The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-10

"a. Yes, sir.
at at that time we got the fling on it--in
1851 You asked me when 1 first became
ACQUAINTED with the land. I was ac-
q qualnted with the land some little time
before We got anything to do with it.
g. But In 1887 you located upon the
land, did you?
"A. Yes, sir; located my brother on it.
1 have no homestead right myself
%. That was what was called
scripted right, l suppose. A Yes. sir
e. Now Mr.. Helmer, in so doing,
with other parties7
"A. In connection with lawyer.
VIII you be kind enough to give
"a. r. N Marble was the attorney
and also an interested party. You have
heard of Mr.. Marble; he was my attor-
ney, and an interested party in the case.
%. Well. was there anybody else had
an Interest in that2 A Not directly;
g. We're any of the Merritts interest
"A. No, sir; only through advice; I
used to consult with ALI Merritt about
great many things. and the way I come
to, after | looked the land over and see
that 1t had q very good prospect
g. Prospect for what?
"A. OF iron. There was no timber on
it of any. account, and I went to Mr.
Merritt and told him about 1t, but it was
l. s. L., and so he said he would look the
matter up carefully, and see what could
be done about it. In the meantime l
consulted Mr.. Marble, and he said he
thought there was a possible way to
get o i. Ha so,a 10 thousb+ +,ora Voc
possible way to get it? A. Yes, sir.
20. Get 1T from the state?
ATTACKS THE TITLE.
"A. Yes; Mr.. Merritt Informed me later
that he had discovered that the states
title was faulty, and if we would file an
application the chances were that we
would get it, but the fling was rejected
by the local office, and we took an APP
peal and in the meantime he had some
correspondence with the state officials
% Who did this?
"A. Mr.. Mrble. And in a short while
the land was relinquished; so we went on
%. When you went on it you knew
it was state land?
"a. Oh, yes; we knew it was state
20. Well, after the state relinquished
It, who took the title then? A. My
brother Joshua. done. all the work
he wasn't acquainted with wood matters
or land matters generally, and I have
been an explorer since 1885, and done the
negotiations.
land?
"a. He relinquished it to the govern
ment again
w liz tOOh II oSet4lA. "A NIL Met
rift had a man come up there with SOL
diers additional script, and he took it up.
" what were you paid for relinquish-
"A. We had consideration of $4,000.
20. That was paid? A. Yes, sir; it
wasn't paid in money, but In different
q. What year was that in? A Well,
I am not sure, but l think in 1889.
Mo g ss,o What Via :, was the interest that Mr..
ga He was sunnosed to hove n ono
third interest in it. You see we had two
pieces of land there-there was another
piece IN connection with this that was re-
Inquished at the same time. piece in
20. Iron land? A. 1t was prospected
for iron, but nothing developed.
%. Were those relinquished also for
this consideration? A. Mr. Marble got
another man to file on that, but that fell
low relinquished it to somebody else with
out his knowledge, and he. lost track OF
it. II was filed by John a. Brown. and
he proved upon it.
@ Who suggested to you first that
Mr.. Marble. l told him, You know that
the land has good indications of iron
on it And | showed him lots of speci-
mens-I have some. at home now-have
got some iron ore that we found at thar
time. And told him that the PROS
poets were good, wanted to know if he
he told me he thought there was a way,
and he commenced corresponding with
the state officials, / think with the at
torney general.
%, Mr.. Clapp? A. I think the CORE
spoondence was with Mr. Childs.
q Your correspondence? A No, 1t
was his correspondence
%. (By Mr. Greer. He was deputy
attorney at that time? A. Yes. I think
g. Mr., Helmer. did your brother OF
claim make application to the state au-
d1tor? A. No, sir; not directly.
APPLIED TO THE AUDITOR.
20. Did you indirectly? A. Mr.. Mar
Die was supposed to have done that, al
though | never see the corresp ondencEe-
ne was supposed to correspond with the
aatt9rney general and the state auditor
aithough | never see the correspondence
20. Can you remember the date of
Ghat OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES it soon after
went on the land until quite a while afr
er we got the filing on it. We had ex-
amined the land.
20. When was that? A. In 1887.
u was it soon after this that Mr.
state officials?
"a. Directly after that
g Then 1t was in the fall of 1897?
"A. | believe 1t was.
20. Was 1t Marble that said to you
that there was way for you to get the
the title; and ALT Merritt said that he
thought there was way, but he done
nothing, so far as 1 know, to further
20. Well, what induced you to make
your filing upon lands that you knew
had alread been Known as Indemnity
school lands? A. 1t. was the statement
of Mr.. Marble-he said the land could be
got in his opinion, and, of course, wo
didn't require much encouragement to
attack anything then that had an iron
prospect.
20. How long was it after you and
your brother parted with your interest
in 1t before Mr.. Rockefeller appeared on
the scene? A. Quite a while; it must
have been two years.
%. Well, who was this gentleman who
took the land and paid you the SIS 900.
and you relinquinshed the title?
"a. I don't know his name; I have
seen the man.
80. From ST. Louis? A. Couldn't say
somewhere in the South; 1 have seen
him-he was there the day we REIN
pushed.
20. And it was your impression that
he represented Mr.. Merritt. A. 1 know
he was there for that purpose"
Now, / want to read the findings OF