; 13.5 mills, school ids township; “13.5 “mills, - village- of Grand, Banida,. The. total tax levy Itasea county for state revenue is $64 488; county appropriation $190,000; Village revenue $93,287; township re- venue, $387,161. Of the county ap- propriation, $100,000 is for revenue, $45,000 for roads and bridges, $15,- the local U. S. land office and the general land office at Washington. “If the swamp selections are found to be free from conflicting claims and the swamp character is varified by the field notes, the commissioner of the general land office prepars a list for the approval of the secretary of the interior, who sends it to the governor. “The governor acknowledges receipt of the list and requests the secre- tary to cause a patent to be issued. In due time a patent is sent to the governor, when the state’s title is completed. That is the method of selecting swamp lands for the state. “I wish to call attention to this— that the state of Minnesota and its officers have absolutely nothing to do with selecting swamp lands. We only receive those descriptions which the federal officers decide are swamp and belong to the state under the act’ of March 22, #860. “An intending homesteader or scrip entry man may, before approval of) patent, contest the selection made for the state, if he has a quarter on ‘the land before the township was surveyed. The burden of maintain- ing the defense is on the state. “If the land is in fact swamp, as proven by an investigation in the field by competent land exmainers, it should go the state. If it is found to be not) swampy the &tate’s side is promptly dropped and the settler or claimant wins as a matter of course. “The people have placed me in charge of the state’s land interests. and have a right to expect that I will defend their lands. from any attack, 000 for poor fund, $15,000 for bonds and $15,000 for interest. The totals not being added up, it is impossible tol give a detailed account in this issue, but the coming week, the Her- ald-Review will give a more com- prehensive account of the rates and amounts for the various villages and towns. GRAND RAPIDS TO. HAVE NEW HOTEL | L.R. Root Will Erect Modern Brick Building —To Be Called Great Northern. Grand Rapids is to have a new modern three-story brick hotel build- ing. The building will be erected by L. R. Root and when completed will cost between $30,000 and $35,000. Operations will commence about April 1, and the building will occupy the present site of the old Great Northern hotel, which will be torn down, at the corner of Houghton avenue and Third street. It will have a frontage of 60 feet, on Third street and 100 ft. on Houghton avenue. The building will stand three stories high farm thirty miles from a railroad in Clearwater county and his experience in overcoming difficulties in northern Minnesota should prove of great be- nefit to farmers in this vicinity, “An other speaker at these meetings will be Mr. Frank Gibbs, of: St. Paul, one, of the most successful and well- knpwh gardeners in the state. .* Mr. Gibbs has devoted his time’ and atten- tion for the past thirty years— fact that northern. Mirnesota—is” excellence of its garden, truck. Prof. A. J. MeGuire, of the North- east Experiment farm, will also as- sist in the work at the meeting: None are better qualified than he to ad- vise the farmers of this section as to the best means to pursue in mak- ing the farm a business success. Everyone who is interested in his or her material welfare should attend these meetings. The average farm- er has as large an investment as the average merchant, yet the farmer does not keep accounts, that is, a majority do not. ness with several animals, his crop and machinery, not knowing whether they pay him interest on his ivest- ment or not. Many farmers’ give a cow $20 or $30 worth of feed and put in $10 to $20 worth of labor on a cow and at the end of the year they have nothing to show for #t but the cow. Some cows never give value received for the amount of feed consumed while others turn over a nice balance on the profit side. Which kind of a cow are you keeping? You can learn all about it at the farmers’ ingtitutp. The speakers coming here are all practical and successful men, who, like many other farmers, are too bus: to’ keep books, yet they will show how many valuable facts may be known by farmers regarding the var- jous enterprises of the farm, by just a few figures. These farmers’ ‘nstitutes which are being held im every county in the state, are designed to bring togeth- er to exchange ideas and to help each SHORT TALKS BY PRACTICAL MEN} f| Fine New Bridges Built and Other Yet he does busi-! Accomplished in the Year Now Ending. ANY MORE AND BETTER ROADS Good work for the taxpayers was done during the ‘ear now clusing by one ce te preceadings J Hourd f.: the last twelve montis for wenefit of its readers and is pleased to ennounce that the present board bas done more and better work than any of its predecessors. And this does not mean there have not been other good boards, but that the com- missioners now in office have work- ed to better advantege. Wmhile divided im their political faith they did not permit politics to enter into their work. They differed at times of course as men always do, but the differences were honest differences mot inspired by politics. The result fave been highly gratifying for the -| Hilling’s grocery and confectionery MCALPINE BLOGK Brick Building Now Only a Shell, Result of Early Morning Blaze in Bitter Cold. FIREMEN’S SPLENDID BATTLE WON | Frozen Hydrant Delayed Them at First—Flames the Result of Gasoline Explosion in Restaurant. McAlpine’s two story brick building at the corner of Leland avenue Third street, which is occupied and by stora the IXU cafe and M. Me- Alpine’s saloon, was damaged by fire this, morning. The building caught fire in the IXL cafe, about 6 o'clock, by the explosion of a gasoline tank attached to the coffee urn, the explosion being caused by a leakage of gasoline. The fire soon burned its way ‘between the walls, despite the efforts of the emp’ es to exterminate it, and soon the side of the room was in flames, In the meantime a call was DAMAGED GY FIRE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL Two Dollars a Y ear. TAX SETTLEMENT FOR OECOND HALF November Settlement of Money Col- lected by County Treasurer for Taxes. WARRANTS ISSUED BY. AUDITOR Total Tax Collected and Apportion- ed $252,969.19, a Total of $90,069.92, More Than H Last Year. The Itasca county November set- tlement of money collected from June Ist, 1909, to November ist, 1909, was completed the latter part of last week by County Auditor M. A. Spang and Treasurer Glen Strader and the money apportioned to the several funds for which it was levied. The total collections were $252,969,- 19, $90,069.92 more than was collected for the same period during the year 1908, which is not only evidence that Itasca county properties are increasin in value, but also that more lands are sent to the fire department, who quickly responded, but on account ot the intense cold, the temperture pbe- ing 22 degrees blow, some time elaps- payers. To give one instance of the zeal with which the commissioner have labored, they established nearly 1909. improve- nts have been im road and bridge junderté{ien, aws the ibuilding of a road across the bog north of Deer River, a distance of about ten miles. Prior to its construction the country north of the bog had been shut off from rdad connections with the county seat. Half a dozen townships north of the bog are greatly benefit- ed by this improvement. The state constructed a great ditch: across the bog and the road was constructed along sid@ e ditch. Material from the excavation was used in making the gradé of the road way. Prior t® this year’ there was no road acréss the bog between Black- berry and Feeley. Thanks to the commissioners there is one, now and a mile of it is corduroy road. An- other main road improvement was that between Marble and Nashwauk. There was a good road} from Grand Rapids to Marble and from Nashwauk to thd St. Louis county line. Im- | proving the road between Marble and | Nashwauk gives a fine highway from the county seat to the St. Louis county line. Another improvement of importance is the work done on the highway between Grand Rapids and Cohasset, a much traveled road. The hills were cut down’ and the road widened. Most of the road work was done under contract and the system has proven very satisfactory in its results. The total amount spent up- on road improvements was $28,696.99 A system was adopted of numbering all county roads, which now total 74, 21 of which were established this years, showing that the board is giving every outlet possible to set- |img and cornish was torn off in order ed before water could be secured from the hydrants. The fire quickly spread to the side walls, eating its way into the saloon to|ne-third of all the eounty roads dur-|and store, and soon the second floor 3 market gardening and his talk should|) district No. 1; 5.2 mills, Grand Rap- prove very interesting in view of the|> Most important of the was also in flames. The firemen Were powerless to do anything until water could be secured from the hWork. Phe biggest-picce-of-road Shydrant. 7 ‘Waiter was finally secured and three streams were soon playing on the building, which by that time was amass of flames. The firemen first directed their efforts to checking the fire in the restaurant and then turned attention to the second floor. The greater portion of fire was con- fronted to rooms directly above the trol. A large portion of the tin roof- to put out the fire which was burn- ing beneath the roofing and the fire was finally subdued. H. W. Hilling removed a large por- tion of his confectionery and grocery ‘stock ‘efore the water was turned on and his damages wiil be probably not over $300, but the ,contents of the cafe and the second floor, which was used as a lodging house is a complete loss and the damage will total about $1,400. Both carried in- surance. Many of the lodgers escap- ed wit’ only a scanty amount of clo- things, as the rooms.quickly filled wit! smoke, making it impossible to re main but a short-space of time. Mr. Hilling immediately secured the Ponti building at the corner of Kindred avenue and Fifth street, formerly oc- cupied by the Unique theatre, moved his stock and speedily made ready to care for the wants of his patrons. Mr. Bileadeau proprietor of the cafe, states he will reingage in the rest- aurant business as soon as a suit- able location can be secured. The building is a wreck, nothing of the rear remaining but the brick walls, the roof has fallen in various places and portions of the north wall and will have an immense basement) other. The best farmers are the MeN | tjers and doing all in its power to aid| is in danger of collapsing. The puild- The hotel will have between 70 and| who know something about the thingt!in the agricultural development of| ing was only partially covered by in- 80 rooms and willbe thoroughly|others are doing and it has beet! tne coutty, It will be| noticed that the brightest and most modern insevery respect. known, as the Great Northern. successful farmers are always pre- Mr. Root is one of Grand Rapids’|sent at these meetings. Durimg the ~ Several e bridges were built. Notable among these are the steel and concrete se erected across the surance. Mr. McAlpine states that he does not know the amount of his loss and is undecided as to what he will do in regards to rebuilding. It | Moose being cleared and farmed. State Tax. State revenue .. «$18,435 45 ate schools - 10,804 69 Apportioned to County. Revenue Meise sieb de'ee Rords and bridges .. Voor ., Eonds .. Interest Ardenhurst’ .. PRT ae ccs, Alvwood .. Balsam ¢3 Bass Brook Bass Lake Bearville .. Bigfork .. Carpenter Deer River Feeley Goodland Grattan e trand Rapids Chreen way Iron Range Lake Jessie Marcell --$ 409 660 25 144 18 . 1,174%980 758 96 199 77 503 27 421 63 29 Park . hes a8 205 Ot Nore .. Nash wauk Popple Sand Lake Sago Trout Lake ° Biss 4 Third River .. .. é 128 50 Wirt 513 Bovey .. Cohasset Deer River Grand Rapids Holman .. Keewatin. Nashwauk : Apportioned to Schools. District No. 1 . +++. .--:$20,119 83 District No. 2 .. .. 36,961 67 District No. 5 .. 326 21 District No. 6 2,941 36 District No. 9 .. 10,359 94 461 81 369 41 District No’ 10 .. District No, 11 .. Apportioned State Loans. District No. 1 Ba 3 12 District No. 2 . 3,739 40 District No. 6 .. 13 18 District No. 9 « 4,973 02 District No. 10 .. 19 84 District No. 11 .. 17 45 LAST MEETING FOR YEAR 1909 pioneer citizens, having resided inmjcourse of the imstitute the new Grand Rapids for the past 18 years.| Farmers’ Institute Annual No. 22 will He has served on the police force|be distributed free. Every farm and as a member of the village coun-|houses should have a copy of this cil and has.a large number of friends} book, which is full of very valuable | or as the law directs, to the extent ef my ability. If I should default in making a proper defense at the hear- ing before the local land office the state would lose in every such in- Big Fork river, in the town of Wirt, the cost being born by the county and town jointly. Another joint bri was built across the Big Fork at Pop- ple. Still another joint bridge, of is understood the insurance is $3,- 500 and the loss probably $10,000. + oo stance. This world be equivalent to a relinquishment or conveyance of the land in question direct to the it. “Surely no! one, and certainly an attorney at law, would presume to say that the state auditor possessed the authority to thus convey lands throughout the north country who wil) make it a point to register at the|There is no charge of any kind to Great Northern when in Grand Rapids |those who attend these meetings.| , ae om. 4 ee ez The location of the new hotel is ex-|Hverything is paid for by the state i cellent—two blocks from the depot|and the local business men. and oh the main business street of the village—and should prove a pay- ing investment to Mr. Root. The information on agricultural lines. «461, wood and conerete, was con- Four additional main cells and a eer, ree cell for the émsane were added *o the lent county jail at a cost of $2,500. Plans the H cg ere bie te have been prepared, which the oe —— state board of control has approved, the new Nashwauk extension is evi denced by the following from the Bovey Iron News:—‘Within eight Northern has sold two hundred tickets to Grand Rapids. Each night the station is full of passengers await : County Commissioners Wind Up the Sold 200 Tickets. ~ Year’s Business at Meeting ._: That passenger traffic in good on Held Tuesday. The final meeting of the board of county commissioners for the year days, Agent DesJardins of the Great/i999 was held at the court house Tuesday afternoon. The major por- tion of the afternoon was spent in recommending and rejecting petitions “ belonging to the state. "On the contrary, if the land is proven to be dry, the contestants is victor, but is such cases the state’s interests will have been pro- tected, even though a loss of land results therefrom. No one desiring only right and justice will contend building wil be used for hotel purpos-| which so successfully presented the # ai Prince atin, under te ance tt a ap ce a Mr. Root stated to a Herald-Review} of the Episcopal guild, sometime ago ys ie cic ee mS . representative that the plans havelare at work on a rural drama en-| lant nas posit cata tad been drawn and everything has been|titled The Country Kid. |The Mem-/ arm and a eement floor has. been settled with the exception of th’ | bers of the cast are working hard to' 1+ in the ba ae oe. ek pour minor details and that work will com-| get it in presentable shape and ©X-'house. Notable and Pe mence about April 1 and will be rush pect to stage it during the latter part |, 7A ae ARR y that the state auditor s! not use/ed to completion as rapidly as pos-jof January. Definite announcement OO : (Continued on page four) sible. * 2 will be made in our next issue. (Continued on-page four) % : ‘ . : % : “pers, ing the coming of the train. This|for abatement of taxes, there being seems to indicate that Grand Rapids|an unusually large number to pass has a good thing in the coming of|on Petitions for new roads were re- this railroad. Already complaints are| ceived and it was decided to estab- heard that the hotel Pokegama ié/jish five new roads the coming spring too small and that another one/and work will be commenced as soon should be built.” as possible. The usual grist of bills was allowed. “fhe annual meeting The Herald-Review for neat and] of the board will be held Tuesday, “tasty” printing. ; January 4. DEFECTIVE PAGE | qoeaseauy gat, ibe yen v3 6 saris