Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-24
THE NEW SURVEYOR GENERAL.
Interviews WITH tho Incoming and On
going Officials.

Interviews Wit, the Incoming apd Out
going Officials.
The news of the appointment Of DR.. Stew
art as surveyor general of Minnesota was the
current topic of conversation on Saturday.
The GLOBE reporters took up the trail and
first called upon Gen. James Fl. Baker. the
present incumbent. Without any formalitios
the scribe opened the ball by saying:
How does this matter of DR.. Stewards
appointment strike you, General?''
'With surprise, L confess. 1t was wholly
unexpected by me; his appointment or that
of any one to the office I now hold
''What influences do you attribute your re-
moval TOP
''My term of service expired on the 10Th
inst. but | felt assured I'd be reapponted
| presume DR.. Stewards appointment is
solely due to the friendly and close personal
relations existing between him and Secretary
Schurz.''
''You felt assured of your appointment,
Why"
Under the civil service rules, if they were
to be enforced, | felt myself entitled to the
appointment. ] felt assured Of retaining my
Office. My record was clean, and had been
particularly spoken of by my superior, J. A.
Williamson, as faithful and superior officer
In addition had the support of the whole
Minnesota delegation. Further, my reten-
ton was personally urged by Senator Win
dom. Under the circumstances, I felt conf
dent of my reappointment. These recon-
mendations were endorsed by the Governor
and all the State officials, and were concur
red in by Commissioner williamson"
The general began to toy with Bill King s
paper, and the reporter called his attention
an editorial therein where it was intimated
that dry leaves ratified among the pine
land thieves, the evergreens mourned
and there were many cross cuts in the
conical sections Of the pineries, etc.
81 wish,' said General Baker, "to
| make myself particularly clear about this
question Of "a pine lad ring Since have
been in Office any speculation in pine
| lands has been severed from office. We have
| only done the survey work. This office has
nothing to do with the sale of land And
the twaddle here (poin,ing to the Dispatch)
about the Mile Laos lands, ETC., is the
merest bUsh. AS to Joe's (Wheelock, edi-
torial. he can't mean that have interested
myself in the pine land business, because
couldn't have done so had I wished it. MOI
can DR.. Stewart do 50. the whole business
being consigned in this district to the
special charge of Judge Jones and Col
Protois. to
A little further talk, informal in it's nature
followed, during which this information was
impaired: There are 53,439.S4O acres Of
government land in Minnesota, of which
39,GS9, 1913 have been surveyed, leaving owe
l3.OO0,OOO to be finished up by DR.. Stewart o
his successors.
| WHAT DIR. STEWART SAID.
DR.. Stewart was the subject of many con
gratuiations and the GLOBE man had to in
terrupt them to launch the following:
"Well, doctor, what have you to say abou
all this hubub on the SURVEYOR general bust
ness?"
81 didn't know there WAS any special hub
bub on the subject. understand some Q
the so-called pine land ring do not like N
appointment, but know nothing detinit
about it,
: "What is the reason for their opposition?
, 'Now you are asking too much. I don
) think it would be proper for me, under til
;; circumstances, to go into general discussio
of this matter, and / must ask to be excused.
500 you expect there will be any oppos
ton to your con6rmation?'
81 have no reason to suppose there will t
any. Senators Mcmillan and Window a,
both friendly to me, and even if urged /