The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-05-18
From. the Dnluth Tribune.
SUPERIOR, WIS.
T. C.

BYTC.
Superior is twenty-five years old; or so
nearly, that it's history for quarter of a
century may be written, It's rise, progress
and decline would amuse Gibbon.
The west end of Lake Superior has des-
tiny and sooner or later,-however much
later, as a focus of commerce, it will achieve
destiny quite equal to the matured judg-
ment of safe calculators.
The past winter may be little in advance
the I'M provement is no greater than what is
due to the partial destruction of the forest :
and by no means as great,-hal a tithe of
the needless expenditures in town and village
structures been devoted to agricultural
improvements.
The neglect of the latter, has not only re-
tarded the improvements of climate but re-
suited in an annual decination of ofinhabitants;
until Douglas county numbers few if any
more than five hundred of the 1900 in 1870.
We may claim with much truth that this
decrease is due to delay in railroad construc-
tion long snce hopedfor, il not relied upon,
by the early settlers; but wiM these neither
Ashland nor Duluth has maintained its max
mum population, much less advanced
Labor will always seek employment and
when not misled, naturally ecomes agricul-
tural; but town buldefs, like the Babel build
els, divert it to useless purposes, the result
confusion. And so it has been in Superior,
for twenty years an average annual tax of
$2o,000,-in some years $50, ,000,- been
laid upon the wild lands and ninety.1ine
vacant out of hundred town lots-and the
proceeds of these taxes-except one or two
thousand dollars for the state, have gone to
officials and to unnecessary town improve
ments. From nearly half million of dollars
of taxes thus wrung from cumberland and
nonresident town lot owners, Superior can
show three school houses, court house.
common roads, besides $4,000 in nominal
tax claims; against $4,000 floating and
$3.50, 600 bonded debt; true, e last item is
in litigation with fair show for successful
reputation of most of it.
Nonresident property owners seldom visit
Superior; but when they do they naturally in
quire what we do for a living? They gather
some of the above facts, learn that we have
about dozen nominal paupers and as many
more living on their witty ways, while the
honest laborer is cal oled to work for county
and town orders and sell them for a few
cents on the dollar, and the enlightened visi-
tor goes away wiser but pays no more taxes;
and the courts sustain him in his repudation.
This state of affairs is drawing to close
and will be played out with the first twenty
five years of Superior's history; if not by
moral force it must by its own weight of
dead and confused element The,moral force
is at work, determined to limit the 1873 tax
at a reasonable amount for single town of
five hundred inhabitants, coterminus with
the county. Our Duluth owners of property
here may reasonably hope to share in a tax
of not over 81, 600; enough in ali reason, for
any industrious population of five or six
hundred.
You have in Duluth dozen men owning
property in Superior. who pay thousand
dollars year on it, and quarter in cash;
while we have like number of residents
liable to pay similar amount; but who per
sist IN letting their taxes run from wear to
year and when they do pay,-if-at all,
manage to get off by using deprecated or
ders, and no money.
This fiscal year will close with nearly
$4,000, of tax claims in the hands of the
county, large portion of which, if contested
may be adiudged void. In view of this. the
County Board has been in the practice of
compromising, at from % to 40 per cent of
the face of the taxes without interest
This state of affairs has grown out of the
over and unlawful issue of orders to the rinq..
upon the mere pretence of claim and from
two to ten dollars in orders for one dollar of
claim; these orders have been bought up bv
tax paying agents at 80 or 40 cents and used
in paying taxes for non-resideuts at par.
or much less discount