davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

tion and contended 5 cents a ton
was enough. The state'S actual
valuation was Is cents a ton, the
assessed value being so per cent
or 9 cents a ton.
The Whitmarsh Mining Co. and
Crosby Iron Co. mineral taxation
cases following will be submitted
on stipulation.
As matters now stand in some
parts Of the range, the dicovery
Of mineral and the taxation by
the state, regardless of whether
ore is mined or not, has almost
tended to confiscate property
from fee owners unable to dis
pose Of their lands, to'work them
or to lease them to advantage.
In fact the discovery Of ore in
some cases has worked a posi-
tive hardship on fee owners to
whom leases reverted and who
were unable. to develop or to sell
their lands, the situation some
times appearing like a proverbial
white elephant to some fee own
ers.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01
IRON ORE TAXATION.
District Court at Brainerd Has
- Most Important Matter to
Pass Upon.

Cases of great Importance were
those heard by Judge G. w. Stan
ton of Bemidji in district court
chambers at Brainerd when the
mineral owners of the Adams
mine at Oreland and the Barrows
mine at Barrows objected to the
tax assessments made in 1914
and 1915, says the Brainerd Dis
patch. Rukard Hurd, director of
mineral assessments of the State
Tax Commission, was a witness
for the state. For the defense
were w. A.. Barrows Jr. and
Carl Zapffe.
The defense maintained the ore
assessment should be based on
the. market value of the ore,
should distinguish the particular
kind of ore, less the cost of pro-
duction, mining and transporta-
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01
TALK IS VERY CHEAP.

The war tax bill, says an ex-
change, hands the consumer a
5000, 100000 import tax and a
freight transportation tax Of
$77, 100000 which he will have to
pay, besides a heavy tax on tea,
sugar, and coffee. Shoes and
clothing will be 100 to 200 per
cent higher. Many of the people
yelling ''Save the Waste and
Win the War" not only have fat
bank accounts but never have felt
their bellies pinch with hunger or
their backs shiver with cold.
There are many in this country, to
say nothing of this country, who
have been on very limited diets,
if not rations, for many months.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01
PREACHER PULLS TIGERS WHISPERS
Leech Fearlesy Wages Successful War Machines
Range Thereby Protecting
the Young From Demoralizng Gambling Habits

boards has saved $780, 900 per an
mum from worse than being
wasted.
The way things were headed, it
would not have been long before
the Mesaba and Vermilion iron
ranges would have squandered
81, 100000 q year on slot machines,
punch boards, dice-shaking and,
perhaps, poker privately played.
1t was not many years ago that
most Of the hotels on the iron
ranges had well equipped gam
bling rooms. Grand Rapids was a
popular place for the Tiger on the
western end Of the Mesaba range.
The Mesaba proper was no Sun
day school in gambling matters
for many years. The present chief
Of police at Eveleth once had am
pie gambling quarters and devices
in his hotel at Ely. Open poker
and all machine gambling came
under a ban long ago. Slot ma
chimes, punch boards and even
dice boxes, pushed, encouraged
and sold by outside money grab
bers, despite the fact that the
state law bans even possession of
slot machines, at least partly sup
piled the lack Of the bigger forms
of gambling.
The mayor of Mountain Iron
was arrested and fined for run
ming a slot machine. The arrest
was made by his own chief Of po-
lice, pushed to it by Rev. Mr..
Leech. Some famous wrangles
and arguments have passed be-
tween this moral crusader and
the chiefs Of police Of most of the
iron range towns and even some
of the mayors. An oath of office
seems to be most easily forgotten
and the official knowledge of
state laws in relation to gambling
and gambling devices is wofully
lacking in most cases:
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

Threats have been made against
Mr.. Leech's life. Friends have
urged that he take steps to- secure
the right to carry weapons in his
own defense. The proper officials
to make that possible seem to hang
back. wis.,. 49,.
Over at Tower, Mr.. Leech
proved so unpopular that the
local paper called him a "slack-
err It is expected that libel
suit will grow out Of that for Mr..
Leech has great pride in his 10y
atty and citizenship. He was the
first man to enlist from Virginia
in the Spanish-American war and
served 18 months in the American
army. He is confined to his home
at present by rheumatism.
1t is believed that the friends of
old John Barleycorn and his side
kicker, the Cruel Tiger, gladly
would divert the entire advertis-
ing fund in this wet and dry cam
paign from the range newspapers
to the purse pocket Of this big
game hunter if he would quit his
crusade and stick exclusively to
his work as a representative of
the American Sunday School
Union.
Rev. Mr.. Leech has heard that
Commissioner Silberstein has
driven all gambling out of Du-
luth. He has not, however, been
told about the heavy betting on
base ball games, or about shaking
dice for $1.O0 a throw in some of
the cigar stores and soft drink
parlors. He has not been told
about ''Rasty'" Wright's night
school. He knows nothing about
"Kid' Taylor winning $1,000 at
the Iroquois club at one sitting
about three weeks ago. Those in
cidents are rather out of this cru
sader's territory and, as stated,
the babies, boys and young men
are the ones he hopes to help.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

VIRGINIA, Minn.,. Aug. 3d.
Especial to the Rip-saw)-Hanni
bal swore eternal enmity against
Rome, old John Brown fought
! slavery at all times and in all
ways, finally dying a felcn but
doing a work that will never die.
Rev. T. X. Leech long years ago
swore eternal enmity against old
John Barleycorn. He has fought
valiantly against the tottering
autocrat. He further has distin
guished himself by pulling out
nearly all the whiskers from the
face of the Tiger in the iron range
towns.
Until Rev. Mr.. Leech began to
hunt down the Tiger on the Min
nesota iron ranges, punch boards
and slot machines were reaping a
heavy harvest. Little tots in pima
fores actually robbed stores to get
means to play the slot machines.
Gambling germs were getting into
the systems Of children barely out
Of the kindergarten. Conditions
made the old Tiger lick his chops
with great satisfaction.
In 'Pig Town." at Chisholm,
for example, one little slot ma
chine two feet square collected
$40 in one single afternoon.
Rev. Mr.. Leech estimates that
slot machines at Virginia gar
nered in $4,000 a week. The Eve
leth machines were doing equally
well. Gilbert machines saw about
ST, 900 a week slip into their slots.
Biwabik gave up about $500
week to the illicit industry.
Just five arrests cleaned out the
slot machines on the Mesaba iron
range. It is estimated that this
action has cost the slot machine
operators close to $500,0OO a year
but saved that huge sum to the
little boys, girls, young men and
foolish old chaps. It is believed
that banishment of the punch
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01
VIRGINIA IS AS BEAUTE0US AS A VIRGIN

missioner Penttila's jurisdiction
out in the new cutoff to the Sand
Lake road. This section through
a cut and down hill has cost au-
tomobile owners thousands of dol
lars this summer through dam
aged and ruined tires.
"Since it was opened about a
year ago, it has been covered with
sharp cracked stone. A small
amount of money would convert
this section into a fine piece of
road with a tremendous saving on
tires. Many an autoist who has
tackled this rocky road with his
tires in good condition has had
them badly damaged by the trip.
cts a fine piece of road for
the tire manufacturers, but it's
pretty hard on the people who
have to pay the present high
prices for tires ruined on a short
bit of road that a few dollars
would put in good condition.
It is not impossible that fewer
trips to Duluth, Chicago, st. Paul
and then to that big ranch out in
Montana, would have permitted
commissioner Penttila to have
kept closer tab on his road crews
and, thereby, have covered more
territory and given better roads.
Commissioner Penttila is "a Man
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

county bonds. .....-
Not only has this verdict been
returned against Mr.. Elder but
the county of Koochiching now
has brought suit to compel Mr..
Elder and others to return nearly
$4,000 received in the past as
profits on sale of bonds.
Even some of the more compla-
cent papers on the Mesaba range
are beginning to show displeasure
over the way the complacent por-
ton of the board of commission
ers expends or fails, to expend,
the county road appropriations.
This year, commissioner Penttila
has about $195,0O0 to expend in
the great Sixth district. He seems
to have fallen short in pleasing
the public. Under the caption,
can Epistle to Penttila, the
Virginia Enterprise recently edi-
torially said: .
"We have yet to find a more
long-suffering and patient class of
people than the range automobile
owners. They will ride for months
over horrible sections of road,
running hundreds of dollars worth
Of tires with hardly a murmur.
"The particular case in point is
a short section of road under Com
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

ltably.
The public has known quite well
that Senator Adams has been a
state senator for some time and is
today. They also know that he is
special county attorney. They
further know that he carries on
a select and very profitable
private law practice. But they
were not fully aware that he had
important financial interests and
responsibilities in such institutions
as the Commercial Investment
Company.
The public now knows why
Senator Adams has so faithfully
and energetically defended Du-
luth's pioneer citizen from the
onslaughts of the heathen Of
Koochiching county. It was ex-
pected that a change of venue to
Crow Wing county and Mr..
Adams skill would protect Mr..
Elder from the attacks of the
State of Minnesota and the rough
neck county of Koochiching.
Sad disappointment is the re-
suit. The rustic jurors Of Grow
Wing county rendered a verdict
of guilty, believing that Mr.. Elder
gave county treasurer Fogarty, up
at international Falls, $50 and a
phonograph for unlawful purposes
in connection with the sale Of
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01
By JOHN L. MORRISON.

VIRGINIA, Aug. 29.-(Special
to the Ripsaw.)-I am deeply
enjoying a visit to beautiful Vir-
ginia, the pearl among cities on
the great Mesaba range. There
is much of interest, as we'll as
beauty, on every hand. Here
you find iron ore mining in all it's
classes and phases. You can see
one Of the largest sawmill plants
in the orld, if not the largest.
There are excellent hotels and
restaurants. Railroad service is
exceptionally good beteen here
and other points. There are
splendid public buildings and
more in near prospect. Agri-
culture is developing in the trib-
utary districts. Money seems
plentiful and a crow-bar is not
needed to pry a dollar loose from
it's possessor. There are beauti-
full homes, filled with children
who can take advantage Of excep-
tional educational opportunities
and facilities. War gardens are
plentiful and creditable. There is
peace between labor and capital
at this writing. Both factions are
too busy to fight very seriously.
The demand for labor exceeds the
supply. While the cost Of living
is too high, anyone who uses care
and economy can accumulate
something under present condi-
tions.
This is my first visit here in
half a dozen years. l utterly
failed to recognize the town when
I stepped off the interurban troll
ley line. It took some time to get
my bearings. It was almost like
being lost in the woods.
My first visit to Virginia was a
few hours after it burned to the
ground at the time Of the first
fire, nearly a quarter Of a GEN.
tury ago. I then came up with
Col. Greatsinger on the first re-
lief train sent out by the D. &
I. R. Nothing was left but the
little lake, a red-light house on
one side and a few flimsy, un-
painted. wooden buildings on the
other, near the D. g. T. r. depot,
as it stood at that time. That
first visit was a rare experience
and helps make this visit more
wonderful, interesting and in
spring.
Like all young and growing
cities, Virginia experiences more
or less turmoil in municipal mat
ters. The lusty little city has the
old ward system of government
"a mayor, aldermen, department
boards, therefore there is ample
opportunity for division Of re-
sponsibility and consequent fric-
ton.
Just at present Old John Bar
leycorn is responsible for consid-
cradle Of a tempest. The miser-
able old meddler is making his
last real stand in St. Louis
county here. Buhl may be more
boisterous, but old Barleycorn
has bigger and better trenches in
Virginia and more mercenaries to
man them.
There is one brewery here,
with all those in Duluth, Mime
apolis, Milwaukee and even far
st. Louis sparring for a whack
at the business. There are over
forty saloons. As usual, there
are a few well conducted, by
mighty good fellows, who resent
the rough stuff that Old John
Barleycorn pulls in so many Of
the places.
One noticeable thing is the
number of foreign names on the
saloon signs. Many of those
names helon0 tn mon whn ara
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

citizens in name only; men who
barely can talk United States;
men who are ignorant of the gov
ernmental ideals in their native
land, therefore cannot know or
understand the spirit and tradi-
tions Of this country. They are
here to get the money, and Old
John Barleycorn not only works
with them, but makes them ef-
fective agents for carrying out
his nefarious undertakings.
Lack Of law observance has
shortened the life of Old John
Barleycorn in this city of Vir-
ginia. st. Louis county may not
60 dry, although some of the best
posted men declare that it surely
will. The saloons of this city
have not fully appreciated their
privileges, and many good peo-
pie, purely from a business
standpoint, would welcome the
death or banishment of the old
outlaw. Even if county option
should fail to carry, the booze
business has seen it's best days in
Virginia Henceferth twill be-
fought steadily and driven back
and back until out of the
trenches and, entirely off the
local map.
Burning with patriotism, the
license committee of the city
council soc time ago recon-
mended that applications of alien
enemies for saloon licenses be
refused.
Carl Bach, an Austrian, not
yet citizen, as I get it, asked
for a renewal Of his saloon
license, but was refused the sweet
boon. Being young man, with
a wife worth 100000, the fail
ure to get renewal was no hard
ship in the eyes of the aldermen.
Then came Matt Kostainsek, an
Austrian kinsman of Bach, pray
ing for a saloon license for
Bach's old site. Many consid-
cred this a subterfuge, but the
council granted the application,
Alderman Olson, as a member Of
the license committee, making a
minority and negative report.
Under the law, saloon license
cannot issue until the application
be granted, the mayor given a
chance to concur or dissent and
then a statutory publication fol-
dow. In Virginia it has been GUS
tomary to let a liquor dealer
open his doors as soon as his
application has been passed, not
waiting for the formal publica-
tion.
AS I get it, Kostainsek's appli-
cation was granted July 3. July
4 City Attorney S. S. Dahl no.
ticed that the saloon was open.
He called on, Chief of Police
Gately to close the place. The
Chief declined. Mr.. Dahl then
threatened to have him arrested
for malfeasance of office. Chief
Gately then acted, turning 1877
men out of the saloon and clos
ing the doors.
Mayor Boylan then vetoed the
granting of the license.
The city council passed the
veto over the mayors head.
The saloon had been closed
from July 3 to July 10 and, at
about that time, Rev. T. K. Leech
brought suit to enjoin the pub
lication Of Kostainsek's applica-
tion for a license.
The case came before Judge
Freeman July %. He refused to
grant a permanent injunction on
the grounds that Mr.. Leech was
not the proper person to bring
the suit.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

If Capt. Darwin E. Stevens
enters the service of the merchant
marine on the Pacific Coast, he
will have his masters license in
a pocket on one side of his breast
and one of Konge Odin's deadly
Double Crosses on the other side.
Long years ago, Capt. Stevens
was personally decorated with a
deadly Double Cross by the
present King Of the Courthouse.
That distinction moved the Cap
tain from the front rank in st.
Louis county's politics and set him
away back in the rear, where he
hardly could hear the music.
This, substantially, is how it
came about:
Capt. Van SAINT aspired to
second term as governor of the
matchless state of Minnesota. He
came to Duluth, met Capt. Stew
ems, went to his private residence,
made a combination and hurried
back to st. Paul.
Capt. Stevens had a prediction
promise Of appointment of sur
veyor general Of logs, a job that
then paid $4,000 to $4,000 a
year. He took off his coat, laid
wires, set up pins and, in the
primaries downed he Old Guard
men like Odin Halden, Lee Will
cuts, Col. Graves, Simon Clark,
Judge Cant and T. w. Hugo. The
Stevens-Van SAINT bunch had it in
their power to name every single
man on the delegation to the state
convention.
But Odin Halden was looking
out for Haldin in those days just
as he has in these later days. He
was valuable to the Big Interests
as county auditor and he could
be even more valuable as state
auditor. Aside from all that,
virtue is entitled to it's reward,
therefore that great home mission
ary for the advancement of the
welfare of the poor, abused, down
trodden corporations developed a
burning ambition to become state
auditor, like Bob Dunn, a man
who came out of the office with
money and iron property.
A day or two before the conven-
tion, Auditor Halden, Col. Graves
and others came to Capt. Stevens
and gave him some mental treat
ment. They told him how dear
old Halden was a candidate for
state auditor; how he was the first
candidate Duluth ever had for a
state office; how kind it would
be to give him a real show; and
would he not please let some
Halden men onto the delegation.
Capt. Stevens felt magnanimous
and liberal. He thought the Old
Guard would remember that to
the victor belongs the plums. He
gave in and let the delegation be
loaded heavily with Halden men
from the Old Guard. ..
But, after Capt. Stevens got to
St. Paul he awoke with a jerk.
He found that he was pushed
away back to the rear and that
The defeated Old Guard was in the
saddle and riding at the head of
the procession. -,.. =:
County Auditor Halden failed
to become State Auditor Halden
but he so frosted Capt. Stevens
plum tree that it never has borne
any fruit really worth while since
that time.
Capt. Stevens, standing at the
peak of success in st. Louis coun-
ty politics, thought that political
precedents and promises would be
followed by the governor to the
final letter. He felt as sure of
measuring logs for two years as
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

No wonder the Egyptians op-
pressed the Children of Israel.
Those thrifty sojourners in the
land Of the lotus cleaned up all
the ready money along the street
with dice, baseball betting and
punch boards \
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01
CAPT. DARWIN F. STEVENS
WEARS THE D0UBLE-CROSS
KONGE ODIN BESTOWS DEADLY DECORA-
TION ON AN OLD REPUBLICAN PIONEER.

Absorbing Story of How the Old Guard Snatched
Success From Defeat and Started the Republican
Boss of "Little Tammany" Down Hill-Farm-
ers Complain That County Road Foreman
Beacham Hogs Team Work on County Road
Work i'm Clinton Township commissioner
O'Neil Suspected Of Harboring An Ambition to
Run for Sheriff.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01
THE TWICE BURNED CITY
Is PEARL OF THE MESABA
PERMANENT IRON MINES AND MAMMOTH
SAWMILLS MAKE 1T METROPOLITAN.

Old John BarleycOrn Now Has Virginia i'm a Tur-
mOil-K0stainsek, an Austrian Booze Merchant,
Loses License as Result of Injunction Brought
by Attorney General Of Minnesota Careless
Aldermen Invalidate Virginia's Saloon
Licenses-COl. Hannaford Sues Chief Gately
for False Imprisonment
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

he did that he would wake up in
the morning and get an eye
opener. He got one in St. Paul,
certainly, and Odin Halden got
all the credit for mixing the fatal
drink.
It was understood : that Gov.
Van SAINT would make the appoint
ment on Friday or Saturday. On
Thursday a large number of the
Old Guard went to st. Paul. Capt.
Stevens also was down there to
! get his soft snap directly and per-
sonally off the gubernatorial plat
ter.
Thursday evening, a bunch of
the boys was in the Windsor hotel
absorbing cocktails, highballs and
an occasional B. & S. In waddled
the future King of the Courthouse,
waving his hand in tina truly royal
style for which he later became
so famous, and smiling like Punch
at a circus.
81 can tell you who will be the
next surveyor general Of logs" he
announced as he bulged up to the
bar.
That talk did not interest Capt.
Stevens. He thought he knew
even better than Halden.
"Who is it," queried one Of the
Old Guard.
"Simon Clark" {" was the unex-
pexted reply.
Capt. Stevens rather thought
that Halden was indulging in bar
room talk and paid small heed.
7 "Capt: Stevens is wanted at the
telephone!'' cried a bellboy.
Going to a booth, Capt. Stevens
was told that the governor was
speaking.
~"What is it," inquired Capt.
Stevens. =
"Come right up to my rooms.
I wish to see you" was the reply.
"What do you wish to see me
about?' persisted Stevens.
''I wish to talk with you about
important matters" answered
Gov. Van SAINT.
"It's rumored around the hotel
that you have appointed Simon
Clark surveyor general,' contin-
ued Stevens. els that so?''
Gov. Van SAINT stammered out
the information that it was SO.
els that Gov. Van SAINT speak
ing'" queried Capt. Stevens.
eyes, yes, this is the Cover
nor"
"Well, you may 60 to H." re-
piled Stevens. He hung up the
telephone and never spoke to Van
SAINT afterward.
How T. w. Hugo permitted
Stevens to believe that he sup
ported him for the job but failed
to do so would be deeply interest
ing but that's another story.
X X
The many friends of Charles E.
Adams sympathize with him in
his sorrow over the conviction of
his partner in the Commercial In
vestment Company, Hon. George
A. Elder.
It is not generally known that
Senator Adams is an officer and
stockholder in that corporation
but the Rip-saw is so informed.
Mr.. Elder, Madam Elder and
Senator Adams are credited with
the able and profitable manage
ment, as officers, of the CONNER
cial Investment Company. The
many friends hope that the affairs
Of the corporation will not be seri-
ously disturbed by Mr.. Elders
rather unexpected conviction and
that dividends to the stockholders
will continue, regularly and prof
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

The Patrons of the Public
Schools in the City Of Duluth
elected DR.. j. G. Armand to the
Board of Education because they
firmly believed that the Members
needed a liberal Injection of the
Serum of HOrse-Sense.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

Capt. Stevens, standing at the
peak of success in st. Louis coun-
ty politics, thought that political
precedents and promises would be
followed by the governor to the
final: letter. He felt as sure Of
measuring logs for two years as
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

Old John Barleycorn recently
tried to cut his own Throat at
Virginia. He has worn out his
Welcome in Kindly Old Saint
Louis County, therefore the Peo-
pie propose to send the desperate
old Wretch into perpetual Exile.
The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

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The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-01

CONTINUED on Page 5.)