The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-11-07
RECORDS 1T THE j.
A Hitherto Unpublished Report on
the Condition of the Books and
Land Department of the
State University.
LOOSE BUSINESS WAYS DISCLOSED
The Records of Land Sales at Skies
and Sevens-SOme Very Tart
RecOmme ndatiOnS Made
to the Committee.

The following report made to a special
committee of the last legislature will be
found interesting reading. 1t never got
further than the committee to which it
was made, and, it is now for the first
time given to the public, by the maker
thereof, J hn H. Burke. The report in
full is:
To the special committee IF the senate
to investigate taxi 8 and state lands.
Gentlemen: In accordance with your
request, l on the 18th inst, proceeded to
Minneapolis for the purpose of investi-
eating the books of land sales kept by
the State University and have to make
to you the following report; and in SO
doing let mo preface my report by the
statement that 1 received nothing but
courtesy at the hands of Mr.. Northrup,
the president Mr.. Pillsbury, of the board
OF reg Ants and Mr.O. G. Merriman, treas
urer of the board Of regents.
| say this in order to do justice to the
several parties, to myself and that the
structures 1 may have to make herein on
the management may rot be misunder-
stood.
AS directed 1 made application to Mr..
G! rus Northrup, president, and was told
by him that he never had anything to do
with the management of the land de-
partment of the university; nor had he
any of the books or accounts of such
lauds and their sale. Also, that none
Of said books or accounts we're in the
custody or to be found within the pre-
cincts of the State University, and SO far
as he knew they never had been.
He courteously referred me to Mr.. John
S. Pillsbury at the Office of the Pillsbury
Washburn Milling company, under whose
charge and fostering care [ gathered the
land department was and for many years
had been and in which office I could no
doubt find tie books aud early land de-
partment Ct the State University, from
which office and records he had no doubt
l could readily get all the desired infor-
nation.
In accordance with this suggestion, l
proceeded to the office Of the Pillsbury-
Washburn Milling company, and there
delivered to Mr.. John S. Pilsbury your
letter of instructions and from him I
learned:
That neither the University nor it's
e d.
self. had or kept any book or books of
account or register of sales of land by or
for the University, and that since 1869
all such accounts with the exception of
salt-spripg lands, etc., had been kept by
the state auditor.
am unable to state when Mr.. Pills
bury first took hold of the land depart
ment or became member of the board of
regents, but it is patent fact that for
many years he has been a ruling if not
the ruling spirit in its affairs and in view
OF this fact it is somewhat remar kable
that not single book Or record can be
found either in his possession Or that of
the University wherein is shown the
sales of lands by or for the University
prior to the date when the auditor took
charge of the same.
IL is possible es Mr.. Pillsbury stated
that these facts can be found from time
to time in the various annual reports of
the board Of regents to the state, but the
fact remains that neither he nor any GUS
todian OF the state records possesses any
authentic original record of land sale for
such prior years, and this fact alone is
an unfortunate one, since it tends to
throw possibly unjust reflection around
the management of said institution and
is certainly not calculated to inspire
confidence in the business sagacity there
Of
[ say this in all fairness, because I
was particular to ask Mr.. Pillebury con-
corning the same, and understood from
him that he had no record thereof while
understand from Mr.. Northrup that
these records were under the charge of
MIR. Pillsbury.
Again in view of the fact that the state
has numerous buildings at the Univer-
sity and offices and vaults in st. Paul, it
would seem these records could and
should have been preserved; while at the
same time it would also seem more ap.
propriate that the business of the state
should have been and be conducted un-
der the cover of its own buildings rather
than IN pigeon hole of the Pillsbury-
Washburn Milling company.
In regard to the salt spring lands Mr.
Pillsbury very kindly stated that records
of said sales could be found at the office
of Mr.. 0. c. Merriman, in the CONNER
cial Bank of Minneapolis and there I
proceeded.
The time at ny command was limited
as the banking hours provided for an
early closing, hence I took only cur
sorry examination of the records in the
charge of Mr.. Merriman from whom re.
ceived every facility to further my la
boTs.
From that cursory examination I
found that these lands had varied in
price, the major sales to S. J. Crocker,
Holmes & Munger, J. Gregory Smith
and J. J. Haggerman, at prices ranging
from 81 to little over SIS An acre, as a
rule the largest sales being made to the
last named party at IS.