St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-21
THEY'RE UP IN ARMS.
The Farmers of North Dakota
Hard After the Wheat
Ring.
Frank Mead to Publish q
Pamphlet in Defense Of
the Robbers.
A Lot Of AffidavitS Not Worth
the Paper They Are
Written On.
Dozens Of Hen Ready to Swear
They Have Been Syste-
matieally Robbed.
Special to the Globe.

SECTION OIL uHe heu river valley ID tlt
Walcott book OH the "Great Con-
spiracy." Mr.. Wolcott is well known
i'm this section of the state, having been
cashier of a Larimore bank, and at
other times an independent wheat
buyer at various points along
the line of the Great Northern and
the Northern Pacific railroad. When
the book came out it created a great sen
Sation here, and it's effect has been
deep and broad, not only among the
farmers who are principally interested
in securing fair prices for their products,
but also among all classes OF business
men who have established themselves in
the Red river valley to stay, and who
are therefore vitally interested in hav-
ing the full value of the grain remain in
the state, after the bulk of the crop has
been moved to Minneapolis, and from
there to the world at large.
Public Interest
is now aroused anew on this subject.
owing to the arrival in the Red river
valley some ten days ago OF notorious
plugger named Frank J. Mead. At the
time of his arrival it was rumored that
he came Oh an errand from PillSbury
and the Minneapolis elevator cOmpan-
les. That errand was to secure affidavitS
from farmers and business men caicu-
lated to make it appear that &. G. VOL
colt, the author of the book which had
exposed the great wheat steals in the
Northwest, was himself bad man.
Your correspondent met Mead at Hotel
Dako.a Immediately upon his arrival in
hn tat A hat hny IN
ing definite could be ELECTED as to his
intentions. He stayed here few days.
but did not seem to meet with any en-
enlargement in his errdnd from the
business men of Grand Forks. Nor did
he secure anything here concerning
WolcOtt which he conld work into ma
terial for the pamphlet it was said lie
was preparing for publication.
From here he went TO Devils Lake.
Following closely on his trail went the
same reception which he met with in
this city. He found the business men
of Devils Lake conservative, but all Of
the quiet opinion that whatever might
be said of Mr.. Wolcott, the book was
doing good work for their county and
for the state at large. Mead got nothing
of substantial nature at Devils Lake
for his pamphlet and did not stay there
long.
On His travels. r.
From DEVILS Lake the emiSSary of
the wheat ring went to LarimOre. At
this place MIR. Wolcott had resided as
cashier of the First National bank.
There had been his basis of operations.
While there he first incurred the en-
NIFTY OF the Pllsbury elevator trust by
encouraging the establishment of a
large Touring mill. In this enterprise
he was associated with the leading
business men and farmers of the Elk
Valley, who desired an open wheat
market. The elevator people at
once began their subtle operations
to break down Wolcott and his business
associates in the mill enterprise. One
night the mill burned down. That was
the end of the completion to the ele-
vators temporarily. 1t was also the end
of LariInore's open wheat market. This
open market had attracted farmers from
all the neighboring towns, and the COM
pany houses at several points along the
Great Northern railroad, which had un-
mercifully cinched the farmers, were
about to close UP for want of business.
The farmers kept coming in daily from
a distance with their loads of wheat
after the mill had burned. Tie
business men of Larimore did not want
to lose their trade, but did not feel able
to build another mill. They held con-
Sultation and decided it was useless to
build another mill. They did not know
what to do to prevent their town from
being strangled. Mr.. Wolcott
Came to the Rescue.
He went on the street as an indie
pendent wheat buyer. paying from five
%, rh hnI ho, !,
company houses. Then Manager Ans
den, OF the Minneapolis & Northern
Elevator company. appeared Oh the
scene. He made written contract
with Wolcott to pay him $1,000 year
not to buy wheat. That is all Wolcott
had to do to earn $1,000 year-not to
buy wheat at Larimore.
When Emissary Mead went to Lari-
more, your correspondent sent an eX-
Larimorean out there, 1t was known
that Mead intended to secure stuff, or
manufacture it, from this point to make
the body of his pamphlet. Coming from
Mr.. WolcOtt's old home the proposed
charges against him would have more
weight. During the last ten days the
elevator agent sent to blacken Mr.
Wolcott'S character has been very busy.
He has interviewed half a hun
dred farmers who had deal
lngs with Mr.. Wolcott. All that
he has been able to establish by aft
davits from the most bitter of Wolcott's
enemies is the alleged fact that WOlcOtt
charged usuriouS interest when he was
banker at Larimore. Mead has taken
expensive Photographic views of the
magnificent bulldogs of the Elk Valley
Farming company, of the big New York
farm owned by James Ii. Matthews, and
of other bonanza farms. Then, in con-
trast, he proposes to publish views of
little tulnble-down claim shanties
of unsuccessful farmers. Under
the cuts of the magnificent build
ingS the bonanza farmer the sub-head
reads: This man marketed his wheat
to the elevators" Under the tumble
down shak the mead reads: This man
marketed his wheat crop to Wolcott,v
etc., etc. When Mead was at work at
Larimore he II
Was Closely Watched, u,
so closely, that the business of manu-
featuring mountain from a molehill or
nothing, did not progress so satisfac-
correspondent was on the ground and
saw all the people visited by Mead inn
mediately after he was through with
them. Among the farmers interviewed
by Mead was Simon McCanna, of Nc
Gamma, n. D., few miles from
Larimore. Mead wrote out a long in
terview with Mr.. McCanna which is to
be published In the pamphlet. Mr.. Nc
Gamma was at once Sen by your CORE
spondent and told what Mead was going
to publish as coming from him. The
sturdy farmer denied having said any
thing of the kind to Mead. but assured
me, to quote his own language, that his
business and other relations with Mr..
Wolcott had always been entirely salts
factory" He further stated that this
wheat discussion was opening the eyes
of the farmers. and that Wolcott told
the truth in his book.
Another PROMINENT farmer seen was
William Barry. Of Tukster. Mr.. Barry
Forks county, and Received every vote
in his precinct. He said. s.Wolcott
told the truth. The attempt of the
elevator people to destroy him will
tra, . a fo,.v IN, <t,;o