St. Paul daily globe., 1892-02-07
LOOKS like A JOB.
A Protest Against the Timber
Appraisers for the Red
Lake Reservation.
Men Named Who Have Been
"Cruisers" for Pillsbupy
and Weyerhauser.
IntimatiOnS That the Red Lake
Pine Is to Be GObbled Up ~
at Once.
Influences at Washington Se-
lect Men for an Impor-
tant Work.


the years he spent at Washington as
member of the lower house of the ma
tional legislature from the old Fifth
district was the passage of a bill pro-
viding for the opening of the Red Lake
Indian reservation. 1t took a vast
amount of careful work to secure the
passage of this measure, and, as passed,
it was thought that the bill would pre-
vent any one corporation obtaining a
grip on the valuable timber with which
a large portion of the reservation is
covered. AS is we'll known. the big
lumbermen of the state were and have
for years been most anxious for the
opening of this reservation, for while
there is much fertile farming land
there, there has been hardly any de-
mand for it on the part Of people seek
ing farms and homes.
But now it seems that there is a sus-
picion in the minds of the people who
live in close proximity to the big reser-
vatl0n that all is not right. and that a
Job Has Been Set Up
at Washington by which several Of the
large timber corporations of the state
are to obtain what is commonly termed
a ''cinch'' on the most valuable pieces
of this timber. This impression arose
from the action of the interior depart
ment at Washington about one month
ago, when two men were appointed to
appraise the timber on the Red Lake
reservation. These men may be all
right personally, but their associations
for the past dozen years have been, it is
claimed. such that they are untitled to
perform the duties that will fall to them.
These appraisers are:
Thomas Nary, for fifteen years a
cruiser in the employ of the Gull
River Lumber company and commonly
known as
"PfllsburY's NEan.''
The Pillsbury i'll this case is none
other than eX-GOv. John S. Pillsbury, of
minneapolis. The other appraiser is
Charles Hayden, for the past two years,
at least, ''crulser' in the employ of
the big WeyerhauSer syndicate, which
in now engaged in swapping up all the
pine lands that can be had
10 be sure, Messrs. Nary and Hayden
are good enough men for these places
as far as knowledge of the duties they
are to perform is concerned, but this is,
but small consideration and it Wilt
readily be seen that their appointments
will create no end of unfavOrable critiz,
ciSm. Senator WaShburn is credited
with having secured MesSrs. Hayden
and Nary their appointments, and the
charge has been made that this was
done for a purpose. These two men
are to estimate the amount of timber oil
the Red Lake reservation and fix its
value as well. OF course. when this is
opened for sale there will be nothing to
prevent any man bidding against the
latter are possessed of inside lnforma--
ton. So far so good. But those who
are acquainted with the situation in the
lumber sections of Minnesota know
how much show an outsider will get in
competition with these big and rich
corporations. In the first place they
will surround him with their camps.
He will be unable to get his logs to
market, and one year will remove him
from til field. A prominent operator
near CIR nd Rapids. in 1tasca county, in
speakln of the two appointments last
evening, said:
ut looks peculiar 10 see Weyerhauser
and PIllsbury name the men who are
to appraise the timber on the reserva-
ton, and the people up our way are ex-
tied over it. 1t looks like job. and a
protest will be entered. The most sus-
appointments were made from Wash
ington, which shows that either the of
ficerS of the department propose to
take no notice of any timber plunder-
ing that may be carried on, or that the
lumbermen have started out to fix up
things for themselves. The GLOBE
has never failed to take the side of the
people against those who would plum
der the public domain, and no small
amount of good has been done in the
way of forcing the government inspect
ors into doing their duty. l notice that
vigorous newspaper attack, on the
administration of affairs up North, is
Invariably followed by unusual activity
on the part of the timber inspectors
''Do you think there is scheme on
foot to have this appraisal made in the
interest of the big lumbermen?"
Il do" was the reply, lands so does
every man acquainted with the situation
in our section. Pine timber is rapidly
approaching In value, and if few big
firms can secure control of the timber
on the Red Lake reservation they can
regulate the output and squeeze the
people just as much as they please"
This is serious matter and the peo-
pie of this state and Dakota, who need
lumber. are all interested in seeing it
settled right. AT the present time the
lumber manufacturers have the benefit
of tariff on lumber which enables
them to put UP the price without feel
ing Canadian competition. This tariff
they propose to have the government
maintain for their benefit. At the pres
ent time the trust has prices fixed, and
the only thing necessary now is to pre-
vent any great
Increase in the Output
on the opening of the Red Lake reser-
vation. The towns of Red Lake Falls.
Thief River Falls, Crookston and Grand
Forks on the waters of Red Lake river
are interested in seeing that no one set
of men control the timber on that side
of the reservation, and Brainerd, Little
Falls, Grand Rapids, La Prairie and
others should demand fair play on
their side of this territory. The
business men of all these towns, as we'll
as the farmers and other consumers of
lumber in Minnesota and the Dakotas,
should find out at once what the ap-
polntments of Messrs. Hayden and
Nary mean, The facts should be ascer-
tanned about these appointments. The
name of the man who secured them, as
well as the further facts as to whether
or not they will continue TO act as
''cruiserS" for the Gull river and Wey-
erhanser lumber syndicates while ap5
the timber on the Red Lake