St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-03
DUNN AND THE TIMBER.
HOW THE PINE LAND INyESTI-
CATION STARTED.
The Governor Keeps the List of
Great Northern Selections for
the Expected Auditor.

The legislative session of 1898 dis
tinguished itself by several remarkable
achievements. principal of which was
the Investigation and subsequent pro-
ceedings bearing upon the system then
in vogue of selling the timber on state
lands. This investigation, aside from
the financial interests involved, has
furnished the state Republican candl-
date for auditor and the newspapers
more live copy than all the other acts
of the session of 1898 combined, but up
to this time there has never been a true
public statement made of the origin of
the resolution for the investigation.
1t was one day very early in the ses-
sion that representative from Ramsey
county, two state officials. and Mime
apolis newspaper man were conversing
in one of the state offices, when the
scribe was vehemently beratng the ses-
sion as the dullest he had ever seen.
and winding up an eloquent condemna-
ton of the whole "bloomin, menagerie,"
as he irreverently termed the joint
bodies of the legislature. he declared
that nothing short of an Investigation
of some kind would give the reporters
show for their lives or the members
chance to make dollar.
"Well, what's the matter with an in.
veStigation? You draw no a resolution
county statesman.
"All right" replied the energetic
newspaper man, "what'll we tackle?
Which is the worst governed department
of the State?"
so. they're all rotten enough" was
the reply, "hit the one that comes hand,
lest"
Tell you what it ISL said the re-
porter, in that rich patois which is the
pride CT the Bohemian in all climates,
"the public is dead eary of anything
that touches the public schools. Any
thing that touches the honor of the
state is misdemeanor, but anything
that threatens the safety of the public
schools is a crime. | have an inspira-
ton. Peace, be still: l haven't had
one since last pay day. and it may hurt
before get through pulling it."
Thereupon he produced roll of copy
paper. upon one of the virgin pages of
which he inscribed the following pre-
ambie and resolution:
''Whereas it has become a matter of
general suspicion that there are gross
and outrageous irregularities connected
with the sale of the timbered lands be-
longing to the public school fund; and
Whereas it is upon this fund that we
must draw for the education of coming
generations, be 1t
Resolved. That the speaker be d.
rected to appoint committee of five
members of this house to investigate the
system of dsDosing of such lands, said
committee to lie empowered to summon
witnesses and administer OATH"
ttrha cpm Of e. Q0O ic hpraI,v oppronri-
ated for the purposes of this resolu-
ton"
While the resolution was being read
an addition was made to the crowd in
the person of r. G. Dunn, of Mile Laos
county, and when the reading was
finished that gentleman asked few
questions concerning what had been
said before he came i'll, and then said:
THAT resolution is all right and will
raise IL, just as you intend it should,
but it would come with more force, it
seems to me, if introduced by member
from some timber county. Now, can
pick out some specific case, introduce
the resolution and support it with some
startling disclosures. and 1t Will be the
sensation of the session."
The force of this argument was adj
mitted Oh all sides, anu what was start.
ed as hoax developed into serious
matter. for few days later Mr.. Dunn
did introduce resolution, differing only
slightly from the original, and it was
the sensation of the session. Prominent
Republican politicians saw an oppor-
tunity to make political capital at the
expense of Democratic official, and
eagerly came to the rescue of Mr.. Dunn.
The latter Was killing a whole flock of
birds with one stone, for there was, in
the first place. the distinction of head
ing an investigation. In the second
place, there was the crippling of a
Democratic official. Further, there was
the ovum of state authorship boom
for himself, and, better than all, there
was chance to serve an appreciative
and outraged constituency, who had
tried to ''swipe" this very piece of land
and had been headed off by this very
same Democratic official.
One of the requirements OF the hated
system for which the committee had
gone cunning was that before land
could be sold it should be appraised by
three men, two chosen by the county
commissioners and one by the state
auditor. Now two of these appraisers,
the two appointed by the county, had
appraised this land at IS an acre. and
the standing timber at trifie over
$1,000.
The third appraiser, appointed by the
state auditor, declined to sign the re-
port, and MIR. Biermann declined to sell
the land. Hence the angry, wet tears
of the Mile Laos lumbermen; hence
the impetuosity of Mr.. Dunn 10 spring
the resolution.
The reporter who originated the in
vestigatiOn didn't know a pine tree
from any other kind of tree; he didn't
know that pine timber could only be
sold at so much per thousand feet, and
that the auditors only source Of infor-
nation as to the correctness of a report
was the scale bill of the surveyor gem
eral Of logs and lumber. He only sus-
pected. in vague sort of way, that
where there was SO much money being
handled there must be some crooked
work, and, probably judging what he
would do under similar conditions. hc
suspected that the auditor was getting
percentage. At any rate, he wantet:
sensation for his paper.
With Mr.. Dunn it WAS different. lie
knew all about it. lie knew that in
withdrawing that school section fronl
the market The auditor had done exactly
right. He knew lha. if error had been
made in tie estimate OF section Is 1t
was the error I NJ. HiermanI's Dr., dc.
cessoI in office. lie knew that Nj
Biermaum had been sccDpulously hol!-
ssi In his administration ct the ci,:cc Vi