Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-07-30
ARGUE TO KEEP
AGENT SERVICE
Sturgeon Lake People Do
Not Want the Railroad
Service Cut.
Railroad Has PetitiOned
Commission to Substitute
Custodian for Agent.

More than a hundred people were
present at the hearing held in the
depot at Sturgeon Lake Tuesday fore
noon regarding the removal of agent
service and substituting custodian
service at that point by the Northern
Pacific railroad. The people of the
community showed keen interest in
not losing the service they now have.
The attorney for the people, c. j..
Dodge of Moose Lake. brought out in
his questioning that removal OF agent
and substituting custodian service is
like hanging up a sign reading: This
town is dead
The railroad had petitioned the Min
nesota Railroad and Warehouse Com
mission for the change, and there
fore the public hearing Tuesday.
Commissioner c. ]. Laurisch was
present and presided as chairman. c..
T. Sponsel, assistant superintendent
of the Northern Pacific railroad.
testified as to the duties of a GUS
todian and that it would be a saving
of approximately $1,000 annually to
the railroad to have custodian in
place of an agent, and that the GUS
todian would be there to give service
to the public like an agent, only that
the depot would not be open as many
hours each day.
The Gross Revenue.
Conrad Olson of St. Paul, general
attorney for the n. P. Railroad,
brought out in his questioning of E.
v. Peterson, statistician for the rail-
road, that the Sturgeon Lake station
had done a total business of S5,41O
from May 1, 1880, to May 1, 1881.
This included freight, milk shipments,
passenger tickets, express, and tele-
grams. Cross examining by Attorney
Dodge showed the total business at
Sturgeon Lake to be SS.462 during the
period from Sept. 1, 1929. to Sept. 1,
1880. The statistician did not have
the figures with him from previous
years, but upon request Of Attorney
Dodge these were to be submitted to
the Railroad and Warehouse Commits
sion also, showing the business done
at the station for the past three or
four years. From Sept. 1, 1929, to
Sept. 1, 1880, the freight at Sturgeon
Lake amounted to 5000; milk, $4S6;
passengers, 1899; express, 1921; and
kilograms, $57; total of $S,462 gross
revenue.
Chas Olson, postmaster and general
merchant and resident of Sturgeon
Lake for 81 years, testified that the
local station had given good volume
of business during the many years
that he had lived there. Business
had dropped off during the past year
the same as is practically all over
the country. Carload shipments OF
pulpwood were common at Sturgeon
Lake formerly but the market had not
been good the last year or two and
as soon as that is revived the pulp
wood business will pick up as there
is vet much of it in the vicinity to be
shipped out.
1t was also argued that gross reve-
nue. at the station will show up bet
ter for the years previous to 1929,
1880 and 1881, said figures to be sup
piled by the railroad within ten days.
In addition to the figures presented
by the railroad it was also argued
that there are some receipts for the
carrying of mail to and from Stur-
geon Lake which should be credited
to that station. The railroad men
said that the government pays accord
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