The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-15
DUNU'S CLERKS
WERE THRIFTY
How George A. Finn and I. G..
Patterson Gathered in Valu-
able Mineral Leases.
Public Examiner Johnson's Re-
port Makes Some Inter
esting Disclosures.

Together with the report on timber
SAINT made public today another report
by Public Examiner S. T. johnson, Civ
ing the record of certain mineral leases
and contracts issued from the state au-
ditor s office. The auditor, as land COM
missioner, has charge of tn these tracts It's
work is done by the land clerk and his
assistant.
The report tends to show that Mr..
Dunn's land clerk, George A. Finn, and
his assistant, T. G. Patterson, secured
personal interests in a number of leases
issued while they were in office. IN
not appear until after they had left the
employ of the state, but the leases first
bear the names of Mabel Evans, a sister
of Patterson, and Emma Arden, and
then, as a rule, these names disappear,
and their interest passes to Finn and
Patterson, when the fifty year contracts
1902, and within year, as the law pro-
vides, they were turned into contracts.
Bv this time Finn and Patterson had
left the state 9 employ, and their names
appear in place Of Miss Evans and Miss
Arden.
The first case cited is the famous
"f1atiron' tract near Virginia. esti-
mated to contain 100000 tons Of iron
ore. In this case the name Of Mabel
Evans is the only one appearing on the
record.
Four leases were issued in which Emma
Arden had one-third interest, and Mabel
Evans two-ffteenths. A year later:
when the contract is issued: Finn and
| Patterson have seven ffteenths interest
and Miss Evans and Miss Arden drop
out.
Two other leases are made out direct
to Mabel Evans and e. Arden, and the
contracts issued direct to Finn and Pat
| terson.
+. G. Patterson secured a half interest
in two contract, while still in the EN-
plov of the state. The leases We're
made out April II, 1901, to W. s. Bris
bane, and two days later assigned tc
Mabel Evans. April II, 1902, fifty veal
contracts were issued, in which Patter
son was shown to have an undivided
half interest.
In connection with this the public ex
aminer cites section of the penal code
making it a misdemeanor for "a public
! officer who has any part in issuing 6
lease or contract for state property: tt
become interested in such transaction
directly or Indirectly.
Public Examiner johnson takes tn,
position that these contracts are illegal
and steps should be taken to canoe
them. His comments on the system, ar
caustic. The report on the subject Is Il
full as follows:
Text Of the Mineral Lease Report.
Again referring to the report of tn
committee on public accounts and eX
penditures of the house Of representa-
, tives, and more especially to the "Min
eral Land Account" by that report re
ferred to this department for tnvestlga
ton, I find that there are, at this time
no outstanding and unpaid drafts agains
, the lessees Of these mineral lands and tha
those that were outstanding on JAM
, 1902, have been paid.
wish, however, to call your attent1o
! ! to some facts disclosed by the records
l the state auditors office, concerning TT
issuance Of certain mineral leases:
The records show an issuance Of lea!
y No. 1882 to Mabel Evans sister of I.
: Patterson, then assistant land clerk
J. the state auditors office, dated Dec.
| 1902, lot No. /, in section 6, township 5S1
Z range II, being In st. Louis county al
e being a 'swamp-land selection for tt
j. account of the state institutions.
9 The records also show several leases
Y which Mabel Evans, her brother, I.
Patterson, or George A. Finn, who w
IS then land clerk In the state auditors {
q fee was the lessee or became intereste
Is Lease No. 3079, issued to and in viii
Mabel Evans, James S. Lane and Fra
Healy had one-half interest; the other HI
,e Continued on Second Page.