The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-27
MILL CITY LUMBERMEN.
CHARGED THAT THEY ARE THE
BENEFICIARIES OF RECENT
LEGISLATIVE MEMORIAL
DULUTH FOLKS UP IN ARMS
They Protest Vigorously Against
the Closing of Pine Lands to Sale
and Saving Under the Guise of a
Sanitarium and State Park
Scheme, Which They Contend Is
but u Ruse.

Duluth lumbermen are considerably eX-
ercised over the passage by the legislature
recently Of memorials asking that the in
terror department withhold from sale for
three years certain lands on Indian reser-
vations In the northern part of the state.
Some idea of the temper of the Duluth
people may be cleaned from the following
articles. editorial utterances of the News
Tribune In that city:
In discussing Indian reservation mat
ters the News-Tribune does not have to
rely for its facts upon Its Imagination, as
Is often the case with certain well-inten-
toned persons; our correspondents COW
cred every point of interest on the reser-
Vat1onS during the recent uprising
among these correspondents being an In
telllgent man Of mixed blood, we'll versed
In Indian nature; and it was learned that
the chief grievance of the red men was
the burning and cutting of timber. Every
lnd1an on the reservation feels that he
holds a proprietary interest in every
tee; when he sees that tree burned and
cut 1t makes his heart bad," as he ex-
plains 1t; and bad-hearted Indian is a
candidate for the goodness that is sy-
nonymous with death. If he chance to
placated by hush money. he is of no espe-
cial consequence as disturbing element !;
but If this precaution be neglected, he is
ripe for revolt.
1t is fact that many of these Indians
are under the blighting influence of
agents of the dead and down. timber
cutters. and they have set themselves
against the opening of the reservation;
but the cool-headed Indians and their
best friends are agreed that the best
thing for the red men is to have an hon
the Indians the undivided allotments To-
Gated as they are, to which they may
withdraw or proceed to the White Earth
reservation.
One can easilv understood that yoonv
of the Indians. more especially the older
men, dislike to sec their reservations rib
boned by railways and settled by the
white man; yet we are advised by reli-
able report that the steadier heads look
with favor upon the idea of selling the
timber at this time for full value, so that
they may know what to depend upon,
instead Of delaying until it shall be frit-
tered away under the dead and down
pIan
At the time the house passed the me-
mortal to congress concerning So
called state park, under a suspension Of
the rules (Which we regarded, rather, as
suspension of animation), we suggest
ed that 1t might more properly be termed
petition for the tying up of territory
tributary to Duluth. We were too dis
gusted to say anything about the matter
further than to express our wonder that
the legislators should permit such a mat
ter to be rushed through without proper
consideration, and "under a misappre-
henslon, as we have since been advised
Wy lic ol. !1oulS uciSSdlioil HLAdIHlIidllOu
of the subject, especially of the causes
leading up to the passing of the memorial
has increased our disgust and aroused
our Indignation. The News Tribune feels
that 1t owes a duty to Duluth in demand
ing a reconsidering Of the memorial; and
1t hopes that the st. Louis delegation will
second it's efforts to undo what was done
under misapprehension.
The reservations of Leech, Cass, Win
nebigoshish and White Oak Point extend
over an area fifty miles north and south,
this tract is pine and hardwood timber
spruce and poplar pulp wood; excellent
agricultural land; navigable rivers, not
ably the entire length of Leech river and
about ninety miles of the Mississippi; ;
fine water powers easy of development,
with great lakes for reservoirs. Some
eighty miles of railroad have been put
through these reservations during the
past year.
For more than ten years Duluth has
been trying to get these reservations
opened to settlement. Senator Nelson
Duluth will remember him kindly,
after having a commission appointed to
obtain the consent of the Indians, final
ly secured the passage of an act under
which the reservations could be opened.
The Indians were permitted to take al
lotments in severalty, either on their
own reservations or at White Earth;
at not less than 50 per 1000 feet: the
agricultural land to be opened to home
stead at $1.25 per acre.
A year ago, realizing that the rail-
road meant greatly increased fire risk,
and that the best thing for whites and
Indians was to sell the timber and the
land, excepting the allotments, Commits