The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-17
BURKE'S LETTER.
RED HOT ROAST OF P1LLSBURY,
The Pine Land Frauds Shown Up.

In the facetia column of Minneapolis
paper some time since appeared an allu-
sion to certain iron land ventures of a
prominent denizen of Sodom but to the
initiated the allusion was all Greek. It
seems, however, that an ex-vice presi-
dent OF the Y. M. C. A., an ex-member of
OF congress, an ex-register of deeds, a
lawyer who has been more or less close
~ associated with Harry Hayward. An
editor OF an evening paper and an editor
OF morning paper, sat down for social
time at the innocent and fascinating
game in the art of which Brett Harte's
Hasten Chimes and Col Brice are said to
have been peculiar, and as a result the
Y. M. c. A. man and and the ex-register
dropped a cool $500 while the ex-M.
c. arose minus 81 1900 plunks-all of
which may or may not explain where
some of the assets of the Guaranty Loan
have gone.
Some months since Mr.. Donnelly pub
Used the following:
Reports reach us that certain gen.
"tleman who was formerly state auditor
of Minnesota had selected certain lands
for this state, which turned out to be ex-
"ceedingly rich in iron ore. The auditor
cancelled the entries and company
"withRockefeller at the head of it took
them and paid the auditor $50 900 cash
and gave him four ofRockefellers notes
for $780, 900 each or $250sO0O in ALL"
whoever Mr.. Donnelly may have had
IN mind the above brings up to us very
wildly an ex-state auditor who later be-
came the general land agent of leading
railroad, while at the same time it re-
calls TO us the rumor that ]. E. Campbell,
erstwh1le Democratic governor of Ohio.
is reputed to have had some iron land
deals with this same state auditor: and
while we are on this subject it may not
be amiss to call attention to the fact that
on the door of No. 1919 Pioneer Press
building, st. Paul will be found the
names
"Braden & Clark, Pine and mineral
Lands, office hours 11:3O to 1890, 4:3O to
3. H. c. Braden, Matt Clark"
Braden is the son of w. w. Braden,
ex-state auditor, and Matt Clark could
De found as clerk in the office of the
state auditor, where he drew a salary of
$3.50 per month as pine land clerk"
While Mr. Donnelly justly entities his
article terrible If true there are certain
1acts which are true, that are far worse.
and FOR the commission of which the late
republican legislature made the guilty
perpetrates--or benefciary--a regent of
the state university for life, possibly to give
a cnance either to procure more or cover
up his past tracks
Mr. nonpoIl,y box,;1~
or the Senate Pine Land Committee of
Investigation, for 1898, will remember the
testimony of certain witnesses-and two
IN partlcular-on the official acts of John
5. Pillsbury during the six years he was
governor.
One OF these witnesses stated he him
self had selected for John S. Pillsbury
curing the time he was governor, between
oVoOO and 10000 acres of timber lands.
as swamp lands. Pillsbury, as governor
would then apply to the United States
10 nave the land coded to the state as
swamp lands, in fraud, when he knew
1t was not, if the witness is correct.
Then, as governor, he would convex
the lands as swamp lands, and as a free
gift, to the railroads; and then as John
$. Pillsbury. individually, he had a con-
tract to purchase the same from the
roads, at 1925 to $3.50 an acre; and in
this way Pillsbury acquired vast tracts
of land worth $125 to $3.50 an
acre; and on the 10000 or 10000 acres
selected by this one man alone Pillsbury
seems, by this testimony, to have de-
out of from $3,00o,0o0 to $4,000 900.
If then John S. Pilsbury practically
made 100000 to $4,000, 900 off the lands
selected through the agency of one man
alone and it was shown he had several
such agents in the field, you can readily
see he could we'll afford to make an al
legged donation of $150,0OO to the State
University; though you cannot determine
what may be the magnitude of the wrong
perpetrated by or through his agency:
and hence you can determine whether
we have justly termed him John Saint
% ine-Land-Pillsbury, the Great-Joss
OF the University" and such of you as
have seen the crocodile tears trickle
down his cheeks when reference has
been made to his alleged donation case,
from the foregoing testimony, from your
own conclusions as to whether he is or
IS not the personification- of hypoc-
r1sy-but of "Piosity," which word on
being defined, will be found to mean a
sacrellglous hypocrite intensified to the
last degree
Tresspass,. and carrying off public
property, as used when referring to tim
Der land, is legally synonymous with
stealing. When we, examining the Jour-
nails of the legislature for 1876 to 1878,
we ind that Pillsbury was not alone in
his raid on the state lands, but had a
numerous corps of assistants or follow
ers, and we note the following from said
journals:
Timber cut from state school lands in
1872 and 1873 without permit by:
H. G. Shepard; Torcisus, Staples &
Co.; Pine City Lumber Co.; E. W. Thomp-
son; Crowell & Turner; Geo. Warren
Samuel Stanchfield; Smith & Souls; Ben
jamin Soule; James Fleming; J. Libby:
R. Mayo; N. Moore & Son; Getchell &,
| McCray; Munich & Barrows; Grant Nc
Cain & Co.; Boatwell & Baker and M.
Welsh.
Cut in 1873 and 1874 without permit by
P. McCarty; P. Fox; H. j. Taylor &
Co.; J. S. O'Brien; Gaslin & Castle;
Adolph Munich; D. B. Rollins & Co., F.
P. Clark; G. H. and A. j. Smith; Moon
& Inman; Henry F. Brown; ]. G.. Jones:
st. Paul Lumber Co.; Todd, Conner &
Co.; F. G.. Mayor; S. Lawrence; Iordeen
& Mathews; Foss & Odell; Nelson, Fol-
som C Co.; Lillis & MCGUIRE; Brown
& Robe; Goodman & McDonough; Bar
rows Brothers; /. Jones and w. N. Allen;
Berry & Tibbetts; Leighton & Wakefield;
]. M. Hagen; Thompson; Best McLaier:
S. Moore c. Philbrick.
Cut in both 1872 '73 IA without Der-