Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-23
ARE IN ARMS
Claim They Are Being Cheated
In Disposal of Their Tim
Der Lands
ONLY SHORT NOTICE GIVEN
Likely That the Bidders for the Stand
ing Timber on the Chippewa Reser-
walton Will be Few and the I'M
mense Pine Trees Will Go at Cheap
Prices.

Detroit, Mimi, Aug. 23.-The Chippe-
was of the White Earth reservation are
unanimously protesting against the ar
engagements for the coming sale of tim
Der from their allotments. They are
convinced that their interests will be
sacrificed by the present program, and
strenuous attempt will be made to
have the sale called off.
A great council of chiefs and leading
tribesmen was held in White Earth
Monday afternoon, and Special Agent
Downs of the bureau Of Indian affairs
was called into conference. He is here
on other business but heard the COM
plant of the Indians. A written pro-
test will be sent at once to the depart
ment at Washington.
The main ground of the protest is
that the time elapsing between the adj
vertisement, Aug. 16, and the sale,
which is to take place Sept. 5, is too
short to get proper competition, and the
timber is almost certain to fall to a
wealthy Wisconsin corporation which
has been preparing for years to bid on
the timber. The act of April 81, 1904
under which the sale is to be made, is
said to have been passed with the app,
prevail of this company, which has had
experience already in buying and log
ging timber from two Indian reserya-
lions in Wisconsin.
The Indian owners fear that their
timber will go for much less than Its
real value and will be bought as a
SNAP"
The company in question has cover
ed the entire territory, and has an in
side estimate, not only on the amount
of timber, but on it's accessibility and
cost OF marketing, and this company
is said to be behind the survey made
this summer for logging road thru
the reservation. 1t is In position to
bid, but no other company, it is claim
ed, can get sufficient information be-
tween now and Sept. S to bid intel
ligently. The timber to be sold is esti-
mated at more than ESQ, 100000 feet,
and under the rules made by C.. F..
Larrabee, the acting Indian commits
sioner. is to be sold in one lump. Bids
for part of the vast tract will not be
entertained. The notice Of sale, which
has been published in one Minneapolis
paper, but nowhere else in Minnesota,
states that there is estimated te. be
90,000,000 feet of white pine; 80,O00.000
feet of Norway; 100000 feet of jack
pine: 35,O00,00O feet of Eastwood; TO-
100000 of elm; 100000 of maple, and
100000 feet Of ash. Each proposal"
says the notice. must cover all of the
classes above mentioned. Proposals
for the timber should be at the rate
per thousand feet. Any proposal not
covering all of the classes mentioned
will not be considered"
Say Estimate is Low.
The estimate of the government was
made, 1t is claimed. in three days
time by man with little practical
experience as timber estimator, and
cruisers who have been over the ground
declare that there is 200,OOO,00o of
the finest pine left standing in Minne-
sofa to be found on the allotted lands,
to say nothing of the hardwood tracts
The result Of the sale. If held Sept.
5, they say, will be that the one COM
pany which is prepared to bid will get
the tract practically at its own price.
It is likely that the Wisconsin syndi-
cate will put in several bids, some low
and some high. Altho more than
50, 100000 worth Of timber is involved,
the bids only need to be accompanied
by certified checks for $4,000. If one
or more of the syndicate bids turned
out to be higher than necessary, it
would be easy to default the checks
and get the timber at lower bid.
However, there are no signs now Of
any swift competition in the field. Some
Minnesota lumbermen have just heard
Of the sale, it is said, and are extreme
ly angry at the short notice given.
They say that six months notice was
given of the sale on the Cass Lake
and that the state always
gives a. month or more for examina-
ton of each tract offered. The gov
has allowed just twenty days
from the date Of the obscure advertise
ment in which to estimate and prepare
bids on a 100000 tract.
Object to Forest Reserve.
The Indians who have been for years
depending on the proceeds of this sale
are greatly aroused. They are indig-
nant over the forest-reserve provis-
ions. which require that groups Of
from two to four matured pines. stu
ated at intervals of about 400 feet"
shall be marked and saved from cut
ting.
CONVENTION TO BE LONG.
Statehood Meeting at Musko-