The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-04-07

B. Myers, was for the $4,000 COM
mission. Authorization of payment
was Illegal if made on May "a, 1915,
as it was, and If allowed at the regu-
lar June meeting, the statutory ff-
teen days had not elapsed.
The records will show that the
special meeting was legally called.
Publication of proceedings of said
meeting, in the official paper, on
May 81, 1915, so shows, but such
publication is not in accordance with
the real facts, as original documents
or certified copies of same plainly
show: False minutes of the meet
ing were published.
The published proceedings also
show that legal call was properly
signed by the commissioners. Any
such call really was signed May II,
or later, and not May IL.
Some of the members of the board
at that time admit that they voted
to dispose of the bonds in the way
stated, being new members and not
posted as to legal requirements. It
is believed that others so voted be-
cause it had become an easy custom
to follow the kindly suggestions of
Auditor Halden and Deputy Auditor
Walker. Carelessness, rather than
intentional crookedness, was the
fault of the commissioners.
Months later, rather dignified
and Jealous grand jury summoned
different ones to answer questions as
to the acts and methods Of the COM
missiOners. One commissioner is
supposed to have told about this
bond deal. County attorney Green is
reported to have asked his questions
in rather a savage and disconcerting
way and not in a way that was cal
Quilted to throw real light on the
matter.
st. Louis county bonds have
habit of selling at a premium. Just
few days ago, $16O,00O.O0 worth
of ditch bonds sold at a premium of
$4,640.00. Had that batch of road
bonds been properly advertised and
sold in May, 1915, Fred B. Myers
might not have made $4,000 in easy
money but the county might have
saved payment of a commission, sold
the bonds at premium and had
anywhere from $4,000 to $1,000 ad-
ditional for the benefit of rural high
No. 4.
This is another illustration of the
manner in which Auditor Halden
and the County Commissioners so
often do business.
Up near Floodwood, state and
county road engineers worked and
conferred for whole year before
definitely establishing the Duluth-St.
fncent highway. When all was in
readiness to build that stretch of
road, it was found that no gravel
was available and that bringing it in
over the Great Northern Railway
would be prohibitive in costs.
Among the viewers" on this road
was Henry Johnson of Floodwood.
He was considered an expert gravel
prospector by County Commissioner
Kauppi and hired to find gravel for
the Duluth-St. Vincent road construc-
ton. Mr.. Johnson was successful
and put in bill for Is days work
at $40 day, total of $3.50.
Now Austin j. Meagher, another
resident of Floodwood, declares that
this gravel supply was visible all the
time and that any engineer or "view-
err" who failed to see it must have
been "stone" blind. Col. Meagher
declares that Mr.. Johnson did not
discover the gravel pit but that it
was shown to him, freely and with
out price.
But Mr.. Johnson collected $3.50
from St. Louis county which fact
proves that gravel prospector is
skilled man and that locating gravel
pits is profitable work, especially if
you stand in with a complacent
county commissioner.
This is another sample of the way
business is done at the courthouse
by some of the county commissioners
and the county auditor.