The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-04

their own settlement, c~S haul away rock
from the point or the island, and sell 1t,
and the rest Of them not get any Of the
benefit Of the affair.
They want to know what is going to be
done about the timber on '15." They
know, or hear, that the price Of lumber
Is higher now than 1t has been for q
long time They suspect that 1t may be
a long time before 1t will be worth as
much again. Gus Beaulieu says that
they would rather see 1t burned than
sold. and there Is more of the sentiment
which forbids this iconoclasm than might
be attributed to the sons of the forest
but that It will be sold seems to be de-
cided, and the only question. apparently.
with which the officials at Washington
are concerning themselves Is whether or
not the stumpage shall be paid for on
the bank scale" or by estimates on the
stumps. Both plans have their advocates
among the lumbermen, and 1t is generally
believed that none Of the lumbermen are
looking for the short end of the bargain
The question whether the bank scale or
the standing estimate Is the closer to the
legitimate value of the pine, and less la
BILE to corruption is disputed. The advo-
Gates of the bank scale" insist that after
the timber Is on the bank 1t can be scaled
absolutely to a foot The opponents Of
the Menomonee plan admit that 1t can,
practically, but question whether 1t VIII.
There is an imputation on the government
scalers in this, either as to their conipe-
tence or to their honesty
UNFAIR PARALLEL.
The advocates Of the stumpage esti-
mate insist that the parallel with the con-
dttion of the Red lake reservation sale a
few years ago Is not fair In this case
"a m q Of nSti tpc W.
followed by period of duliness in bust
ness conditions, which made the stumpsEe
a drug on the market. All the LUMBER
men did, therefore, was to send their own
estimators behind the strangers from the
South, who were working for the gov
ernment. and when they found a forty"
that was grossly underestimate. they
bid 1t In at the inspected" figure, and
reaped the harvest, while the forty"
which might, perchance, have been over
estimated by the cruisers found no mar
ket. With the present activity Ill the
lumber market. however, it Is commended
by the advocates Of the standing Zine
estimate that the estimate of the gov
ernment inspectors would only be guide
so far as the law requires. The notice OF
sale, for example, might place an esti-
mate of 10000 feet on a certain forty.
Expert Minnesota estimators might fix
it at 100000. The lumbermen, with the
advantage of this private estimate, would
be willing to pay SO much per LOCO on
the estimate Of the government, knowing,
to their own satisfaction, at least, that
with 100000 feet in sight they could bid
a third more than the lumber was worth
on the basis Of the government estimate.
The advent Of the railroad Is adding a
daily fire risk to the standing pine, which
makes more urgent the Importance to
the indiana Of having 1t cut, although 1t
does not materially increase the anxiety
of the carpetba ggger. who sees In keeping
the forests on the reservation as long as
possible lease of life for his official po-
sition, which might not continue II. with
the pine destroyed. he became merely
Sam Lowenstein," to distribute an an
nuity to the tribe every Christmas day.
VILLAGE ORGANIZATION.
The first steps looking toward the or
ganzation Of village government for
Cass lake were taken Saturday, when an
election was held, and the 100 males en-
titled to vote within the described limits
were practically unanimous in favor OF
village organization. The people on "16'
had no vote, and it is suspected that they
have "a card UP their sleeve" looking to
the prevention of the formation OF the
village organization. One argument al
legged against 1t is that It will make pos
sibie the licensed saloon, which In the
days before the cession of the townsite,
Cass Lake could not have. 1t has them
now, however, without any other license
than that Of the government.
The county commissioners have to au-
thorize an election of officers, and 1t Is
intimated in some quarters that the peo-
pie on '46' may interpose legal obstacles
to this second election.
The new townsite has two congrega-
tons organized, and three churches have
sites. The Catholic priest, Father Muir
ply, has chosen ground for parish
house. and will shortly begin work on
the erection of chapel.
Dan Gum, the Grand Rapids Boniface,
will begin the erection of a brick hotel
at Second avenue and First street north
in the spring. and 1t is gossiped that Al
Ferris, of Brainerd. is interested in the
project.