The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-11-01
TIMBER THIEVES WANT z'n'
Biermann Was q Good State Auditor
For Lumber Companies.

Biermann Was Good State Auditor
For Lumber Companies.
But Bob Dunn and Governor
Nelson Brought the Lumber
Companies to Their Knees,
and They Have Paid the
State Thousands Of Dollars,
and Will Pay Thousands
More How Biermann Dis
posed Of Standing Pine.
Every timber thief in the State Of Min
nesota, every man and every corp Grafton
that hopes in the future to get pine tim.
Der from the states lands without paying
for it its full market value, is honestly in
favor of the election of Mr.. A. Biermann
as state auditor, and Mr.. S. NJ. Owen q
governor.
things requires some explanation; and the
explanation afforded by an investigation
of timber frauds in the past. and by the
evidence produced in the suits which have
compelled restitution to the state forms
an interesting and instructive chapter OF
political history. These facts are now
laid before the people of Minnesota in
voter is asked to study them carefully and
to consider their bearing upon his action
at the coming election.
First Public Notice Of Timber Stealing.
The subject of illegal appropriation of
pine timber belonging to the state was
first brought to the public notice just
prior to the meeting of the last state legis-
lature. State Auditor Biermann had adj
yerrised for sale the land of the famous
section sc. afterward the subject of so
much controversy. At the sale referred to.
the land was not sold, and the lumbermen
interested were told by Mr.. Biermann, on
inquiry, that this land had been with
drawn, because it was already sold to c. A.
Smith q Co. Mr.. Biermann first stated
that this had been done at prior public
sale; afterward he confessed that the sale
was private. Several persons DESTROYS of
purchasing this section, because of the ex-
cellent quality of its timber, were indig-
nant at this, and proceeded to investigate
| into the facts.
Biermann's Deal With Smith 4 Co.
It was found that Mr.. Biermann had
been approached by parties DESTROYS of
purchasing, and that an arrangement had
been made beforehand, the substance of
which is found in a letter written Jan. %,
1892, by Mr.. Biermann to c. A. Smith &
Co. This firm had informed him that
they were cutting timber on the adjoining
| section, that there was not sufficient of it
to make full seasons work, and that
they would like to purchase the timber on
S6 in order to fill out. In his letter of reply
occurred the foil ing significant SEN
fences:
while the estimate is not large, I have
no doubt but it will cut double the amount
estimated. do not make it rule to sell
any stumpage at private sale. AS you are
cutting on section rs next to it, and it will
likely burn next spring, it will be in dam
| ger of fire next spring and / will let you
have it at ." Is per thousand and give you
to June l, SO, to cut and remove the
same"
|
This is good sample of Mr. Biermann's
generous and accommodating disposition
He had no doubt it would cut double the
estimate. He did not make it a rule to
sell at private sale. He had an idea that
this particular section would burn by the
following spring if c. A. Smith & Co. did
not get it, and they finally did get it; not at
q thousand, which competent judges
afterward testified il to be worth, not even
at s225, as Mr.. Biermann had written,
tut at $2.
1t was the knowledge of these facts that
prompted the legislative investigation,
and Mr.. r. c. Dunn secured the appoint
1nens of legislative committee to look
into the matter. A majority of that COM
naittee, consisting of one Democrat, one
Populist and, at the last moment, one Re-
publican, reported in favor of letting the
matter drop. Mr.. Dunn and Mr.. Fleming
filed a minority report containing the
damaging evidence. Not satisfied with
that, Mr.. Dunn then introduced the fol
lowing resolution, whose passage he Sc
cured April II, 1898:
Resolved, That this house of represen-
tatives, the senate concurring, does here
by request the governor to take such
pTCHlpC dCUlOu dS NC Occu1 necessary
to secure full and further investigation
il the courts of the sale of section &c."
Governor Nelson Acted Promptly and
Vigorously.
This threw upon Governor Nelson the
entire responsibility of bringing to justice
the depredators on the pine lands of the
state 1t is by his faithful discharge OF
that duty that he has won their active op
position and undying enmity. The gov
ernor at once set on foot an investigation
of his own, and became convinced that the
transaction was shady one. A suit was
brought against C. A. Smith & Co. in
July, 1893. In explaining his connection
with the matter, Mr.. Biermara's defense
was simply that he had right, under the
Law, to do what he had DONE
Trial Disclosed Some Queer ThinRn
On the trial of the case it appeared that
Mr.. Biermann had stated in the permit is
sued that there were 7O0, 600 feet of timber
whereas, in fact, there were $500, 600; and
while Mr. Biermann had sold the timber on
section IS on January 18th, 1892, at pri-
vate sale, yet when he made out the per.
NIT, he dated it back to December 7th