The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-16
ARE IN ILL HEALTH
BENEFICIARIES OF THE NOUN
TAIN IRON GRANT CAN NOT
STAND THIS CLIMATE
EX-AUDITOR BRADEN ALSO
is HI. IN LOS ANGELES, WHERE
HE HAS BEEN INTER-
VIEWED.
LEGISLATURE MAY Adjourn
Before the Parties Most Interested
Return TO the State to Give
Testimony.

The investigating committee which is
to find out whether the state of Min
nesota or the Rockefellers own the
Mountain Iron mine has run against
snag. 1t is understood that they have
not been successful il finding the Mer-
rift brothers, of Duluth who were so
anxious at one time to help the state
10 disposses the Rockefeller interests,
but are now reported to have settled
up their troubles and gone to Mexico.
Mr. DOnnelly says he understands that
the Merits have gone to Mexico and
will not be on hand to give testimony.
Moses Clapp, who is regarded as the
local representative of ex-State Auditor
Braden, says that Mr.. Braden Is in
California and will not be able to come
TO Minnesota during the session Of
the legislature. He says that Mr.. Bra
den cannot stand the cold weather and
will not be able to return until late in
the spring.
In confirmation of the supposition
that the Merits would not be on hand,
Mr.. Donnelly received a letter from
NJ. NJ. Clark, secretary Of the Iron Ex-
change bank, of which LeOnidas Mer-
rift is president, under date of Feb II.
saying that Mr. Merritt went away
two weeks ago and will not probably
be home for a month or more"
In an interview which is telegraphed
from Los Angeles, ex-Auditor Braden
is quoted as counting the fullest inves-
tgatiOn. He says:
OF course, l have but limited data at
hand TO respond to an interview. 1t seems
that indemnity lists were filed both in the
These lists were flied in 1888. 1t seemed that
ours did not comply with what the land Of
fee desired, and we thought it best to. with
draw the old list, and substitute new ones
such the general land office wished. With
this object in view, new list was made
out for the st. Cloud district, and taken to St.
Cloud by the land clerk, Mr.. Griswold. The
officers there permitted the substitution of
the new list, but there had been two or
three tracts Of land that had been filed on
by homesteaders, the land clerk, in the
ercise of his own discretion, ruled those out or
dropped them from the new list To have
done otherwise would have precipitated
contest, and delayed for an indefinite time
the filing of the new lists; and if the former
hst was, for any reason, defective, 1t would
subject it to additional filing. This action he
reported on his return. 1t was talked over
in the office, and decided that new lists
should be made in the Duluth district, which
was done. The amended list was taken to
Duluth by the same clerk and filed on Jan.
26 1888. From this list, like the at St.
Cloud. certain descriptions Of lands were
on such lands by homsteaders. These lands
had been selected account of the timber
growth. When the clerk returned he re-
ported his action, which l again approved.
Now, to the charge that it was we'll
known that there valuable iron ore on
that part of the Mesabi range at the time
of the filing Of the new list in 1883, prior
TO that time, I do not think it be main
tanned Of course It well known that
on the eastern end of that range there ex-
listed then, there does today, immense de-
pOsits Of iron ore. Through some peculiar
formation of the ore however, 1t has never
been able to be utilized account of some
acid substance which clogs the CRATES in
furnaces to such an extent as to render it
worthless
He refers to the Merritts and says one of
them first discovered ore near Mountain Iron
mine in May or June, 1850.
ALFRED Merritt, who visited the locality
shortly afterwards secured an option on the
lands now forming the Mountin Iron mine
from a homsteader, who was occupying the
land as a timber claim. On this land ore
was discovered about the middle Of November
1890. l have been informed that the trail
Of the timber-cruisers crossed this particular
property, and that 1t was so travelled for years
without a suspicion that there iron under
Il do not know, and had not the slight
est suspicion, that iron existed anywhere in
that vicinity at the time of the filing of the
new lists in 1885, 1 did not know that the
Mountain Iron mine was on this particular
land, until perhaps two years after Its pur-
chase
The statements Of the interview, however,
seem to conflict with the following letter on
fi,e in the state auditors office:
". w. Braden, Auditor OF State Of Mime
sofa, st. Paul, Minn.-Sir: Referring to
your letter dated Jan. II, 1885, in which you
request to be Informed whether it would be
advisable for the state of Minnesota to re-
Hnquish all selections heretofore made that
have not been connected with specific bases so
as to form separate and distinct selections,
have to state that some Of the selections to
which you refer are before the honorable Sec
rotary Of the interior appeal by the state
from the action Of this office rejecting them,
and under all the circumstances, it is thought
better that this office pass upon the ques-
ton presented when the lists not passed upon
are reached for examination and action. Very
respectfully, S. M. Stockslager,
Acting Commissioner.