The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-17

Ginue to ignore the real issue of the cam
paign, i. q. the perpetuation of the pine
land ring by the re election of Nelson or
its overthrow by his defeat.
The governor has not even deigned to
notice the disclosures made by this
paper. Copies of the paper have been
sent to his confidential adviser and cam
paign manager, Tams Bixby, SO that it is
hardly possible "his excellency" has not
heard of the expose.
There are then but two suggestions
upon which to explain his silence: One
is that he is afraid to meet the issue; the
other that he is seeking by reticence to
belitte it.
In either event Town TALK proposes
to smoke the executive out of his hole
If he is afraid to meet the issue we will
make it SO hot with additional disclos
ures that he will be compelled to meet
1t or at least to notice it. On the suppo-
sition that the governor is seeking by ST.
lence to beli.tle the issue, we beg leave
TO call his attention and the attention of
readers, to the fact that a conservative
estimate of the stealings during the past
80 years from school, educational and
United States lands, the fraudulent dis
position of swamp lands fraudulently or
collusively acquired from the United
States, in this state, amounts to the ap-
palling total of TGJ7, 13I,SI1.
careful perusal of the subjoined
computation is respectfully commended
to Gov Nelson in the hope that he will
appreciate the Importance to the people
of terminating the rule of the ring which
has per petrated these frauds.
1t was in evidence before the pine
lands Investigating committee last ses-
sion that the appraisers for the state had
returned but 100000 feet of timber on
one of the school sections that c. A.
Smith Il Co-John S. Pilsbury g. Co.
had a contract to cut, and yet it was
proven that there was actually on that
section j,.5OO.OOO feet, or nearly eight
times the state estimate.
1t was also shown that c. A. Smith &
Co. bought this timber at So per thous-
and, when later developments showed it
to be worth -.
Now if you will turn to the auditors
report for 1892 it will be found that
the state has received from stumpage on
state lands for series of years the fol-
lowing:
On school lands, x1,23S,G7G IS.
On University lands, $21O,72S II.
Internal improvement lands, $780,
973.O3.
Total TI.J1G,3S2.5J.
Assuming that the difference between
the price paid for the timber and the &C
tual value f the stumpage was the sams
rs in the Smith case referred to and the
state should have received for same 3d.
IJ3.sGJ.IO and if the same fraudu-
lent rule of estimates by the state pre-
vailed in each case as in the Smith case
the state should have received not less
than T2j, I2O.SO.
Should have received, $2J.23O.-
I2O.SO.
Deduct amount received, 1885,
3S2.j.J.
Balance steal from schools, ETC., $685.
G.53.s3s.
The state in defiance of the grant
made by congress and without authority
of law has given to certain railroads and
other companies about 3,jOD,OOO
acres of lard alleged to be swamp, most
of which was in fact valuable timber or
iron land and which will average in
value $50 an acre, or showing total
steal therein of $1OJ 100000.
According to the World Almanac Min
nesota has within her borders:
Total public land 1892, 53,459,84O
acres.
Surveyed lande, 43684,16l acres.
Unsurveyed, 8,463,595 acres.
1t has been shown bya report of G. D.
Dawson that the timber lands of the
state amounted to 100000 acres in
1869 and from that we will deduct the
S.fG3.1Jj acres of unsurveyed land
leaving 2.1,.53G,fOj acres of timber
and worth $50 per acre, as per public
documents, and making total value of
say $7O6,092,15O.
1t is patent fact that of all the tim
Der and iron lands surveyed, but little, if
any, has failed to fall into the hands of
private parties by fraudulent entries of
some kind or by collision if not illegal
offerings at public proclamation.
The General Land Office in report
for Sc 81 finds that out of 3O5 surveyed
townships in Duluth District 2I7 have
been offered at public sale, an unusual
percentage, and affording chance for
the Pine Land Ring to buy the land in
unlimited quantities at $1.25 an acre,
When, then, this statement is considered
and the numberless fraudulent, perjured
and forged entries of all classes are add
ed thereto, it is not unfair to assume that
two thirds of the surveyed timber lands
have been stolen; say, 15,69O,936
acres, worth at $50, $46O,728,0S0.
Again in 1877 the United States seized
$1,65O,OOO worth Of logs in the Mime
apols booms, and that was only mere
bagatelle TO what had been stolen and
reported that one year alone-hence
when we consider that but small per
centage of stealing can be discovered and
~. for