St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-07
BY order of the directors,
CTrAnrr1 Nr-uAy o.
CROPPING IN THE DARK.
The Wheat Investigators Continl
To &c ranh fnss tho AIInnnd Gfnn

The Wheat Investigators Continue
to Search for the Alleged Steal
age.
When the wheat steal investigation
committee went into session Yesterday
morning, Edwin McManus, chief weigh
er at Duluth. was put on the stand, and
an hour spent In listening to his meth
DDS of weighing. He was questioned by
Mr.. Severance very closely. In the
cross-examination by Mr.. Erwin the
witness said that when he first went
into office, two years ago, he heard of
some vessels that were loaded at Duluth
being short at Buffalo. He had some
correspondence from the officials at
Buffalo showing that about 100 vessels
had been short at that place during the
two years he has been in office. The
shortage oil an average was about 40
pounds in 1000 bushels. When asked
whether he had ever heard of vessel
being 600 bushels short OIL her cargo.
the witness replied that he did, but
could not remember the particular
craft.
Mr.. McManus said he had the CORE
spondence showing the shortage and he
was requested to produce it. Mr.. Smith
suggested that a report be obtained
from Ju Illus Smith, the official weigh
man at Buffalo, in order to make this
report complete.
Mr.. Severance asked that julius
Smith be brought up from Buffalo to
answer few questions, as he was the
man who had been making the charges
of shortages. The matter was laid over
until the contents of Mr.. McManus' cor
respOndence can be ascertaIned.
Mr.. Erwin-Have you control of the weigh
ing exclusively, or 90 you share the control
with the elevator companies
Mr.. McManuS-We have exclusive control
Have not complaints repeatedly come i'm
from the country about shortage at the ele-
Yators?'
No; 1 shipped wheat to Duluth myself for
anumber OF years, and / never found any
shortage"
The witness further said that the loss
by shortage while the grain was being
transported by the lakes did not fall
upon the people of this state, but upon
the vessel owners. Representatives of
the vessel owners were always present
when the vessel was loaded. He had
never seen wheat piled up on the floor
of the receiving track until it had to be
removed before train could come up.
and he did not think such a thing DOS
Slble. The scales at the elevators were
examined regularly twice each year,
and oftener when it was deemed neces-
sary for any reason.
j. l. Thomas, agent of the Northern
Pacific at Duluth, and the Duluth.
South Shore 81 Atlantic, was called first
at the afternoon session. He exhibited
DILL books of both lines and train stops
OF the latter covering period of six
years. They showed the entire amount
of freight shipped by the roads from
Duluth. He testified that a way bill
might be made out for a car and the car
held, but very rarely. In such cases
the books show that the bills are void.
l.. A. Kemp, freight agent of the
Omaha, produced his books. He had
known of cars being set OH the elevator
tracks at night, but not in the past two
years. He had never heard of cars be-
So far as he knew all shipments had
been fair and honest. On one occasion
he was asked to get two cars to Elevator
e when it was late. He set the cars in
after 7;30. and they were pulled out be-
fore midnight. They were billed as
screenings. He could not remember
when it was without looking I'D the
records. Nothing was said about great
haste. He believed Mr.. Ripley. who
ordered the cars, had asked that the
order be filled with dispatch.
Charles Canning. who has been in the
grain business at Duluth, was called.
He is former resident of Winona
county. where he raises 10000 bushels
of wheat a year. He shipped most of it
to Duluth elevators He had little com !
plant to make. He might complain of |
the grading as it was in 1Ss9-9O. In the !
latter year he complained 10 the gov
ernor that about half Of his No. l hard |
wheat was graded as No. northern. !
The explanation was that the wheat |
was bleached- He thought some of the |
wheat was graded as No. northern
was better than No. hard. He had |
had wheat graded No 2 northern when |
it should have been No. northern. In |
some instances where complaint was |
made. Inspector Clausen had raised the |
grade.
Mr.. Canning was still On the stand at |
4 O'Clock, when the committee adj
journed.