The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1918-11-02
as chief forester for the state of

Henry Oldenburg, the faithful
Weyerhaeuser lawyer, wanted to
make Dillon P. Tierney chief for
ester. He was some sort Of wood
expert for the Weyerhaeuser in
terests at Cloquet. q. D. Scott
thought it would look better if
some one not connected with the
lumber barons was selected. Tier
ney then was made assistant at a
salary of $4,000 a year.
It has been generally believed
that Cox and Tierney pooled their
respective salaries and divided the
aggregate evenly, $4,000 a year,
each.
The forestry board first organ
lied about fifteen districts and
put a ranger in charge Of each.
The first rangers were, viz:
Walter L. Eisenach, Aitkin ;
Percy Vibert, Cloquet; j. P. Saun-
ders, Brainerd; M. j. Thornton,
Deer River; Hugo G. Nelson, Hib-
bling; A. G. De Puy, Park Rapids +;
E. A. Under, Warroad; William
Kilby, Baudette; H. H. Winslow,
Northome; G. A. Peterson, Inter
national Falls; Fred w. Bessette,
Orr; Edgar E. Chappell, Ely;
Hans Kasper, Grand Marais.
Probably a majority of those
rangers were hired directly from
the service of some of the lumber
barons, therefore naturally would
be inclined to favor their former
employers, even if not given a side
salary or fees by the barons.
Percy Vibert, for example, was
a brother of Sen. Fred Vibert, the
Cloquet representative Of the
Weyerhaeusers in the legislature.
A neat little job for brother Percy
was only natural.
Fred w. Bessette had been a
bartender for jackson at Virginia.
He served the Hines interests for
a time and then went into the
state forestry service as a ranger.
Later, he widened his usefulness
by getting elected to the legis' a.
ture. Although it does not so ap.
pear Of record, it is credlbly stated
that Bessette has played the part
Of a ble-barrelled boy by rang
ing the forest this year, on state
pay, while still member Of the
house Of representatives. He now
aspires to the state senate with
good chances Of success.
G.. A. Peterson of International
Falls was credited with being
friendly to the Backus and Engler-
Nord interests. M. J. Thornton
Of Deer River, was credited with
being an employee of the Itasca
Lumber Co. j. P. Saunders of
Brainerd had served the lumber
barons long and well.
The members Of the state for
estry board, as shown in the blue
book for 1917, were:
E. G.. Cheney and A. F. Woods,
St. Anthony Park; Henry Olden-
burg, Carlton; q. D. Scott, presi-
dent, Duluth; w. H. Tomlinson,
LIE Sueur; Daniel Shaw, Thief
River Falls; M. NJ. Williams, Lit
tie Falls; G.. G. Andrews, secre-
tary.
The forest rangers at same time
were:
P. W. Swedberg, Moose Lake +;
Percy Vibert, Cloquet; Hugo G.
Nelson, Hibbing; NJ. j. Thompson,
Deer River; L. F. johnson Be-
midi; A. E. Pimley, Park Rapids :;
John R. Morris, Baudette; E. A.
Under, Warroad; H. H. Winslow,
Northome; P. j. Bayle, Grand Ma
rails; A. B. Gibbs, Ely; L. R. Beat
ty, Orr, has gone to war, and Fred
w. Bessette is alleged to be serv-
ing in his stead.
The forestry board was allowed
$4,000 a year for expenses until
1915. That year there was quite
rumpus kicked up by Senator
Rockne and Representative Gil
man. Cox, Tierney and Bessette
were on the carpet. Cox was ar
rogant and Bessette plausible. 1t
was established that at least $12,-
600 Of the appropriation was spent
in making political medicine.
About $4,000 was spent in giving
the reporters for St. Paul daily
papers fine vacation trips by cano
through the water courses of
Northern Minnesota. They swal-
lowed whatever the forester and
rangers told them, thereby giving
the forestry service much and val
liable publicity.
Chief Forester Cox's salary has
since been cut to $4,000 a year,