Grand Rapids herald-review. [volume], December 20, 1916, Image 1

About Grand Rapids herald-review. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Minn) 1896-current

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VOL. XXVI NO. 23
IMPORTANT GRANGE
MADE IN BY-LAWS
County Agricultural Association
Makes Provision For Five
Additional Officers
WILL BE MORE REPRESENTATIVE
Vice Presidents Will be Appointed
From Different Sections—o.
J. Niles President — Other
Business Transacted
An action of particular importance
taken at the regular annual meeting
of the Itasca County Agricultural
association held in the village hall in
Grand Rapids last Wednesday after
poon was the revision of two of the
py-laws.
The first of these revisions was in
the by-laws providing for the method
of election of officers. The old law
provided for the election of president,
a vice president, a secretary, a
treasurer and four directors. The
new by-law provides that the four
directors, together with the secretary
\ and president, shall constitute a man
aging board which will have authority
to appoint a superintendent. Provision
is also made for the appointment by
the board of directors of five vice
presidents from various sections of
the county.'.
The second by-law revised was that
limiting the indebtedness of the asso
ciation to SSOO. This limit was in
creased from SSOO to SI,OOO. Dur
ing the past several seasons the asso
ition has actually been more than
>OO in debt at various times. It has
been the custom to pay the premiums
for prize-winning exhibits at the
county fair before the receipt of the
'“mium appropriation from the state
to make up the deficit on the re- 1
ceipt of the state money. The new
by-law makes this procedure thorough
ly regular.
At the election of officers, O. J.
Niles was chosen president to suc
ceed George Becker, Sr., who has
served the association as president
for two years. It is customary to
change presidents every other year.
A. M. Sisler was re-elected secretary
; and Glen Strader, treasurer. The
four members chosen to the board
of directors were Otto I. Bergh,
superintendent of the North Central
Experiment farm, Otto Gildemeister,
F. N. Remer and George F. Kremer.
Following the election of the board
of directors, these men made one of
the five appointments to the position
f vice president, selecting Frank
Gran, county commissioner elect from
the fourth district. The other four
will be named later.
No action was taken by the man
ning board with reference to the
jpointment of a superintendent and
is not likely that this appointment
■.ill be made before spring.
Owing to the extreme cold weath
er, the attendance at the meeting was
not so large as the officers hoped it
would be.
FINISH WORK ON
BLACKBERRY DITCH
< Drainage System Will Improve
10,000 Acres of Rich Hay
Land in That Section
Digging work on County Ditch No.
6, better known as the Blackberry
ditch, was completed last Wednes
day. The road job, however, has not
been finished and cannot be completed
until the ground thaws out in the
spring. The completion of this pro
ject will mean much to the Blackberry
district as it is expected that the
ditch will improve about 10,000 acres
of first class hay land.
The ditch starts at the railroad
track at the junction between sections
13 and 14 in 54-24. It runs south two
miles and then west three miles,
emptying into the Mississippi in sec
tion 21, 54-24. There are three
branches. The main portions of the
ditch enclose an area which will form
an “island” in the middle of the big
Blackberry swamp. The ditches are
so located that drainage will be had
from all sides and it is expected that
the whole of the swamp will be drain
ed. The water is* running out of the
swamp at present with a strong cur
rent. The land so improved will be
very valuable on account of its ready
accessibility for use in growing hay.
Practically no clearing will be nec-
the atteh
* Compaay
Bupfos gerulb-Beview
portion of the job to the Knudsen-Hill
Drdege company. Work was started
about the middle of August and the
progress has been very satisfactory.
The contract price for the whole job
was $17,280. This includes the ditch
itself, the road on the embankment, |
bridges and culverts. The bridges I
and culverts are all in and the road
has been partly finished. The sec
tion of the road that is completed is
in fine shape. Sand was taken from
the bottom of the ditch and this has
made a fine surface for the embank
ment road. It will be a short task to
complete this work when the season
opens in the spring.
Percy Warner, inspector on the job
for the county, went over the com
pleted ditch last week and reports
that everything is in fine condition.
WORK IN WOODS
IS IN FULL BLAST
Ideal Weather Conditions Have
Quickened the Winter
Logging Operations
The present season has been an
ideal one for logging operations and
work in the woods is now in full
blast. The freezing-up came fairly
early and there has been no bad thaw
to interfere. This enabled the opera
tors to get their camps established
and to get the work well laid out. The
snowfall of last week brought the
needed foundation for sleighing and
snow is an essential element in the
logging business after the camps have
been well established.
The labor market has also improved
as the cold weather has suspended
other operations and the contractors
are having no difficulty now in ob
taining a sufficient number of men to
operate their camps. The price of
labor, however, is high and the price
of supplies is also much higher than
in any previous year. The operators,
however, expect to get a sufficiently
higher price for their products so that
this increased cost will be offset.
The days of big logging in Itasca
county are practically over, although
there are a few camps operating where
heavy timber is being cut. The
greater number of camps are taking
out posts, ties, pulpwood and other
timber products. Of this class of ma
terial there remains an enormous
amount in the county.
POSTAL BUSINESS
NETS BIG SURPLUS
More Than Five Million Dol
lars Profit is Shown by
Burleson’s Report
Postmaster General Burleson’s an
nual report, issued on December 8,
declares there was a po^toffice de
partment surplus of $5,200,000 dur
ing the present year and enumerates
as among the year’s accomplishments
improvement of the parcels post, ex
tension of city and rural deliveries
and development of the postal savings
system.
A surplus of $12,500,000 ds shown,
says the report, for three years of
the four the administration has been
in office, and it calls attention to de
ficits under previous administrations.
The department makes many rec
ommendations for improvement of the
serivce. Some of the most important
are these:
That early action be taken by con
gress declaring a government monop
oly over all utilities for the public
transmission of intelligence and that
as soon as possible the telephone and
telegraph facilities of the United
States be incorporated into the post
al establishment.
That $300,000 be appropriated now
for acquiring telegraph and telephone
utilities in Alaska, Porto Rico and
Hawaii.
That second class postal rates be
revised to make second class matter
pay more of its share of transporta
tion expense and that the one-cent
rate be applied to all so-called drop
letters.
That SIOO,OOO be apporpriated for
experiments in aerial transportation
of mail.
That legislation be passed to en
able the department to organize post
offices on a more business-like basis
and to standardize the salaries of
supervisory employes in an equitable
manner.
Growth of the parcel post will cut
the cost of living to the city dweller,
the report declares. The service is
now handling 90,000,000 packages a
month. Liberal changes in its regula
tions have done much to bring about
its extension, it is declared.
Under the law passed last July the
department on November 1, put parts
of the railway mail serivce on the
space basis of pay, losing the rates
which are the maximum provided by
the act.
These rates, the report says, are
excessive, and under the law the de
partment will, on July 1, file with
the Interstate Commerce commission
a comprehensiv plan of service which
will embody a recommendation look
ing to a reduction of the rates.
GRAND RAPIDS, ITASCA COUNTY, MINNESOTA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER, 20, 1916
WOULD APPEAL TO
STATE COMMISSION
County Attorney Stone Proposes
Action for Obtaining Grade
Crossing Safety Devices
MATTER PRESENTED TO COUNCIL
Will be Taken up for Consideration
at Next Regular Meeting—
Several Safety Plans Are
Being Discussed
Much headway has been made dur
ing the past week on the movement
to have some sort of safety devices
installed at the Great Northern cross
ings within the village limits. Senti
ment has now developed to such an
extent that it is practically certain
that some action will be taken.
On Wednesday of last week County
Attorney Ralph A. Stone addressed
a letter to the village council in which
he outlined the state laws through
which relief might be obtained. Under
the law the village council may
authorize a proceeding in its name
before the Railroad and Warehouse
commission, making complaint to
that body that the railroad crossings
are dangerous to life and property and
giving the reasons therefor. Upon
the filing of such a complaint the com
mission is bound to investigate the
conditions and must hold at least one
public hearing in the village. After
all their evidence in the matter is
placed before the members, the com
mission -makes an order such as the
circumstances may require.
The dangerous condition at cross
ings in Grand Rapids is so apparent
that it is believed that should the
commission come here to make an
examination, some form of safety
device undoubtedly would be ordered.
Mr. Stone offered to donate his ser
vices as attorney in drawing the nec
essary complaint and other papers and
in attending whatever hearings might
be called, making no charge except to
cover whatever expenses might be
involved in attending meetings held
outside of the village.
The matter will be presented to the
village council at the next meeting
at which time it is expected that some
definite action will be taken. It is
the opinion of George B. Aiton, presi
dent of the council, that it would be
better to take the matter up first
with the Great Northern officials and
see if some relief cannot be obtained
from the company without appealing
to the Railroad and Warehouse com
mission. If the Great Northern fails
to act of its own volition the aid of
the commission can then be invoked.
There has been conisderable dis
cussion as to what kind of safety de
vices could be installed. Mr. Aiton
believes that a ringing device that
would sound an automatic warning
whenever there is an engine within
the limits of the village would be
satisfactory. These devices are in
use in a great many villages and
cities in the state.
Railroad men, however, feel that
this system would not work out sat
isfactorily and they believe that the
best method is to employ watchmbn
to warn vehicles and pedestrians at
the two most important crossings.
They feel that with so much switch
ing going on the bells would be ring
ing the greater share of the time
and that people would soon become
accustomed to them and give them
little heed.
But whatever the details of the
system may be, the people are aroused
to the necessity for action and will
not let the matter drop until relief
is obtained.
NEW POST OFFICE
IS ESTABLISHED
“Affleck” is the name of the new
post office established in Itasca county
on the state road seven mies north
of Grand Rapids. Edward Graut has
been named as postmaster. The new
office is calculated to accommodate a
number of farmers in that vicinity.
Mr. Graut is opening up a farm, hav
ing located there about a year ago.
He also intends to carry a general
stock of merchandise, which will be
a very great convenience to settlers in
that neighborhood. This is the sec
ond office established north of Grand
Rapids this year, the other being
Wabana Lake where Mrs. Inez Dur
bin is postmistress. The Wabana
Lake office serves as a great con
venience to a considerable number of
farmers and also to a large number
who have summer homes on the lake
shore.
WINS SUCCESS IN
ITASCA GOUNTY
John Van Patter Tells of the
Results of Ten Years Farm
ing in this Section
STARTED HERE WITH sls CAPITAL
Says Any Man With Ordinary
Farming Ability Who is Will
ing to Work Can Be
come Independant
The record of progress made by
John Van Patter during the past ten
years in Northern Minnesota is strik
ing evidence of the agricultural pos
sibilities of Itasca county. Mr. Van
Patter came here ten years ago and
after making a payment of SIOO on
his state land had just sls in cash
left with which to begin the develop
ment of his farm. Mr. Van Patter
sold his property recently to Charles
L. Rogers of Mendota, Illinois, and
when he leave Itasca county for his
hew home in the Yakima Valley in
Washington, he will take with him
over $4,000 in cash with which to be
gin the development of his new farm
on which a substantial payment has
already been made.
And these are not the only things
which should be considered in Mr.
Van Patter’ case. During the ten
years he has lived in Itasca county
he has never had any trouble getting
along. He has lived in a comfortable
home, has always had sufficient food
and clothing for himself and his family
of nine children, has enjoyed good
health and has taken advantage of
the unequaled educational facilities
of this county.
Mr. Van Patter is entirely satis
fied with hisr experiment here and in
levying for the Yakima valley he
does not 'expect to better his condi -
tion. He says that if he can do as
well in the west as he has done here
he will be more than satisfied.
Personally, Mr. Van Patter regrets
leaving this section where he has
made such a splendid start in life,
but he has relatives living in Wash
ington and his mother, well advanced
in’years, lived there with another son
for a time and likes the milder cli
mate and is anxious to have her
family together. Mr. Van Patter’s
wife also feels that the Washington
climate would be preferable to that
of Minnesota winters. These are the
considerations that have prompted
Mr. Van Patter to make the change.
“Northern Minnesota winters have
no terror for me,” sid Mr. Van Patter.
“I like Itasca county, climate and all,
and I am genuinely sorry to leave.
“When we came here ten years ago
from Chamberlain, South Dakota, we
had just sls after making payment
on our 113 acres of state land. Our
first building was by no means in
viting and the land was covered with
brush, trees and stumps. I knew then
that there was nothing for me to do
but to get to work and I went at it.
From that day to this we have never
experienced any hardship. We have
always had plenty to eat and plenty
to wear. As we went along our child
ren had the advantage of Itasca
county’s wonderful public schools and
we have never had any cause for
complaint. I do not expect that any
of us will find better health in Wash
ington than we have enjoyed here.
As for myself I am in much better
condition physicially than I was when
I came here from South Dakota and
the same is true of the other mem
bers of the family. We have raised
a family of nine children, five of
whom have been born in Itasca county,
and yet our doctor bills have never
been burdensome.
“As a result of my efforts I have
succeeded in clearing up sixty acres
of land and these acres are as pro
ductive as any that man ever plowed.
My original dwelling was 16x26 to
which I have built an addition 14x26,
making a very comfortable and con
venient home. I also have a horse
barn 18x36, a cattle barn 30x60, a
hay barn 24x26, a hen house 10x24,
granary 12x16 and a blacksnfnh shop
12x16.
“Of course the development of such
a place in ten years has meant plenty
of hard work but that is no cause
for complaint. The man who has good
health and an opportunity and who
objects to labor does not deserve suc
cess here or elsewhere. I am con
vinced from my experience that any
man who will come to this section
and apply himself to the job of mak
ing a farm will succeed if he has
common, ordinary horse sense. And
not only will he succeed but he will
live comfortably and happily while he
is building up a little capital.
“I would like to see a man in a
big city, who has lived as well as
we have lived and who has raised
nine children, who has managed to
get as much ahead of I have saved.
When a man works on his own land,
every day he put in adds value to
his own property. When he can
manage to live at the same time this
added value takes the form of savings.
“In my farming work I have not
employed any new-fangled ideas and
have done only what any ordinary
farmer could do by applying himself
industriously. I have raised potatoes,
oats and hay and have always found
a good market for whatever I had
to sell. I have not gone into dairying
except to keep enough cows for use
on the farm. Sheep, however, have
been a big help to me. They are a
great source of profit not only for
their land clearing value but for
their wool and mutton.
“As I said before I do not expect
to better my condition financially by
going to Washington. I feel that I
am just getting to the point now
where it would be possible to lay up
a competence and I feel sure that if
I should spend ten years more in
Itasca county that at the end of that
time I would have enough ahead to
provide for my needs and pleasures
for the rest of my natural days.”
The Van Patter family expect to
leave for Washington about the first
of January.
Mr. Rogers, who has bought the
Van Patter place and adjoining prop
erties, is thoroughly convinced of the
agricultural possibilities of this sec
tion. He is a man with capital and
is planning to develop his new inter
ests extensively.
WRAP SECURELY;
ADDRESS PROPERLY
Parcel Post Packages Should be
Securely Fastened Before
Taking to Post Office
Those who patronize the post office
for the transmission of packages
should bear in mind this is a busy
season for postal employes. Post
office clerks have no time to prepare
packages for shipment. There are
those who bring packages to the local
office insecurely wrapped and expect
the post office employes to do the
rest. Parcels sent in this condition
are very apt never to reach their des
tination. Parcels cannot be transmit
ted through the mails unless bearing
the address of the sender as well as
that of the addressee. From now
until after the holidays the post office
will be a very busy place. The mails
will be unusually heavy, both incom
ng and outgoing. Patrons of the of
fice should get packages and letters
mailed as early as possible before
each outgoing mail. By doing so they
will be sure to get prompt dispatch
and quicker delivery. The insurance
of parcel post packages is a safe
guard against possible loss.
For the accommodation of the pub
lic the general delivery and parcel
post windows will be kept open one
hour on Sunday, December 24. from
10 to 11 o’clock a. m., and also on
Christmas day at the same time. This
arrangement will allow patrons to
secure Christmas packages and mail
received on those days. The regular
mail received on Christmas day will
be distributed as usual.
PLEAD GUILTY TO
MYRON KILLING
Three Men Sent to Stillwater on
Charge of Manslaughter
in First Degree
Three of the eight persons indicted
for the murder of Deputy Sheriff
James C. Myron during the strike at
Biwabik last July, pleaded guilty be
fore Judge Cant in district court in
Duluth last Friday morning to charges
of manslaughter in the first degree.
The men were Phillip Masonovich,
Jos. Cernagorcevich and Joe Ni-kich.
They admitted that they were present
at the Masonovich home on July 3
and that they took part in the fight
in which Deputy Myron was killed.
They were sentenced to terms of not
more than twenty years in the state
penitentiary at Stillwater. Two of
the others against whom indictments
were returned were dismissed. One
of these was Mrs. Phillip Masonovich
who was also present when Myron was
killed and who is the woman about
whom so much was said at the time
of her arrest on account of her being
the mother of a small child.
The cases against Carlo Tresca,
Sam Scarlett and Joe Schmidt, the
I. W. W. agitators who have been
indicted in connection with the crime,
were ordered continued. Tresca, Scar
let and Schmidt were nowhere near
the scene of the crime at the time
Myron was killed but the state holds
that, they were culpable because they
incited the actions which resulted in
Myrons death. The men have been
released on bail.
MINNESOTA
HISTORICAL
SOCIETY
TWO DOLLARS A YEAR
CHRISTMAS TRADE
SETS NEW RECORD
Merchants Report Business Brisk
With Sale of High Grade
Goods for Cash
PREPARED FOR RUSH THIS WEEK
Stores Have Laid in Heavy Stocks in
Anticipation of Big Demand—
Attribute Good Business
to Potato Crop
According to the reports of local
merchants Christmas trade this sea
son is much better than in any year
for a number of years past. The
universal report is that people are
buying early are purchasing a hugh
grade of articles and are paying cash.
The general impression is that the
splendid trade this year is caused
to a large extent by the big potato
crop which sold at record prices and
which brought into the country a
large amount of cash There is a
feeling, however, that the cause for
the increased trade is based on a
more substantial foundation and that
is the rapid development" of this sec
tion of Itasca county as an agricul
tural district.
The increased business has been
felt along all lines, although the
stores which handle special Christ
mas goods notice the improvement
particularly.
“Our business during the past week
has been conisderably better than it
was a year ago and we are planning
for a big rush between now and the
closing on Saturday night,” said C.
C. Peterson of the Itasca Dry Goods
company. “Of course, the cold
weather has retarded business to some
extent as it has made it difficult for
people to get out and visit the stores.
In spite of this handicap, however,
we have done splendidly and we are
more than satisfied with results.”
George F. Kremer reports an es
pecially good business along furni
ture lines. “The thing I have noticed
especially,” said Mr. Kremer, “is the
fact that neople are buying high grade
goods. They are not satisfied as they
have been in other yeairs with a
cheaper quality of furniture and fur- •
nishings. This is very satisfactory
to us as we very much prefer to sell
the kind of goods that we can back
up with a proper guarantee. Another
encouraging feature of the trade is
the fact that people are paying cash.
We anticipated a heavy demand for
high grade goods this year and we
are now congratulating ourselves on
our foresight in having the largest
stock of furniture to select from ever
shown in the village.”
T. R. Pravitz of the Pioneer store,
is enthusiastic over the season’s trade.
“It is by far the best season we have
had in years,” said Mr. Pravitz.
“In spite of the cold weather last Sat
urday our store was so crowded that
we found it difficult to accommodate
all customers. We find, too, that peo
ple are spending their money sensi
bly, that they are buying goods of
high quality and are saving money
by buving for cash. Our cash busi
ness this year will undoubtedly be
greater than in any season since we
have been in business.”
S. L. Sather, proprietor of the
Sather Jewelry store has been in
Grand Rapids less than a year and
this is his first Christmas season.
“Business is really much better than
I had expected it would be the first
year and I am more than satisfied
with results,” said Mr. Sather. “For
tunately, however, we had made pro
vision for any emergency by purchas
ing an unusually large stock and we
hope to go through the rush without
depleting our line to such an extent
that our customers cannot find a good
selection even up to the last day. We
are receiving a number of inquiries
by mail from different points in the
county and our local trade has been
most gratifying.”
Theodore Toren of the Itasca Drug
store, reports that he has been kept
so busy that he has not had the time
to make any definite comparison with
the business of last year but he feels
that unquestionably the volume of
business would be considerably larg
er than in 1915.
L. A. Whittemore of the Central
Drug ®*''re, also reports a substantial
increase of business over a year ago.
The same is true of Mohaupt’s variety
store where it has been necessary to
employ a large force of extra clerks
to handle the rush of business.
Not a business house visited had
other than the best reports for this
year’s Christmas trade both as to
quantity and quality of articles pur
chased.