Daily globe., 1882-09-28
William Gillespie, and H. E. Murphy.

William Gillespie, and II. E. Murphy.
Referring to the petition for the Winnie
bagoshish precinct, Hatcher AYERS that he
knows of his own knowledge that there are
no civilized residents of said region. but
that there are few white men temporarily
employed there in government works un-
der one Wanzer, who resides in st. Paul.
OF the proposed precinct of Nicholson,
he AYERS that the only civilized resi-
dent is A. G. Gould. who keeps the
stopping place; that he has read the list of
petitions for the establishment of this pre-
cinct, and knows that not one of them ex-
cept Gould is a resident. Also that he has
examined the list for the Pine river pre-
cinct, and that one Barcley is the only res
ident, etc.
Mr.. Hatcher concludes his affidavit with
a general statement as to the character of
the county, which he declares to be in the
main Ian uninhabited and almost uninhab-
liable wilderness of pine forests, pine
barrens and morasses, y x full of uncivil-
lied Chippewa Indians and winds up
with statement that in his opinion the
establishment Of the precincts in question
would result in great frauds.
WEST DAY.
An affidavit upon which Mr.. Gordon laid
great stress was made, he said, by man
known as West Day, though that was not
his name. This West Day, Mr.. Gordon
said, was connected with the numbering
firm Of L. Day & Sons, Minneapolis, at
tended to their business in the
woods, and knew every foot
of land in the affected territory and
the residents thereof. His affidavit was a
very strong one, so strong that there was
natural anxiety to examine the document.
That examination disclosed the fact that
Mr. Gordon had prepared it for west" or
John Wesley Day to sign. but that for
some reason not appearing, his signature
had not been obtained, and in his
place Mr.. Gordon had conveniently sub
stituted that of L. d. Day, another mem
Der of the firm, the John Wesley" being
scratched out and Il. DE- written in. The
L. d. Day, it is asserted by those who
know him well and the country in ques-
ton, has not been there for five years
past, If ne ever was, and really knows
nothing personally of what he was induced
to swear to.
This L. D. Day, after swearing
that he is OF the firm of L.
Day & Sons, Minneapolis, being
the superintendent of the logging branch
of the business and has been for the last
twenty years, during which time he has
been engaged every fall, winter and spring
IN their logging operations, principally in
the counties of Cass, Itasca and Aitkin.
and On most of the logging streams in
said counties, including the Pine, Prairie.
Swan, Mississippi, Willow and Mouse
rivers, goes on to say:
That he is and for many years has heen
thoroughly acquainted in said regions.
and personally knows almost every
bona fde white or half-breed resident
in said counties, that the county
Of Itasca, and also the county of Cass out
side the Shell river district, are of such a
character as to forbid permanent settle
ment for agricultural purposes for many
years to come, and that outside of Grand
Rapids, part OF which is in both counties.
Immediately on the Southern Pacific
railroad, and the Shell river aforesaid
there are no bona fde residents in the
counties except uncivilized Indians. and a
very few squaw men, and keepers of ranches
or taverns for the accommodation of lum-
bermen and peddlers of spirituous liquor
to the Chippewa Indians that there are not,
outside of Grand Rapids, any bona fde
residents of Itasca county; that the fol-
lowing persons comprise all the
bona tide white residents of Grand Rapids
on the Itasca side, viz: Chris Burns. a
saloon keeper, Mike McAlpine, a tavern
keeper, w. L. Wakefield and L. F. Knox.
store keepers, who trade with the Indians
and with the employees of lumbernen.
That Robert McAbe is a squaw man who
resides at Pokogema Falls.
That he has examined the list of pur-
ported petitioners for the organization of
said Itasca county into an election pre-
cinct, and that not one Of them except the
persons above named are bona fde resi-
dents of said county unless they are Chip
pewa Indians who have conveniently adopt
ed white mems names for the occasion.
As to the list of names for the proposed
organization of Grand Rapids in Cass
county, he deposes that the only
bona fde residents are Patrick Tracy Tor
Casy), a store keeper: A. Mason, a saloon
keeper recently arrested for selling liquor
to Indians: Thos. Doyle, squaw-man who
lives above Pokegema Falls, and "Iniun
Smith, 2 squaw-man.
That at lake Winnebagoshish there are
no bona fide white residents; that the Z. S.
government is now building reservoir
dam at said point, and that
! there are a few white men
temporarily employed on said work under
| one A. Wanzer, but that none of them are
residents of said locality, and they are
all there for the temporary purpose of
building such dam.
That he is well acquainted with the
county along and in the vicinity of Pine
river, and that, except A. G. Gould, tav-
ern keeper at Nicholson, and one Barclay.
there are no bona fde residents in either
of the election precincts petitioned for.
and that of the purported petitioners, ex-
cept as above, there are no bona fide
civilized resident therein, and that he
recognizes in said lists of signers the
names of men who reside some in Brain
erd, some in Aitkin and some in Min