The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-17
SECTION 80" CASE.
Three Duluth Men Become Millionaires
"A Tract Rich in Iron Ore.

Three Duluth Men Become Millionaires
"A Tract Rich in Iron Ore.
Duluth, Mimi, Jan. 15.-Word was
received Monday afternoon that final
decision in the famous section 3O
case had been made by the United
/ States supreme court favorably to the
original claimants, Easton & Merritt,
J. L. Washburn and Towne & Harris
were their attorneys and made the last
argument in Washington in December.
The history of the United States
general land Office and of the depart
I ment of the interior presents no case
of such complex Importance, nor is
there any that shows so we'll to what
! length men will go in the pursuit OF
money, nor what depth of treachery he
/ will sink to reach his ends.
, This tract has been the scene for
nineteen years of a continuous legal
battle, waged between the sharpest
attorneys of..America, aided by unlim-
tied funds and complicated by the use
of every possible device to hinder or
/ advance one or a score of claimants.
It has brought scandal to the door OF
the chief of the interior department.,
under both Republican and Democratic
rule, and it has gathered together the
most noteworthy group of land attor-
l s1Hc nh, nj
and detectives ever employed together
in the United States.
The claimants in the present case
were Minnesota Iron Company, mean
ing the United States Steel Corpora
ton, A. M. Miller. wealthy Duluth
iron man, and Eaton & Merritt, orr
ginal holders, and for many years en-
tirsly out of the fight, owing to the rul-
inf of Jared Sparks, land Office COM
missioner under Cleveland. The land
is probably worth many millions-how
many can only be conjectured.
The decision makes Frank W. Ea-
ton, Leonidas Merritt and Richard b.
Pagan of Duluth and George J. Lon
t storf, son of the late Nicholas Lonstorf
3 of Milwaukee, each of them million
aires by a comfortable margin. These
are the owners in fee simple of the
800 acres in section 30, township 60,
range II, involved in the case, and il
is worth from Sc, 600. 600 to So, 600, OOO'
according to the estimate of one Of the
men who will profit by the decision.
, The decision lifts Frank w.
, Eaton from the everyday life of mar
of comparatively small wealth to the
pinnacle of af1uence. His share will
be more than 81. 900, 900.
Leonidas Merritt was already in
4 comfortable circumstances, as was Mr..
Pagan. Mr.. Merritt, six or eight
years ago, was millionaire twice
over, but met reverses, with which the
public is familiar. ..This-is his second
experience at acquiring a million dol
lars, but it is the first.time for Pagan
and. Eaton. 80 q Mr.. =. =. Eaton says he ha
no plans matured for the future. So.
.-s.Section 80 Lies three miles east o.
s Ely. 1t contains "a. large deposit o
high gradessred ~ ematite ore. 1t ha
: been in litigation for the past eigh
teen years. 1T has run the gamut o
= the land department and the courts
: and-it is estimated that the cost of tn
}, litigation and other Expenses inciden
to it has amounted to..$1, 900, 900.
: The proportionate holdings of tina
= part of section 30, are as follows
e Frank w. Eaton, one-third; Johl
b Pagan, one-sixth; Lon Merritt, zone
quarter. They ss--are Duluth men
George IN. .Lonstorf of milwaukee
has one-fourth. Charles "A. Town
andsL. ..W. Harris, who conducted tn
le case for ssEaston----and Lonstorf, &c
ore-ninth, and il. Washburn prob
If ably about the same. These attorneys
shares, as we'll as the other propose
o. tions, have been taken from the frat
tional interests stated above and th
q, exact status of the present interests
!. undetermined.
The stipulation was between Harr
and Washburn on one side and Waite
T. Ayers. representing the Germania Ire
" company. on the other. The decisio
Il of the court in this case applies to a
ut the remainder of the land involved g.
o cept one forty-acre tract.
: It is probable now that the Unite
= States Steel Corporation will secure
lease of the land at royalty al
/ open the mines there providing ar
/ ore is found. About 81, 600, 600 hi
| been spent one way and another ov
! this land, nobody really knows that
/ is worth anything, though no mo
i magnificent surface indications wer