The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-12-28


for them. He didn't get them at that
price of course, and why Mr.. Hill
should imagine mill-owers like Smith
& Co. had logs for sale is one of those
things that are inexplainable. This
same Mr.. Hill had paid Mr.. Barrows
81 per M. for stumpage inferior to that
on 36-42-26. Here is an extract from
his evidence.
@. What did you pay Mr.. Barrows
for stumpage?
A. I think it was So per thousand,
@. Didn't you pay SIS?
A. Oh no.
@. Did yon pay 81?
A. am not sure exactly but it seems
to me it was So.
Q: Did you make the trade yourself?
A. Yes sir 80
Q. Can't you remember q transaction
like that?
A. Not without referring to the con-
tract.
Q. So you came here to testify on
the question of the value of logs and
yet you don't know what you yourself
paid for logs in the winter of s'9l and
'92? No answer.
The States witnesses gave their
testimony in a straig htforward man
ner without any attempt at evasion or
equivocation. The attempt on the
part of Messrs. Biermann and Smith
and their apologists to make it appear
that the States witnesses were a lot of
irresponsible tramR, and that the wit
nesses for the defense were heightened
gentlemen OF unimpeachable veracity
is childish to say the least.
MORE ABOUT VALUES.
We could cite scores of instances to
prove that virgin pine on Rum River
is well worth 81 per M. Section SO,
town AZ, range q was bid in at public
sale, SO it is claimed, by VIM. Sauntry
at 10 per NJ. There were only 70O,-
900 feet on this section. Yet c.. A.
Smith & Co. paid Mr.. Sauntry a hand
some bonus for his bargain. Keith &
Mcclellan, OF Princeton, paid 81 per
M. for stumpage in section Is, town Al,
range 26, last winter, and this piece
had been cut over twice before. Robert
Burch has paid as high as $50 per M.
for timber on the reserv walton, and it
had to be hauled into the big lake,
r. M. Cowles, a prominent lumber
man and pine land Spectator of Still
water, testified before the house in
vestigating committee that chad sold
stumpage in 1892, on section "a, town
AZ, range 25, about four miles north
and east of the said section 3642-26, at
ST per NJ. bank scale and cut clean.
The Cowles timber was hauled eight
miles into a tributary of the Snake
river, while that on SO was hauled less
than five miles. Mr.. Cowles' evidence
was undisputed. He also testified that
he would have gladly paid 81 per NJ.
for the timber on section SO, and at
tended the public sale for the purpose
of bidding on the same, but he was not
afforded an opportunity to bid, as it
was not offered for sale.
MORE ACCOMMODATION.
While Mr.. Biermann is in the ex-
planning business it might be we'll for
him to explain why his draft Of
$4,846.02, dated May 9Th, 1898, on G. A.
Smith & Co., the value of the logs cut
on 36-422-26, at So per NJ, was not hon
ored, and why it was that only $213.1 Is
was paid on said draft-paid on Aug.
22nd 1898? Is it customary in the
Auditors Office to require poor devils
who are not in the ring to put up Is or
20 per cent. of the purchase money in
advance? Why not treat all alike?
THE STATE TIMBER EXPERTS.
It is no excuse for Mr.. Biermann to
say that he is obliged to rely upon:the
estimates and appraisals of dishonest
examiners. The State makes liberal
provision for the estimating and $ap-
praisal of pine timber. The examiners
are appointed by the auditor. Mr..
Biermann seems to have unlimited
confidence in his timber and land ex-
aminers, Messrs. Mailman and Westly.
In his letter of Jan. 2Srd, 1892, to c.. A.
ISmith & Co., in referring to the said
section SO he says: ''While the esti-
mate is not large, I have no doubt it
| will cut double the amount
of the estimate.'' Why didn't
| Mr.. Biermann send his examiners
there to look the matter up? Mr.. B.
admits that he had no faith in the
mythical estimate, yet he took no
pains to verify his suspicious. But af-
ter the investigation had been COM
menced, ''for my own satisfaction" he
says, Il sent both our State appraisers
out, at different times, and instructed
them to take all the time necessary to
carefully estimate and appraise the
TIMBER. The State appraisers
could not help discovering what every
lumberman who operated in the Rum
river pineries knew for years, that in
| ~ l.