The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-10-25
TIMBER THIEVES t nm;
Biermann Was a Good State Audito
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. re


Every timber thisf in the State of Min
aesota, every man and every corp CRATIC.
that hopes in the future to get pine tim
Der from the states lands without paying
for it its full market value, is honestly IL
favor of the election of Mr.. A. Biermann
as state auditor, and Mr.. s. M. Owen q
governor. ~: '@s
This rather remarkable condition O.
things requires some explanation; and tn
explanation afforded by an Investigation
Of timber frauds in the past, and by ths
evidence produced in the suitsjwhich hav
compelled restitution to the $ate form.
an interesting and Instructive chapter o.
political history. These facts are nov
laid before the people Of Minnesota IL
their entirety for the first time, and every
voter is asked to study them carefully anc
to consider their bearing upon his actor
at the coming election. ss@asa
First Public Notioe Of Timber. Stealing.
The subject of illegal appropriation Of
pine timber belonging to the. state wat
frat brought to the public notice just
prior to the meeting of the last state legis
latvre. State Auditor Biermann had ad
vertised for sale the land of the famous
section SO, afterward the subject of &c
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 G. A
Smith g 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. veg R'
Biermanns Deal With Smith q Co. -
It was found that Mr. Biermann had
been approached by parties desirous 'of
purchasing, and that an arrangement had
been made beforehand, the substance of
which is found in q letter written Jan. 2S,
1892, by Mr.. Biermann to O. "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
occurred the following significant SEN
fences: A nrr
"While the estimate is not large. i have
no doubt but it win cut dor. lie the amount
estimated. / do not make it a rule. to sell
any stumpaee at private sale. Az Won are
cutting OF, section 26 next to IL. and it will
likely burn next spring. it will be in dam
ger of fire next SPRING and Il win let YOU
have it at s0.25 per thousand and give you
to June /, 1898, to cut and remove the
same" g, f%t - -ss.s sc
c,.-.,,,w.. c.,.r.r.. ma. ws., =,
- IS -.
This Is good sample OF Mr.. Biermann's
generous and accommodating disposition.
ae LUZ no u ~ J;S - ot IouDo '4o
selI Mt nrivate sole Ha had an idaa that
this particular section would burn by the
following spring # g a. Smith & Co. did
not get it, and they finally did get it; not at
a thousand, which corhpetent judges
afterward testified II to be worth, not even
at 225, as Mr. Hermann had written,
but at ".
It was the knowledge of these facts that