The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-07

the present trouble among the Pillager
Chippewas at the Leech lake reserva-
tion. Not only the tribe at this reser-
walton, but others at other "Indlan
homes" claim they are being robbed
of all that stands between them and
want-the pine on the reservations.
The rescue of two prisoners from
Deputy Marshal Morrison at the res
ervation agency Sept. 15 by twenty
two Of the Pillagers has been lost sight
Of by the Indians, even If the United
States marshal and troops have not
forgotten 1t. The Indians claim that it
is now costing the tribe $4,000 per
per year to inspect and supervise the
cutting of timber, while formerly it
cost but $100'a month for this work.
during the logging season. Now there
are a superintendent and five assist
ants drawing $3.50 each per day the
year round This money, 1t is claimed,
is paid by the tribe, to have work
which has been done once gone over
again.
Particular stress is laid by the In
dians on the dead and down timber"
ruling which has been taken advan-
tage of, they claim, by the lumbermen,
greatly to their disadvantage. In the
case of the United States against the
Pine River Logging company, Judge
Lochren, in charging the jury on the
question Of dead and down" timber,
said:
The contracts in the case specify that logs
are to be cut from dead and down. timber.
1t is claimed by defendants that the express
voo1O NJ
only such as are already entirely dead and
dry but also such as have been so injured by
fire that they will die within a reasonable
period, although at the time they are bear
ing and have green tops and other signs OF
life. Further that the term dead and down
timber" as applied to a large number Oh
trees may include body or bunch of trees
through which flEe has run and injured a
large number Of them so badly that they will
die within a short time, although a certain
proportion of the trees scattered through the
body bunch may be entirely unaffected by
the fire at the time.
If the jury find from the evidence dead
and down. timber as commonly used among
lumbermen has the meaning claimed for 1t
by the defendants, and the logs cut at any
of the different camps out of different
bodies Of timber were dead and down" tim
Der as above defined, then the jury is in
structed that they are justified as consider
ing such logs as dead and down" timber
within the meaning of the contracts.
The jury decided that the logging
company had done the right thing and
found for the defendants The case has
been taken to the United States court
Of appeals, but no decision rendered.
The result Of the case the Indians
claim has caused fires to be set in pine
lands, and by this scheme much val
liable pine grabbed for little or nothing.
The Indians also claim that in 1897,
while the law provided that not less
than SO per thousand be paid for stump
age, only Is cents was paid This year
the price was Increased to 81, an in
crease Of $1.25 per thousand. They
also insist that the bill be amended
and the pine sold, as the state does,
on bank scale. This, they claim, would
do away with the estimating corps,
which is costing a large sum per day.
What they demand is that commits
sion be appointed to examine into the
manner in which they are being robbed
Of the pine.