The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-12-01
Demand on the Railways for Lower Freight
Rates 7hy0uqbout the Northwest,
Which WW Mean L0Wer Rates 7hT0ugh0ut
the Country,
DONNE[Ly FLUNK[D--As USUAL!
He Got Fifty Men There at a Cost OF One
Thousand D0N0Ys, and then
Turned His Heels on it---Because he Didn't
Know his A-B-Cs. and Doc Did
DIR. FISH DID HIS DUTY.


DR. FISH DID HIS DUTY.
The appeal of Mr. Steenerson, of Crookston, for
reduction of freight rates Minneapolis, and to the
Lake board by the Great Northern Railway system, to
the Minnesota Railway Commission, was madelon Thurs
day, the 23d inst,, called.
That prince of plagiarists and political mouth ped
dlers denomination Donnelly, had through his paper
not only made great issue OF the case, as had the
GREAT WEsT-but had begged and pleaded tor tne iar
mers of Minnesota to surge into St. Paul. cram tne no.
tel t]s with 4Oc wheat checks, and pay railway dlv
dends with 1Kc COW meat, and even called OH hunored
or two by name!-all to boom himself into tne case
On the other hand the G. W. warned the farmers that
exactv what has occurred would postponement
and continuance-and nothing could be done oy tnem
if thew needed the Donnean nonsense but spend money
and chaw ths cud of disappointment 1t was cruel
thing for Donnely to for selfish purposes After the
case called he found about fifty duped into the ex
pendture of hard earned money looking on the Railway
Commission while about three Witnesses gave short tes
tmony of routine character though exceedingly valu
able to the case from the technical point involved IEe
bulk OF the testimony was in writing ana presented
without reading. - ,
But Donnelly came in late probably to see "Doc''
Fsh rake the stenographic report He got little rest
less by and by to show himself of. so ne pusned Tor
ward and wadded off advice to Atty Steenerson
Bvmbye he pogged himself up again. and asked that
Senator Probstfeld be called.
Now. it is customary for lawyers Donnelly tried to
be lawyer twenty years. to examine witnesses, and
And ont what they can testify to- Donnely, it he had
done so payed the knave not, he played the fool
For Mr. Probstfeld ian honest and intelligent gentle
an\ testified that he knew nothing to the question
at ISSUE and when probed the matter OF reduction in
nav of laboring testified against all OF Mr. Steener
aon's witnesses-whereat Mr. Grover the Ct Northern
Atty ground ghastly grin.
Almost before the case had begun. as all supposed
Attv Steenerson closed the compliments sde His
brother Elias suggested that perhaps Dr. Fish (who
was at the table taking shorthand report could give
some facts of interest.
Attv Steenerson asked the Dr. about it. We stated
to him and the commission that had documents and
tables bearing upon the subject but that it would be
impossible to present them that afternoon; that we
vou,d work during the night and get the material to-
other DonneIly at this turned Is 16ths OF lobster
shade red and :purpehe knew where the facts IN this
eat wheat and railroad warfare for four years. which
he had used in boviatng thundergogs had come from.
The 'court' adjourned to give the DR.. a chance to
work all night.
That was the last of Sir Lion, the Donkey Donney.
He would let the everlasting mudscraper OF the north
west 90 to the demnition bow-wows before ne would
atav in ecourt' where Doc could be expert in popust
factsl He appeared no more-though he had probably
caused fifty men to expend 81 600 to see him play pup
py. - -
We came to the office, helped mail the G. W., until
o'clock and then tackled about Is volumes Of reports
and drew down some facts. These facts presented
to the readers OF the G. w. nearly they went to the
Commission for the first part The SECOND PART, "
noted below was not admitted as testimony.
On Thursday afternoon Mr. Thompson had testified
to the drop in the price OF wheat during the
past three the essening OF the cost OF rail
way labor Mr. Elias Steenerson had given the cost o
moving freight per ton mile on the Great Northern
their charges etc. and had shown that there an
enormous profit.
OF this testimony we quote from the Pioneer Press
rather than our own notes. because Donnely has
back on his shouts, and the PIP certainly would not
over-rate our side:
The proceedings yesterday did not quite finish the
testimony on the complanants side Dr. Fish being still
to be heard. He present yesterday, as was also
Icnatius Donnelly H. v Poore, H. F. Bjorge, Senator
Mott Senator Probstfed, Senator Shields, Hon D.
Boen and other Alliance men.
The examination conducted by Attorney Steen
erson Who called his first witness. Hugh Tho mpson
. Grain dealer of CroOkston Mr. Thompson testified
+het vho ~ acinsl cost Of transportation had ben