The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-08-09
TALES OF LONG AGO
The &psaw Historian Digs Into Doings in the Dim, Dis
tant Past and Unearths Interesting Incidents
of Days That Are No More.

| solon from St. Paul, introduced bill
calling for state tax of cents q
ton on all iron ores produced. That
Sanborn bill set Duluth iron kings
to boiling. The newspapers had edi-
torials in protest, argument and criti-
cism. The city editors sent their re-
porters scurrying here and there to
interview those prominent in pros
pecting, exploring and developing iron
ore deposits. It was right after the
big stock boom on the Mesaba, and
the general public had closer interest
than today.
John Mckinley then was big toad
in the pine and iron puddle. OF course
he was interviewed. He declared that
such a tax would be almost prohib-
tive. He declared that it was a
heavier tax than any state ever had
imposed on iron ores. He pointed out
that many leases were made on roy
atty basis of 20 cents ton. Taking
IS per cent of that royalty was out
rageous, according to the Mckinley
mind. Every citizen and every indus
trial concern would be directly affect
ed by such a tax. Mr.. Mckinley told
the reporter that it would be unwise
to antaganize the legislature by hasty
action, but that something effective
should be done, otherwise inflow Of
outside capital and the development
of the new Mesaba range would be
shut off.
DR.. Fred Barrett was one Of the
elder politicians, if not statesmen, in
those days. He had been a carpet
Dagger in the South after the Civil
War and, something like 30 years ago,
came to Tower, Duluth and the Mesaba
range. When interviewed, the aggres-
sive doctor and maker of political
medicine, said that he did not look for
500 to be invested in Mesaba iron
mining until that bill was defeated.
He even looked for investors to argue
that such bill might come up at some
time in the future.
Col. E. C. Gridley considered the
proposed bill was a poor piece of fl
nancing by the state. Minnesota soon
would produce more ore than Penn
sylvania. Col. Gridley's old home state,
ever produced; he told how develop
ment Of the iron deposits enhanced
the value of all property in the entire
state; he declared that the men who
had developed iron deposits were
neither schemers nor monopolists. Poor
men only few years ago, enterprise
and hard work had brought results
that increased the intrinsic value Of
the entire states wealth fully rs per
| cent.
James Il. James, popularity called
"Jimmy,' and possessor of one of the
most vitriolic tongues ever in Duluth,
said that he was not at all surprised,
for the reason that the bill was intro
duced and backed by Twin City men
and Twin City men were very jealous
of Duluth. He said that the organiza-
tion fee for stock companies already
was keeping corporations out Of the
state. The famous boomer and plunger
of days that are no more also declared
that most of the fake iron companies
on the Mesaba range had been organ
ized by cheap politicians in the Twin
Cities and parts of the state other
than Duluth.
Franklin w. Merritt was on earth
the first time at that time, therefore
he was booked for an interview. He
did not think the bill could be passed,
therefore was not SO alarmed as others,
but he felt that the tax Of cent q
ton, then existing, was entirely ample.
Mr.. Merritt also believed that the jeal-
ousy of st. Paul and Minneapolis was
heavily responsible for the Ubiquitous
Sanborn bill.
David T. Adams had been cruiser,
but he was floating on high wave
Of prosperity, popularity and influence.
When interviewed, he thought the
state was getting ample revenue from
the iron and that any increase in tax
alton was unwarranted and unjust.
A. E. Humphreys. now an oil king
with very high blood pressure, then
was an iron and real estate king in
Duluth, with normal blood pressure
and great ability in eating fine steaks
and drinking the beverages Of gen.
uine gentleman. He thought the bill
would be killed in committee.
Charles A. Towne, then q lawyer
| with light income and the congress
sional bee barely buzzing in his bon
net, came up from st. Paul and COM
forted the boys with the expression
of belief that the bill would not pass
for the reason that it was being coldly
received by most Of the Solons.
Leonidas Merritt, James A. Boggs
and Joe Cotton were not interviewed
for the reason that they were serving
Duluth in the dear old legislature that
winter. They were expected to do their
part by throwing a monkey-wrench in
the legislative machinery, entirely to
the hurt of the infamous Sanborn
measure. It must have been done, for
the bill never became a law.
| rnrHr n TrpuAH6,a THTASATrD