The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-16
SHOULD SELL AT ONCE
INDIANS WOULD PROFIT
BY IT
IF PINE SALE ISN'T PUT OFF
Washington About the Probable
PostpOnement of the Proposed
Disposition of the Timber on the
Some Lumbermen Favor Delay.

A Washington telegram of March IA,
referring to the postpOnement of the sale
of pine OH the Leech lake reservation.
was called to the attention of State Aud
itor Dunn yesterday and he was asked
what he thought about it. He said that
the lumbermen representing the largest
interests were not at all anxious to have
the sale take place this season.
Mr.. Dunn says the timber estimators
around Leech lake have become frighten-
ed over the demonstrations made by the
Indians, and have placed high estimates
on all the timber on the reservation. a
second reason why the lumbermen do not
want the sale to take place arises from
the fact that the minimum state price of
So per 1000 is rather high for Norway
pine-at least 1t is a good price-and the
two facts combined have led the lumber
ing interests to protest. and the gentle
men who follow that business are, in the
yernacular Of the bargain counter. look
ing for snaps. If a lumDerman pays for
]. 900 900 feet of lumber and only gets
million feet at even a reasonable inquire
he thinks he Is a much abused individual.
The dispatch from Washington was as
follows
cit is as good as settled that the sale OF
Minnesota pine on the Leech lake reSer-
walton will not take place on May III, as
scheduled. Secretary Hitchcock. the new
head of the interior department, mas ue-
cided to postpone the sale indefinitely
Commissioner Hermann says that. While
the work of examining and estimating
will be lost, he will nevertheless preserve
all the estimates and keep them on rec
ord.
"Ostensibly the sale will be postponed at
the behest of the Minnesota Legislature
and the State Federation of Forestry
clubs, which claim that the tract to be
offered should be purchased by the state
for park purposes. but, as the state has
never complied with the terms of the
agreement with the government on
the Itasca park matter. this claim is con-
sidered here as far-fetched.
1.-The land department is inclined to the
belief that big numbering concerns are
really back of the poStponement. The eS-
Inmates are we'll known as being the best
ever made, and the pine, If placed on the
market, would undoubtedly bring S. per
thousand But the Indians have been led
into the belief that postponement Is for
their best interests, and there has been a
rather queer combination of lumbermen,
ladies' clubs and Indians in favor of de-
lay William Ely Hramhall. of st. Paul,
representing the federation. has filed sew
1.-THE tract that was TO have been put up
The tract that was TO have been put up
for sale comprises ten townships of valu-
able Norway pine.
'It would have brought about s5.0Oo 900.
The Indians will lose the interest. and
those who really want the pine at less
than the present appraiSement will await
a better chance. This Is the view taken
by the land department. The land office
here has been given to understand that
the state Of Minnesota stands ready to
purchase a large tract Of Norway pine
for health park, but that an appropria-
ton can hardly be gotten through at this
session Of the legislature, hence delay is
requested"
Mr.. Dunn, however. fails to see just
where the federation of forestry clubs
comes in. He said that If the people in
terested In the several state park projects