The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-01-26
CHARGES LAND GRAB
M. c. BURCH SAYS SUPPOSEDLY
HELPFUL LEGISLATION DID
WHITE EARTH HARM.
INVOLVES LUMBER MEN
On These Charges a Probe Commit.
tee viii Begin Its Work IN
Minneapolis This
Week.

Washington, D. C.-The basis of
the investigation which Chairman Ora
ham of the house committee on ex-
penditures in the interior department
and Representative George of New
York will conduct in Minneapolis this
week looking into the White Earth sit
uation, will be statement made to the
committee by M. c. Burch, an agent
of the department of justice, in which
he charges that legislation passed, pre-
sumably for the benefit of the White
Earth Indians, has actually resulted in
doing them great harm. This legisla.
ton, the statement says, has resulted
Gin the disintegration of that great
and valuable Indian reservation and
the property rights and effects of a
large majority of several thousand In
dams concerned"
Mr. Burch declares that the White
Earth Indians have been made the vic
Tins of injustice through legislation
which he blames upon the lumber in
interests of Minnesota. There are sew
eral chapters in the statement, among
them some are headed: "The First
Grab for Pine" "The Saturnalia; :"
THE Tragedy of 1885," and "a Two
Edged Fraud, the Mile Lac Case"
The statement in speaking of the
Nelson act says that while apparently
every safeguard known to legislators
at that time was inserted in the act
of 1889 for the protection of the In
dams, it was plain that the longing
eyes of lumbermen and the land grab
bers were eagerly directed to the mag
nificent lumber and fine agricultural
lands of these reservations"
Continuing. the statement says:
I'VE expect to show that when the
sale Of pine land took place, com
bination of certain large lumbermen
was formed for the purpose of divid-
ing the territory, preventing competi-
tive bidding, and so holding the price
down and freezing out the small pur-
chasers. The Nelson act provides that
the pine should be estimated and sold
at the minimum price of SO per 1000.
AS the result of conspiracy, certain
lumbermen succeeded, by under esti-
mating, and by means of preventing
competitive bidding. in securing the
pine in the four townships at about
S1.6O per 1000 on it's real measure
ment."
"The first grab for pine" says Mr.
Burch, was made at White Earth in
1905" This grab, however, was un
ft,1 60 cto 10, NJ
and another was made the year follow.
ing when it was made possible by the
legislation commonly known as the
"Clapp amendment"
Mr.. Burch claims that the Clapr
amendment led to condition that was
shameful. Concluding, he says:
Following upon the sudden ac
quirement of money by persons In
some respects less fitted to handle the
same and make proper use of it than
white children of tender years, there
came a condition of affairs, which we
expect to demonstrate to the commit
tee as most deplorable and shameful
stain upon the fair name of great
and enlightened state. Saloons ran
wide open. Cheap and tawdry articles
were sold at extravagant prices. The
Indians were over reached, and the
money they had obtained from selling
or mortgaging their lands or timber
was coaxed from them in exchange fol
objects of little or no value, but Of
supposed utility, such as decrepid
horses, defective vehicles, unmanage
able sewing machines and even pianos
of little worth. A perfect frenzy Of
drunkenness characterized many who
took their way to the neighboring
town of Detroit and camped in it's vi
cinity, and practically the same con
ditions occurred in the hamlets along
the 500 road.
"The land shark, passing under the
more .dignified title of real estate
agent, was everywhere in evidence
and the money Ioaning shark, posing
under the more dignified business ap
pellation of banker was engaged In
over reaching the Indians right an6
left"