The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-28
PINE LAND FRAUDS.
Huge Frauds Uncovered Suits
COmmenced.-MOr to Follow.

" IOllOWs
Our legislative committee has not
been idle. We have taken a vast
amount Of testimony, showing rob
berries of the state school lands aggre
eating fifty million feet Of pine timber
worth $3.50, 900! And this is but "a
drop in the buckt:"-a mere inkling
of what is to follow And this. re-
member. has been stolen from the
school fund-frOna the little children OF
the stote;-and mostly by eminently re-
spectacle men,-church MEMBERS
Sunday school teachers, ,-howlers for
God and Notwithstanding republi-
POpulists anarchists;-andw who would
be horribly shocked to be told that
they themselves were no better; if not
wOrse.-than the inhabitants of the
cells in the Saltwater penitentiary.
Politics in this state have been
simply an adjunct and cover for these
villainies. The big thieves manipu-
lated the old-party conventions.
Puppets were set up who would con-
nive at these iniquities. The fool
people wrangled and fought over the
tariff and the memories of the civil
war, while the knaves grinned and
stole. A republican leader could
scarcely look a democratic leader in
the face. but that both laughed and
winked.
Read this summary of the com
plants in two cases where suits have
been instituted:
The pine lands Investigating COM
mittee of the last legislature has
been at work uncovering alleged
frauds since the adjournment. At a
meeting some time ago a Sub-cOmmit-
tee consisting of Senator Leavitt and
Representative Staples and Nc
Grath was appointed, and instructed
to proceed with the investigation,
and as soon as they had made case
against any violatOr of the
law to begin action against
him. AS result, several
cases have already been begun, and
yesterday papers were prepared at st.
Paul in a case against the ii. Z.
Ackeley Lumber Company of Mime
apoliS. to be brought in the Fifteenth
judicial district, at Brainerd.
After setting forth that defendant
company is corporation; that the
state is owner of certain lands in the
county of ItaSca. which are portion
of the school lands of the state, and
which were at the time of the pre-
tended sale covered with a heavy
growth of virgin pine timber: and
that w. w. Braden was state auditor
in 1890, the complainant charges that
on September II, 1890. Mr.. Braden
pretended to sell to defendant all the
pine timber on section 36, township
Sc, range 26, and section 16, township
"a. range %. for 81 per thousand for
section &c, and 1926 on section 16; it
is alleged that at that time the tim
Der was not liable to waste or dam
age: that the estimate of amount OF
timber on the land made prior to the
sale was false and inaccurate. and
not according to law, in that the es-
innate showed that there were on
section 36. 125 900 OF pine timber, rdlued
at 81. .25 per thousand feet, arhen as q mat
ter of tuct there ,U0s about 1 800, 900 feet OF
qood merchdnt0ble pine timber. reasonably
porth at least So 80 per thousand feet; and
that the estimate in relation to See-
l6 stated that there were 2,45O,OOC
feet of pine timber on said section 16, cal
ated at s. per thousand feet, achen ds q
matter of fact there ,cere 5000, 900 feet 01
good nerchontable pine timber on suio
land, reasonably aoorth and Of the c0lle o.
81 per thousand feel.
The complaint goes on to charge
that the auditor did not submit his
estimates or appraiSalS to the COVER
nor and the treasurer. ect.. as re-
quired by law; that the estimates
were fictitious. A copy OF the con
tract or permit given the Akeley
Company to cut the timber is given
but it is alleged that the seal of the
county was never attached. 1t Is
then alleged that the statements
made in the permit relative to value
and amount of timber, and claiming
that the estimates and appraisals
had been submitted to the proper Off
GERS of the state, and that they (the Of
ticers) had declared the sale necessary
to protect the state from loss, are
"wholly false and untrue" The
complaint then goes on in detail tt
specify that each of the allegations
made in the permit are untrue, an6
submits that no statement whatso
ever of the situation of said timber
or any thereof, relative to risk from
fire and damage, and it's distance
from the nearest lake, stream or rail
road was ever made by the officers O
the state, as required, and these otfi
GERS never declared the timber to bt
in danger. The Akeley Company il
charged with having known tht
statements to be untrue. 1t is there
fore charged that the Akeley Com
pany has wrongfully cut. timber iron
the lands in question to an amount
unknown, but that the logs cut from
section 36 were worth 81 per thous
and and those from section Is to 81
per thousand.
The court is asked to declare th'
sale void, and to determine tn
amount of logs cut and require de
fendant to pay fair market valu'
for the same"
Now, friends, study up these state
ments; show them to your neighbors
=, ~ moi