The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-19
THE ST. PAUL GLOBE. MONDAY. SEPTEMBER Il. 1904

Q1l>CDEs flXy1NlIA-l DE
sideration for the best interests of the
state, and was settled only after consul
5 GaI,s, with the cruisers, Mr.. Iverson, the
deputy auditor, the stumpage clerk and
many times with the attorney general
and the timber board.
Let Let It be borne in mind that during my
dfbn af ao,;d with an approximation
no more than threr cruisers Regularly TO
cover an area, ossfrem $4,000 to 100000
square mics thatsI collected more tres
than was coliectSa in ali the previous irs
history s OF the statszw when there was many
Times as much tfJstber to treSpaSs on.
The care withswhich the difficult work
OF detect1ng timber trespass was done IS
s SHOWN by the fact that out sof 700 cases
cepop,aq. SSl H. averagjpg % each were
sible parties andsd5v aseftlers. The aver
age age amount Of eaeIS5f the 700 cases was
Tess tnan $4,000 feet The average price
AIRY SOLO prior to 1895 was 81. 81 per 1, 900,
ana up tO-lS98ath state did not average
more m Pre- than $254 per 4, 900 feet at regular
The great bulk Of the trespass commit
Lea te , aooua1lng my adTninistra ton was prior
TO TO 1873. yet the average price obtained
Mr. Johnson very adroifiy attempts to
convey ls the impression to the public that
was cheaper to treSpaSS than to buy
lumber during my atl1liinistra ton Con-
slider for a moment 100 separate and dis
tinct cases OF treSpaSs, scattered over an
area OF at least $4,000 square miles and
apSSra az 59,0e05 feetato each trespasser,
ana al IN all the previous history of the state
away. 80 ~ - -
II the entire IS. ooo, 900 feet Of trespass
been conferred in one township it would
have been five times more valuable than
scattered over the area In question. For
fast nc one section may contain 2ooo, geo
pc worth proha bly, SIG GEO. Scatter that
pine over an entire township aud it would
hos De worm onesthird the amount
ocattered timber is practically value
TESS and can only be sold to small job
Defs and farmers. Nine-tenths of the
.respass was On small isolated tracts.
common sense can perceive that 1T is I'M
Ialr OF .Ndr. johnson to compare the prices
optalned for, trespass in isolated tracts
win WIN lne selling price of timber in solid,
compact bodies. 1T is also unfair of Mr..
Johnson TO compare prices obtained for
trespass in theSearly years Of my admins
tratlon with the prices obtained during the
flrst year of Mr.51verson's administration.
Whe edo timber had risen in value from 500
TO 4oO per cent. In many instances I was
eplgea to take tax the 1ctnal value of the
obliged to do likewises in numerous cases sssi
said at the timee6 Mr. Johnson's first
report that the reasons were given and
t noled on the. stulnpage records where
IespasS cases were settled for less than
douoie and trebls damages. To be sure
when trespassswaS first disco gered we
invariably made large demands, and The
bluff sssz'es. - 80 ~
I remember distinctly the largest case
OF trespass ever settled. 1t appears in the
5000 The frespass had been committed
years before came into office and the
ground had all beenburned over All cur
cruisers could find We're charrei stu,nps
ana even some OF the stumps had been
consumed. Through sliligent inquiry on
the part of our cruisers we became CON
WINGED vim ed that certafn firm which had gone
pass although ilh not sc int aeo Of
proof nor could WeaEeme anywhere near
proving the number of feet taken from
the section.
AS any one knows, when you so into
court you must prove your case to the.
satisfaction of the Judge and jury.ss.I had
made up my mind that anything we could
would have accepted 81, 600 il I could not
have done better - ssss7 -
one of the best lawyers in st. Paul,
who represented the firm we sIspected
came to the Office in response to a demand
ana said substantially: The firm I repre-
sent did not commit the trespass but Mr..
mas retired from business and he
goes not wish TO be annoyed, and is will
Ing to pay $4,000 or $4,000 In order to
avoid notoriety. put on a bold front ard
insisted on $4,000 being paid He and I.
Wrangled back and forth for an hour. He
Kept adding Thousand and kept com
ing down thousand, until I positively.
declared that 900 would be my lowest
Inquire: He had offered $4,000, and would
not give another cent. and we finally split
the d1fference, and the next day he sent
me check for $11,000
This is fair sample of the manner in
which numerous trespass cases were set
tied by me AS matter of fact had we