The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-10-31
CANADIAN THIEVES.
Great Depredations Upon Timber
Lands Along the Border in III
Minnesota.
Millions Of Feet Of Logs Stolen
From Land Belonging to the
Government.

commissioner Gron, or the general land
of1ce, has determined to prevent any further
.~deprsdations upon the timber lands Of North
ernsM innesota by the Canadian thieves along
the border. This matter was brought prom
lnNently before him by. a. report of J.
y. Wallace, made last June at Duluth, but
which has just reached the commissioner.
The report was first made to Senator Davis
and by him forwarded to Secretary Window.
Mr.. Window turned the matter over to the
interior department., and after many days it
finally reached the commission Mr.. Wallace
took@the place Of Special Agent Naf Of
Duluth, who was sick, and went along
the Northern border last winter and
spring. q Naff's district extends west only to
where the Little Fork river empties into
Rainy river. The great depreda tions are far
ther west. and the farther west Wallace went
the greater ~depredations he found. He took
possession Of q large amount Of property
that had been stolen by The Canadians. The
logs he sold to Hughes & Co. at an average
price of So per thousand feet. The Cana
dams bring yheir outfits across the border
and boldly cut the timber. on the Indian
5la4as wherever they can find it, Forty miles
above the mouth of the Big Fork there is
very extensive and wastefnl trespass, which
has been going on for the past five years.
There are cabins and stables where the
thieves carry IN the .
PHLA GING WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. .
About one and ahalf miles below Manitoba
rapids on Rainy river there j. a saw mill on
the Canadian side and anothAr ready to move
across to the American side. Near Pine river
on the American side is a boom two miles
long, which will hold fifty million feet of
logs. The timber for this boom was all cut
In the American forests from Indian lands.
There has also been an immense amount of
cord wood cut and sold to the twenty-five
stearnerson Rainy river Four more steam
ers are being built Along Rainy river. on
the Canadian side, there are nine saw mills
supplied from the American forests, two ele-
vators, one Touring mill and other indus
tries. A lock ia being constructed at
St Francis. the head of navigation,
which will allow all boats to
get into Rainy river. There are
fine agricultural lands along Rainy river. All
land on the Canadian side is taken, but
nothing can be done IN the American side
until the Indian title is extinguished. The
lumber taken from the American side and
appropriated by the Canadian thieves
amounts to millions of feet There are also
many rum holes run by Canadians on the
Am side, and the Indians are furnished
all the liquor they can pay for. THERE'S also
q whisky disti]lery hid away in the woods.
The Canadian Indians come across the bor-
der and get all the whisky they want. On
the Canadian side there are q large number
Of officers, but none on the American side.
Mr.. Wallace recommends the appointment
Of q special agent of the treasury depart
ment who shall be stationed in that vicinity
and put asssop to the depredations, and also
U oUT THE WHISKY VENDORS.
Accompanying Mr.. Wallace's report is an
endorsement signed by many Duluth citi-
gems, asking his appointment as special
agent of the treasury, As the timber
depredations come under the land office
regulations the whole matter was referred to
Commissioner Croft and Chief Young, of
the timber depreciation division. The COM
missioner, speaking of the matter. said that
he was determined to put a stop to the
p~tllaging Oh the forests, and it was finally
decided to appoint Mr.. Wallace rs special
agent of the land Office and instruct him to
prevent, al far as possible, any further steal
ing. When congress meets it ia hoped some
action may be taken looking to the disposal
OF the lands, or at least secure %appropria-
tions sufficient to allow the government
to station men on the southern
border to prevent any further depredationa
Mr.. Wallace will be instructed to at once pro-
coed to the section where the thieves have
been Mt work and confiscate all logs that
have been cut The matter Of selling whis-
Ky TO the Indians has bsen referred to the
Indian bureau, and it is probable thata spe-
cial agent of that bureau will be sent to, the
northern Minnesota boundary to stop that
part Of the Canadian traffic. The officials OF
the land Office recognize the fact that at
present Ills almost impossible to prevent
thieves from cutting the timber when such a
wide belt Of Indian unsettled lands lie be-
tween American civilization and the borders,
but an agent will be stationed there pending
congressional action. KS,