Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1891-05-29
ELEVATOR INVESTIGATION.

ELEVATOR iNvEsrlaAtloN.
EAs 1linnssots Legislative Osnnittss
- ~ A. Work ON the Case. ~ N
81. PAUL, May 2o.-The Duluth
wheat deal investigation was resumed
1t the Capitol. rs.
J. W. Cross was again placed on tho
stand and re-examined by Assistant At
torney General Childs. He testified that
Il was not . common practice for tho
companies to ship out grain at
. higher grade than at which It was 70
ceived. A number Of companies had
had their grain reinspected and graded
up, however. Among them wore Van
Dusen q Co. and Moore & Co. Fulton
held them down on grades for q time,
telling them they were too liberal in
grading. The differences in the price
after the grain had been raised In grade
went TO tho parties buying tho wheat.
Cross testified that i'll feeling had been
shown toward him by Mr.. Fulton, ocea-
stoned by his knowledge Of irregulari-
ties in the elevator and that he had 70
ported these irregularities to Gen.
Becker by letter in June, 1890. These
letters were procured and put in EVIL
dence. The first ono stated that the ele-
vators were shipping out wheat at night
billed - screenings. On cross examina-
ton Cross admitted in one case where
the grade was raised that the wheat had
been cleaned. Witness accused Fulton
Of having him transferred to Minneapo-
lis, because Cross had reported alleged
irregularities on Fulton's part to Gen.
Becker. He however, subsequently ad-
mitted writing to the warehouse com.
missioner asking to be removed to Min
neapolis.
Shipping Wheat without Inspection.
ST. PAUL, May 22.-The Duluth
wheat deal investigation committee
opened tho days session by placing John
Shelly, chief deputy 1t Minneapolis,
upon the stand. MI. Shelly, prior to
Aug. /, 1880, was chief deputy inspector
at Duluth. He testified that wheat was
several times to his knowledge shipped
out at night in 1855 without inspection;
that it was damaged wheat which Mr..
Ripley told him he wanted to get out Of
tho state without the public knowing
anything about it. There was 1T that
time some 2,O00, 900 bushels of damaged
wheat in elevators E and F, which fact,
il known would have created panic;
he had an understanding with Mr..
Ripley that tho grain was to be shipped
out at any time to get it out of the
country; he thought there was some
understanding between the elevator peo-
pie and tho grain and warehouse COM
mission. Swan Hanson, employed by
tho elevator company since 1884, was
the next witness, but his testimony was
Of little importance. Ario was RECALLED
and testified that there was no sheet
iron in tho bins in 1886.
Regarding Screenings and Doekage.
ST. PAUL, May 23.-Theodore Macy
. cleaner in the employ of elevators B
and E, testified to the investigating
committee. Screenings, he said, were
collected and sold as such. All he ever
saw shipped out went by day. He had
1T times noticed q difference between
the dockage placed on tho wheat by the
inspector and tho amount of screenings
cleaned out. Sometimes the shrinkage
was more than was estimated by the
state inspector, and sometimes less.
During the first year he was with the
elevators he heard some complaint that
tho dockage of the state inspector
was too fair. He could not say
whether or not the elevators acquired
much of an average during the time he
was employed there. Mr.. Burke, now
city clerk Of Duluth, had told him ele-
vator D was 5000 bushels short; that .
quantity of wheat had got into the
cracks and another lot had been dam
aged. The elevator company had to
make this good to the shippers. he
had never seen anything irregular on
the part Of the company in handling
wheat. He, however, admitted once
being engaged assisting to load wheat
into . vessel when the inspector came
up and shut off the bin, saying that that
kind of thing would not do. After the
inspector went away a quantity of the
forbidden wheat was loaded into the
bins. Spilled wheat was always cleaned
up and properly accounted for. The
foreman had given out an order that
any man who left wheat in a car, or
failed TO clean it properly, would be dis
charged. He only knew Of one instance
of wheat being brought in by those who
claimed to buy sweepings.
Examined by Mr.. Erwin, witness
finally admitted that the dockage at the
elevator might, on the average, favor
the company. He could not say any,
thing respecting some figures adduced
by Mr.. Erwin, who estimated that the
elevators handled IS, O00, 900 bushels of
wheat, out of which there would be
50, 900 bushels Of overage-1, 900 bushels
to every 1900, 900 bushels handled. He
did not think that wheat of different
dockage was mixed, certainly not before
cleaning. If two cars were Of No. / hard
or of the same grade with different dock
age, they would after cleaning be put
together. He had known Of odd cases
where they were put together. No
record was kept of dockage to make q
gain for the house. He had seen FIVE
mills tied mp for half day by the in
spector refusing to allow the grain to
be used because it was not cleaned to
his satisfaction.