The great West. [volume], November 29, 1889, Image 3

About The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
IN THE NORTHWEST
A Summary of the Important
Events of the Week in the
Northwestern States.
The schools at Fairhaven have been closed
•on account of the prevalence of diphtheria.
A man living near Lake City who disap*
peared some months ago is now said to hare
been murdered.
Sixty-four cases of clothing and provisions
■were forwarded from St. Paul to the North
Dakota sufferers.
The Northwestern Telephone company is
an underground conduit franchise
by the St. Paul council.
The premature explosion of a blast in a
•quarry near Hinckley resulted in A. Corne
lius losing bis eyesight.
Northwestern roads, it is decided, must
■make reports hereafter to the United States
commissioner of railroads.
Frank E. Judge, the young son ol P. T.
Judge, of Hastings broke through the ice
while skating and was drowned.
The Washburn-Crosby Milling company
has announced itn determination to remove
its plant from Minneapolis to Duluth.
The Red Pipestone Quarrying company, of
Pipestone with a capital of $50,000, has been
organized under the laws of the state.
An ex-engineer of the Burlington & North
ern secures a $40,000 verdict against that
company for the loss of a leg in St. Paul.
The city council at Litchfield lifts called a
special election, to vote on the issue of $220,-
000 bonds for water-works and electric
lights.
John Smith, a stranger, while intoxicated,
laid down on the railroad track at Wilmor
and was run over by a switch engine. He
cannot recover.
John Yanke, of Hector, committed suicide
by cutting the arteries in his wrists with a
.a penknife. He was found by his family
lying in a hay-mow.
Peter Mouson, a farmer, dropped dead with
heart disease at Montevidea while raising a
sack of wheat from his wagon at the mill
elevator. He resided as Lauriston.
A Minneapolis physician experimented on
an old man of 70 with some Brown-Sequ ard
elixir some time ago and the old man is now
lying in the hospital at the point of death in
consequence.
John A. Brown, a young man living in
Pleasant Grove, Olmstead county,accidently
shot himself while hunting. In falling he
broke bis collar bone and shoulder-blade.
He will probably recover.
The attorney-general decided that C. A.
Gile couldn’t hold a position as member of
the Winona board of education and teach in
the public schools at the same time, and Mr.
Gile resigned his position as teacher.
Dr. Ames, of Minneapolis, received another
threatening letter a few days ago, in which the
writer says: “ You have insulted a noble race,
which offense places your life in jeopardy.”
The letter was signed “Clan-na-Gael.”
A burglar made a call at the residence of
A. E. Cheney, at Hastings, secured some val
uables and left without, being discovered.
The next morning he was traced in the snow
to a vacant house a mile distant aud captur
ed.
*1 r
In a quarrel over a cigarette which James
Simpson took from a showcase in William E.
Haverstick’s store at St. Paul, the former
stabbed the latter in the back with a pocket
knife, inflicting a dangerous and probably
fatal wound.
When W. H. Millman. commercial editor of
the Minneapolis Tribune, went home to din
ner he found his wife sitting in a chair dead.
She had been asphyxiated by gas escaping
from a defective pipe. At her feet lay her pet
cat, also dead.
A convict was released from the Stillwater
penitentiary after serving a term of seven
years for manslaughter, and the first thing
he did was to get an abnormal "jag” on and
was in the cooler in less than two hours
after he gained his liberty.
The charred remnins of Swenke Torgensen
and wife were found in their burned house
near St. Peter. It was known that they usu
ally kept sums of money in the house and it
is supposed they were murdered and thehouse
fired to conceal the cri me.
At the meeting of the common council of
Rochester it was decided to give the North
western Electric Construction and Supply
company the franchise and a contract
which allows slls apiece Der year for five
arc lights to be placed on our streets.
The new high school building was dedicated
at Worthington. The building, which is
conceded to be one of the finest in the state,
cost $30,000. State Superintendent Kiehle
and Prof. Searing of the Mankato normal
school, delivered lectures in the building.
After a session, all told, of 25 days, the
jury, “empanelled to try J. Frank Collom
for the very grave charge of forging the
name J. T. Blaisdell to $270,000 worth of
paper, were discharge by Judge Hooker,
they having failed to agree on a verdict.
Bob O’Neil aad Charles Kelly were arrested
and lodged in jail at Verndale on the charge
of stealingevery thing in one of the Chute Riv
er Lumber company's camps on the Red Rye
river. The goodstaken amounted to $1,200,
anil S3OO was found in the possession of the
men when arrested.
Possibly the heaviest verdict ever rendered
against a railroad corporation in a damage
suit was the one returned by the jury in St.
Paul in the case of Hall against the Burling
ton road. It seems a sort of travesty on
justice that the law should limit damages
for the destruction of a human life to $5,000,
and yet a person who has only been maimed
can recover $ 40,000. It does seem that hu
man life ought to be worth as much as hu
man limbs.
The Winnebago County farm earned $735
over expenses the last fiscal year.
lowa County expended $1,178 for the relief
of veteran soldiers the past year,
Diphtheria is epidemic at Bailey’s Harbor,
Door County. Ten deaths have occurred.
Stevens Point is to have a Woman’s Relief
Crops. It will start with nearly fifty charter
members.
The government breakwater at Ashland
is completed. It is nearly a mile long.
Four syndicates are competing for a fran
chise for an electric railway at Merrill.
Several freight cars were demolished in a
wreck on the St. Paul road near Columbus.
W. B, Wood, a Sparta forger, was senten
ced at La Crosse to one year in the peniten
tiary.
James Vance, of Madison, accidentally
shot himself in the leg while carelessly hand
ling a revolver.
James Powers, in jail at Eau Claire on a
MINNESOTA.
WISCONSIN.
harge of burglary, broke the lock of hie cell
door and escaped.
The leg of a man was found in Cheqname
gon Bay, near Ashland. The member ap
peared to have been severed by an axe.
Thad. Bigelow, arrested at Watertown on
a charge of neglecting to pay a $3 board bill,
was fined $5 and costs, amounting to f 80.
Low water in the river at Janesville neces
sitated the shutting down of the electric light
plant recently. The city was left in dark
ness.
Oswald Babler, of the town of Black Wolf,
Winnebago county, was so terribly cut up
by a horse-power saw that he died of the in
juries.
Eddie Lawrence, of Chipmunk Cooley,
while hunting for coon recently, shot a
golden eagle measuring sir feet nine inches
from tip to tip.
Mrs. Lempke.the Racine insane woman who
attempted to kill her child and herself, has
since made three unsuccessful attempts to
commit suicide.
Charles Huder was awarded $1,500 dam
ages against the city of Racine. His 6-year
old-child fell into a street excavation and
drowned. He sued for $5,000.
An infant child of Mrs. Swatz, of Racine,
who is visiting at Humlin. Mich., tipped over
a kettle of hot boiling water and was so
badly scalded that it cannot live.
The Ashland County Board has settled the
aportionment of taxes for Ashland County
by raising the city to $1,000,000 and the
towns from $500,000 to SBOO,OOO.
The Brotherhood of Upper Mississippi
River Pilots will hold their second annual
convention in La Crosse, on Tuesday, Decem
ber 3. It includes pilots running between
St. Paul and St. Louis.
John Bursaw, a farmer of Waterford,
Racine county, fell down stairs while intoxi
cated and died from his injuries shortly after
ward. He was a German about 60 years
old, and was at one time quite wealthy.
Diphtheria has not yet succumbed totheef
fort of the authorities at Montello. Its la
test victim is al3-year-old daughterof Hen’-y
Kubly, who died recntly. Other mem
bers of the family are suffering from the dis
ease.
A Racine family named Emerson, com
posed of mother, three daughters and a son
nearly died from asphyxiation from gas
from a coal stove. When discovered they
were in an unconscious condition, but all
were soon restored.
James Nagle, who was convicted of a
criminal assault in the Ashland circuit court,
January 27, 1885, and sentenced to thirty
years’ imprisonment in the state prison,
gives notice that application will be made
to Gov. Hoard for pardon.
Adjt-Gen. Burchard has received a com
munication from the newly-organized Gate
way City Guard, of La Crosse, asking to be
made a part of the state service. The com
pany will probably be made a provisional
member of the National Guard.
lowa County will levy a tax ol $20,000 and
interest thereon for one year, which will be
devoted to making the last payment on the
old railroad bonds which have been in litiga
tion for the past thirty years. The original
amount of the bonds was $150,000, and the
county has already paid over $600,000 on
principal, interest and costs.
SOUTH DAKOTA.
Christopher Berg, dealer in groceries at
Aberdeen, has assigned.
A branch of the South Dakota Enforce
ment league will be organized at Faulkton.
A Norwegian night school for the benefit
of boys and girls has been established at
Sioux Falls.
The citizens of Deadwood has enjoyed bet
ter sleighing for the past few days than at
any time last winter.
A full blooded Indian girl from Rosebud
agency has been received as a pupil at the
deaf mute school at Sioux Falls.
George McKlin, an old resident of the Black
Hills, was crushed to death by the caving In
of the bank of a tin mine near Hill City re
cently.
A workman employed in laying gas mains
in Aberdeen was suddenly taken with a fit
and tumbled into one of the excavations,
sustaining serious injuries.
Fort Meade has a new postmaster. An
drew Capri has been appointed to succeed
Garrison, late post trader and postmaster,
who has removed lrom the fort.
Eighteen inches of snow fell in some por
tions of the Black Hills. At Deadwood the
fall was twelve inches, with the thermometer
registering three degrees above zero.
Sheriff Gifford, of Fall River county, re
cently received the SSOO reward offered by
Gov. Mellette for the capture of Lehmam,
charged with the murder of Constable Burns
at Fairburn last summrr.
A sufferer lrom the central part of the state
passed through Elk Point recently in his
prairie schooner, on the outside of which was
printed the legend: "Busted —Going home
to my wife’s folk to winter.”
A. C. McDowell had his hand crushed while
coupling cars in the Northwestern depot at
Watertown. He was not in the employ of
the company, and just wanted to show peo
ple how to couple cars. He lost a thumb
and two fingers.
Charlie Sundling, aged 6, while playing
near an old well at Beresford, slipped and
fell to the bottom, a distance of thirty feet.
His father was near by, and procuring a rope
the little fellow was rescued apparently none
the worse foe his tumble.
Twenty thousand deliquent shares of the
Deadwood Reduction works stock were sold
for the assessments and cost at Deadwood
recently. The stock was bought by a
broker at $1 and costs per share. The own
ers filed a protest before the sale, claiming
that the stock was non-assessable.
One night Sam Clark, o'. Pierre; had occa
sion to visit his barn and took a lantern
along to illuminate things. He set the lan
tern on a stool and an inquisitive pig came
along and upset it, spilling the burning oil
all over its back. Then there was a wild
chase between Sam and the pig. The animal
finally bolted out of the barn and made for a
haystack, with Sam a good second. He cap
tured the blazing porker just as he reached
the stack and succeeded in saving his bacon.
Miss Agatha Hinz and William Plane were
lovers in tne fatherland. Some time ago
William came to this country to gather %
fortune unto himself so that he could wed the
fair Agatha. He settled in Red field and pros
pered. A few weeks ago a bnght-eved, rosy
cheeked German girl alighted at the Red field
depot. William welcomed her with open
arms, and the course of true love was run -
ning with its accustomed smoothness until a
few days ago, when Agatha skipped out with
a butcher named August Schmidt and they
were married at Crandon.
NORTH DAKOTA.
North Dakota’s chief justice, Guy C. H,
Corliss, is but 31 years of age.
A prairie fire west of Minnewnnkan destroy
ed 150 tons of hay and other property?
Miss Nellie Hodge, of Jameetown, was suc
cessful in lighting a fire with kerosene. She
will be all right in a few weeks.
R. W. Stevens, of Ransom county, and
David Wellman, of Rockford, are the leaders
for speaker olthe North Dakota house.
Harry Melton, charged with robbing the
Fargo Post office, bound over to await the
action of the United States grand jury.
North and South Dakota’s congressmen de
clare that they will not vote for Reed lor
speaker because he was hostile to the terri
tory.
The North Dakota Republican legislators
unanimously nominate ex-Gov. Pierce for
senator, and take two indecisive ballots for
the other senator.
Fargo has a business man who did not
know a confederate from a U. S., note.
The experience cost him a five-dollar coat
and $5 in change.
E. C. Johnson, associate editor of the
Sioux Falls Press, has been at Grand Forks
in secret confab with Rev. H. G. Mendenhall,
proprietor of the Plaindealer, relative to the
purchase of that paper.
Father L'Hiver, a Catholic priest of Dun
sieth, Rolette county, writes to the Fargo
Argas denying the reports of suffering in
that county, and warning people to beware
of pious frauds who are taking up subscrip
tions by misrepresentation.
A baud of about 300 Sioux Indians are
killing off stock belougingto ranchmen along
the Little Missouri ri v er, a few miles south
of Medora. The cattlemen have telegraphed
to Washington requesting that the redskins
be removed from that locality.
The territorial board of education has
just made its report to the governor. It
shows 1,715,000 acres of school land in the
territory, the average value being $5.79 per
acre, with a total value of $9,928,902.11
The report shows that 89,775 acres of this
laud are illegally occupied by farmers.
Thomas Eddington, traveling agent for
the Standard Lifo Insurance company, o
Detroit, Mich., committed suicide in a Fargo
hotel recently by taking an overdose of lau
danum. Despondency over the death of his
mother and a young lady to whom he was
shortly to be wedded was the cause.
IOWA.
Pottawattamie county supervisors will
offer a bounty to induce citizens to go for
the gopher.
The report of the soldiers’ home for the
month of October shows aD average of 301
inmates. The auditor has issued a warrant
for $3,135 for the support of same.
Francis Marion Wagner, a teacher in a
public school at Meriden, is under arrest for
striking a boy named White with an iron
poker.
Emanuel Nelson is on trial at Newton,
charged with the murder of Thomas Archer,
The murder occurred at a picnic given last
Fourth of July near that place.
Brooks, the murderer, formerly of Coun
cil Bluffs, now of Fort Madison, is confident
that the supreme court will grant him a new
trial.
R. G. Snyder, an employe of the Le Grand
flouring mill at Marshalltown, has been ar
rested lor systematically robbin g the com
pany.
A legal controversy over a calf iu a Coun
cil Bluffs justice court has so far cost enough
to buy a respectable herd of cattle, while the
final outcome is still in the dim distance.
There are over 500 G. A. R. posts in the
stfftc with a membership of abont 20,000,
and 200 relief corps with a membership bi
something like 5,000.
An unfeeling storekeeper in Des Moines is
tantalizing the life out of the colored popula
tion by exhibiting a big (at ’possum in his
show window with a card “Not for sale” tied
around its neck.
Two mad dogs were killed in Douglas town
ship, Adams county, recently. J. M. Figgin’s
little girl was terribly bitten by one of them.
A large number of cattle and other stock were
also bitten.
Milton McConnell, of Meriden became en
tangled in the harness of a runaway horse
and was dragged half a mile at the horse’s
heels. He suffered a broken collar bone, a
couple of ribs and serious internal injuries.
A jeweler in Shell rock whipped a boy for
marking his window with his dirty fingers,
the boy’s father whipped the jeweler and a
justice of the peace raked in a jack pot of $lO
and costs contributed by the belligerents.
L. B. Willett, who was “sjnt up” from
Marsballstown two years ago for burglary
was arrested on his release at Anamosa by
Sheriff Clark, of Butler, Mo., on a charge of
forgery commit ted three years ago and taken
to that place for trial.
The state board of health has changed the
rule governing contagious diseases among
school children. Formerly the certificate of
the attending physician was all that was re
quirt d for readmission alter being quaran
tined. Now the approval of the local board
of health, or the health officer of the local
beard of health, in necessary to remove the
quarantine.
Dos Moines, Marshall town and Webster
City are all figuring on securing the location
of the contemplated college of the Seventh
Cay Adventists, whi cli is to be built some
where in the west after the pattern of the
one at BattTe Creek, Mich. Des Moines has
offered $10,090 cash and twenty acres of
land and Webster City offers a site, while
Marshalltown is still "figerin’.”
Wm. Carl, in jail at Jefferson for trying t o
hold up two merchants at Grand Junction,
is liuble to loose one of his hands. During the
fracas at Grand Junction Mr. Covell, in pro
tecting himself from Carl's attack, cut the
robber in the wrist with a pocket knife, sev
ering the tendons. Carl was too chicken
hearted to have his hand attended to pro
perly at the time, which will probably result
in his loosing it altogether.
The faculty of Des Moines college are
worked up to the highest pitch of indigna
tion. The other day a little love affair be
tween two of the students reached the des
peration point, and they hied themselves
away to the residence of the young lady’s
parents at KnoxviHe and became one stu
dent as it were. In the meantime the fac
ulty became aware of the fact and held a
star chamber session, in which it was re
solved that the college could not be used as
a matrimonial incubator, and that the new
ly married couple would have to hustle for
education somewhere else.
William Maxwell, an engineer in the Chi
cago, Burlington and Quincy yards at Bur
lington, was found wandering around in a
dazed condition An Investigation showed a
large red lumD on the back of his neck, evi
dently caused from being struck with a sand
bag. He was taken home and cared for,
when it, was discovered that his tongue was
paralyzed. He recovered his mental facul
ties, and, aside from being unable to speak,
appears to be all right. He writes his con
versation and explains the affair by saying
someone stepped up behind him and struck
him with a club and then fled. The doctors
fear he has been stricken speechless for life.
HIS FIBST MESSAGE.
The Goyernor of North Dako
ta sends in His Mess
age.
He Discovers a Necessity for
Strict Economy in
Finances.
Bismarck, N. D., Special Telegram, Nov.
20.—The two houses voted separately to
day for United States senator. Ex-Gov.
Gilbert A. Pierce received all the votes in
either house, except twelve Democratic
votes, which were cast for ex-Secretary M.
L. McCormack. Both houses adopted a
resolution designating Pierce for the long
term. The houses then went into joint ses
sion to receive the governor’s message.
Following are the salient points of the
message:
The history of that portion of the North
west which is now included within the
boundaries of the State of North Dakota
contains much to inspire confidence in the
future of our commonwealth. Little more
than a decade has passed since thelndian and
buffalo were driven from her fertile plains.
In 1880 its sparse population was confined
to the few counties along the Red river and
the line of the Northern Pacific railway.
But the fame of the rich fertility of her soil
and especial adaptability to the production
of a peculiar variety of wheat of superior
excellence and the healthfulness of our
climate spread rapidly throughout our own
land and to foreign 'shores. Then came a
period of growth and development that has
scarcely been equaled in the early history
of the progress of any other state or terri
tory. Many thousands of our countrymen
and hardy and industrious citizens of lands
beyond tne sea found in North Dakota new
homes.
Thus, within a brief period, we find our
population increased to 225,000, a popula
tion unsurpassed for intelligence and thrift,
representing all the enterprise and push of
the young men of the most progressive com
munities of the East, energized bv the vigor
of our incomparable climate, each year add
ing thousands of acres to our cultivated
fields and demonstrating the adaptability
of our soil and climate to a greater diversity
of crops and agricultural pursuits.
Our railroad system that in 1880 com
prised one company, with only one line ex
tending partly across the state,now includes
nearly 2,000 miles of completed road, trav
ersing her domain in all directions, two
great transcontinental lines running through
her teiritory, making many of our new cit
ies and towns as favorable railroad centers
as some of the older cities of the East.
Nature has, indeed, been bounteous in her
gifts to our state. Our undeveloped re
sources of wealth are beyond computation,
and far exceed the most sanguine hopes.
The judicious application of that capital
which such resources must attract, intelli
gently and harmoniously co-operating with
the tireless energies of our people, cannot
fail to work out lor the new State of North
Dakota a grand destiny.
Owing to the fact that the reports of the
outgoing territorial officers have not yet
been submitted, and owing further to the
limited time intervening between the in
stallation of the present state officers and
the meeting of the legislature, and to the
delay consequent upon the division of the
assets and liabilities between the two states,
it is impossible to prepare as complete, de
tailed and exhaustive a statement of the
financial condition of the state as I should
desire, but the reports of the territorial of
ficers will be forthcoming later on, and will
probably be available before your session
closes.
The total bonded indebtedness to date is
$539,807.46, being the amount assumed by
the State of North Dakota as provided by
section live of the report of the joint com
mission, and approved by the people of
North and South Dakota. Of the outstand
ing bonds, $231,600 bear interest at 6 per
cent per annum, and $182,000 at 41 per cent
and $42,700 at 4 per cent, and the $83,507.46
refunding warrants 5 per cent, making the
total amount paid annually as interest upon
our bonded debt $27,969.35. The bonds is
sued last April for the repairs of the uni
versity at Grand Forks were 4 per cent
bonds and were negotiated at a premium of
31 per cent, whicli was a very gratifying in
dication of the credit of our late territory.
It is, however, believed with wise and care
ful legislation looking to the care of our
credit, that our state \till be able to nego
tiate her bonds even at a lower rate.
Fifty thousand dollars of the 6 per cent
bonds are subject to the call of the state,
and $63,000 more will be subject to call
April next. Provision for the calling in of
these bonds should be made as soon as pos
sible. Owing to the short time elating
before.tlie state will have the option of
calling in a large share of the remainder of
the 6 per cent bonds, it is believed that they
will at once be called, by offering to ex
change therefor long-time bonds bearing
not to exceed 4 per cent interest.
I would, therefore, suggest such legislation
as will authorize the state to refund all the
outstanding bonded indebtedness possible
at a rate not to exceed 4 per cent. The ac
complishment of the refunding of our en
tire bonded indebtedness into 4 per cent
bonds negotiated at par, will save the state
an annual sum of $5,600.
The report of the state treasurer shows
$51,513.41 to be the amount received from
the outgoing territorial treasurer. It is ap
proximately estimated that North Dakota
will have to assume $24,841.62 of the terri
torial indebtedness, and in addition thereto
her share of the unaudited outstanding bills
against the territory not payable until final
adjustment and the amount of which we
have no means of ascertaining. The out
standing indebtedness assumed by the state,
is payable out of the general fund, leaving
on hand available at present for paying the
current expenses of the state, $5,448.45; esti
mated receipts, $271,898.55; estimated ex
penses, $380,706.35, leaving a deficiency of
$108,870.80.
The legislative assembly, by the provis
ions of section 19 oftlie schedule of the con
stitution, is required to make an appropri
ation to defray the cost oftlie constitutional
convention in excess of $20,000, the
amount appropriated by the general gov
ernment. Deducting therefore $30,000 from
the estimated receipts and adding to the es
timated expenditures SIO,OOO for clerk hire
and $7,000 for constitutional convention we
have a prospective deficiency of $155,870.80.
I make this full statement of our financial
condition that we may fully understand the
imperative need and importance of the
strictest economy in all departments of the
new state. While there is nothing in our
financial exhibit thus made that in anyway
affects our credit, since with an indebted
ness of $540,000, the valuation of property
in the state based on a fair money value is
more than $175,000,000, yet it is of the ut
most importance that good business meth
ods prevail in the management of our
financial affairs, and that our disburse
ments be made, at the earliest possible date,
to come within our revenue.
For our new state, with so .large a share
of its resources undeveloped, and with (as
is seen by the statement submitted of as
sessed valuation) a large share of the bur
den of taxation falling upon the agricult
ural interest, that interest which, owing to
The low range of values of farm products,
has been greatly depressed, not only in our
own state, but throughout the county, and
that interest upon the prosperity of which
our hopes so largely depend, must exercise
the greatest care lest the development of
our latent resources be not retarded by the
burden of excessive taxation.
By the provisions of the constitution the
first session of the legislature may continue
120 days. I deem a session of that length
entirely unnecessary, and urge upon you
the importance of as early an adjournment
as is consistent with a proper discharge of
your duties to the state. The average daily
cost of a session of the legislative assembly
is estimated at SBSO. Should the session
continue 120 days at a cost of $102,000, that
item alone would swallow up nearly half
of our income.
The total assessed valuation of the state
as shown by ths assessment roll of 1889 is
$66,857,436.30 obtained from the following
sources:
Lands $40,061,175 65
Horses 5,223,877 00
Mules aud asses 444,474 OO
Cattle. 2,557,953 25
Sheep 78,759 35
Swine 122,854 20
9,354329 so
Merchandise 2,574,641 00
Capital in manufactures 153,567 00
Vehicles 1,129,451 60
Moneys and credits 1,113,078 75
Household furniture 138,820 00
Stocks and shares 1,029,653 00
All other property 2,875,220 OO
Total..
PROHIBITION.
A majority of the legal voters, by their
suffrages constitutionally expressed, hav
ing declared in favor of the prohibition of
the sale and manufacture of intoxicating
liquors of all kinds withfn our state, it be
comes your duty to enact such laws as shall
be in harmony, not only with the letter,
but with the lull spirit, import and scope of
the section. By the terms of said section it
is not left for the legislative assembly to de
termine as to their action, but it expressly
says “the legislative assembly shall by law
prescribe regulations for the enforcement
of the provisions of this article and shall
thereby provide suitable penalties for the
violation thereof.” By the adoption of this
section it has become a part of the funda
mental law of our state; therefore, as long
as this remains a part of our constitution
every law-abiding citizen will be in favor
of its rigid enforcement. I trust this
question, in which the people are deeply
interested, may have at your hands thought
ful and serious consideration. Laws should
not be framed for the purpose of f acilitating
the violation of the spirit of the above sec
tion, but should have for their purpose the
absolute enforcement of its requirements.
Thus, and thus only, can the true merits or
demerits of the question be tested to the
satisfaction of a majority of the people.
PURITY OF ELECTION'S.
The perpetuity of a republican form of
government is dependent upon the purity
of the source from which it springs. That
source is the will of the governed. The bal
lot box is the means by which that will is
expressed; therefore the protection of the
purity of the elective franchise is of primary
and fundamental importance. A proof of
the growing demand for the protection of
the ballot is shown by the fact that meas
ures looking to radical reform in the manner
of conducting elections have attracted such
universal attention, and stringent election
laws have recently been adopted in many
of the states. At the beginning of the year
only one state, Massachusetts, had such a
law on her statute book, which was largely
a modification of the Australian system of
voting. During the year the legislatures of
nine states have enacted laws embodying
the same general principles. It will be re
membered that our last territorial legisla
tive assembly passed a similar law, but by
some as yet unaccountable means it failed
to find its way to the executive chamber.
The universally favorable comment upon
the workings of the Australian system of
voting strongly commends it as worthy of
your careful consideration. It may be urged
that this system is too cumbersome for
many of our sparsely settled communities.
I would suggest this might easily be obvi
ated by making it applicable to cities and
precincts having a certain number of votes.
I believe the matter to he one of great im
portance to our state and recommend that
some legislation looking to the guarding of
the purity of our elections be enacted.
RAILROAD TAXATION
I mpst respectfully beg leave to call your
attention to the necessity of a revision of
the present law providing for the taxation
of the property of railroad companies. By
the provisions of chapter 107 of the Session
Laws of 1889 railroad companies are per
mitted, in lieu of all other taxes, to pay
into the state treasury a per centum upon
the gross earnings, both local and inter
state. Section 176 ot our constitution, how
ever, provides that “the legislative assem
bly may by law provide for the payment of
a per centum of gross earnings of railroad
companies, to be paid in lieu of all state,
county and township and school taxes, on
property exclusively used in and about the
prosecution of the business of such com
panies as common carriers; but no real
estate of said corporations shall be exempt
from taxation in the same manner
and on the same basis as other
real estate is taxed, except road bed, right
of way, shops and buildings used exclusively
in their business as common carriers. 7 ’
Under the restrictions, therefore, of this
section ot the constitution, the present law
will need amendment to conform thereto.
It will be seen bv the provisions of the pres
ent law of 1889 the per centum of gross earn
ings is to be accepted by the state in lieu of
all other taxes upon all property of all
kinds of railroad companies. The consti
tution, however, provides that said tax of
said per centum of gross earnings may be
accepted by the state in lieu only of taxes
upon such property as is used exclusively in
the prosecution of their business as com
mon carriers. Therefore, all lands and
property, such as lands given in aid of con
struction, town site property, etc., of rail
road companies not used in the prosecution
of their business as common carriers must
be subject to taxation, as provided in sec
tion 179 of our constitution. The ques
tion as to the best mode of taxa
tion of railroad property has long at
tracted great interest, not only in our terri
tory, but in the states, and various methods
have been devised. The aim and adjust
ment of laws of assessment and taxation
should be to have the burden of tax rest
equally upon all interests. lam of the
opinion that this is best accomplished by
the assessment and taxation of all property
of all kinds, except such as is exclusively
used for public benefit, in proportion to its
money value. Section 2 oftlie act incorpo
rating the Northern Pacific Railroad com
pany provides as lollows:
“'that the right of way through the pub
lic lands be and the same is hereby granted
to said Northern Pacific Bailroad company,
its successors and assigns, for the construc
tion of a railroad and telegraph, as pro
posed. Said way is granted to said railroad
to the extent of 200 feet in width on each
side of said railroad where it may pass
through the public domain, including all
necessary ground for station buildings,
depots, machine shops, switches, side
tracks, turn-tables and water stations, and
the right of way shall be exempt from tax
ation within the territories of the United
States.”
The question arises as to whether the ex
emption of such portions of said railroads
as were within the territory is still in force
upon the admission of such territories as
states, into the Union. In other words, un
der the provisions of the above section has
the State of North Dakota a right to tax the
main line of tl»e Northern Pacific railroad?
This question, no doubt, the courts will
be called upon to decide. The determina
tion thereof will enter largely into your
consideration of the best mode of taxing
railroad property. Under no circumstances
should a gross earnings law exempt railroad
property Irom taxation as other property
except by the payment of a per centum on
the gross earnings, both local and inter
state.
BAILBOADS.
The forthcoming report of the territorial
board of railroad commissioners will con
tain a full statement of their action, and
the operations of the railroads of the state.
From the data at hand I find tli.e total
number of miles in the state, the number
of miles operated by each line, and the
ainouut of tax, both county and territorial,
paid into the territorial treasury as per
centum on gross earnings of local and in
terstate business for 1888, to be a 9 follows:
viw *“ Tm*
Kooa. MUee. ritorUL
Pacific... 814.35 (29,215 89
■P.M.&M 998.02 31,083 83
Inn. &Soo 99.01 in 49
,M.*St.P 117.94 1,607 5«
. AN. W._ 14.90 181 73
N.
at.]
Mil
C.,
C.
St. P., M. Si M. R. R., 55.41 miles new line in
1889.
2,099.63 total miles of railroad to date.
By chapter 110 of the Session Laws ot
1889, the duties and powers of the railroad
commissioners were greatly enlarged.
Without the report of the commission wo
are unable to give information as to the
efficiency of the law as amended. It is be
lieved, however, that the commission has
ample power to enforce the provisions
thereof. There is some complaipt in regard
to the operation and discrimination of ele
vator and warehouse men, and some slight
amendment relativ#thereto may be desired.
It is possible that the complaint arises more
from a want of enforcement than a defect in
the law itself. The change made by our
constitution, making the' commissioners
elective, it is hoped may lead to a more
rigid enforcement.
The present system of railroad rates prac
tically precludes the possibility of establish
ing a jobbing and wholesale trade or build
ing up of commercial centers in our state.
This I deem to be a great detriment to both
city and country, and, if within the prov
ince of the legislature, would favor the con
ferring such powers on the commission
ers as would enable them to remedy this
evil.
,$66,857,436 30
I herewith submit correspondence in re
gard to destitution in several counties.
From this correspondence it will be seen
there is some destitution in these counties
owing to the failure of crops two successive
years, caused by the early frosts in 1888 and
the severe drouth of this past season. A
loss of crops is more severely felt in these
localities owing to the fact that these coun
ties were but recently settled, and, as is the
case in all new countries, by men with very
limited means, and thus unable to main
tain themselves and families under the un
fortunate failure of crops. While the ex
aggerated reports of suffering that have
been spread broadcast through the Eastern
cities are to be deprecated, we most fully
sympathize with the destitute and needy,
and I recommend that the subject have
your careful consideration.
Information comes from that portion of
the state where greatest need exists that
much complaint is made of the extortion
practiced by a certain class of loan agents,
whose chief source of profit would seem to
be the dire distress of their fellow men. I
believe that capital is an all-important ele
ment in the development of a new country,
and that all legislation tending to make the
legitimate investment of money more secure
will lead to an influx of capital that will go
far to prevent the exaction of excessive in
terest o>r bonuses. I am, however, of the
opinion that some specific legislation look
ing to the protection of the people against
methods of extortion now practiced would
be greatly in the interest of all classes.
By the statement of estimated receipts and
expenditures it is apparent that the amount
of our indebtedness at the end of the present
year will nearly reach the limit allowed by
the constitution, which limit is $200,000. It
is hoped, however, that by the greatest care
and scrutiny in the matter of appropria
tions and expenditures, the prospective de
ficiency may be somewhat reduced. The
executive has no hesitancy in saying that
he deems it unwise at this time to provide
for the building of any new public institu
tions of any kind.
While it would possiblv be desirable to
do so were we in financial condition to
make the necessary outlay, yet in the pres
ent condition of our treasury, with a large
portion of our people struggling with all
the unfavorable conditions appertaining to
the early settler, in the establishment of a
home in a new country, 1 deem it the part
of wisdom that all such appropriations be
deferred and that our credit at home and
abroad be built up by prudent and eco
nomical methods.
The deficiency of the rainfall for the
past few years in a considerable portion of
our state has awakened great interest in the
question of irrigation.
The limits of this message only permit a
few suggestions. Rainfall must increase or
certain parts of our state must have moist
ure from artificial sources. Is it improba
ble that the rainfall may increase? Is irri
gation practicable in the view of the undu
latory character of the surface in the por
tions where it is most needed? If so how
can it be best accomplished? From
what sources can the water best be sup
plied? If from the Missouri river, how and
where? If from artesian wells, at what
depth can it be obtained? Is the supply
inexhaustible? Can it be found at about
the same depth in all parts of the state?
Will the water thus obtained injure vegeta
tion? These, I believe, are questions that
must first be settled before any intelligent
plan can be determined upon. They can
only be determined by surveys and experi
ments at considerable cost. Is it wise for
our state, with all the uncertainties attend
ing the question, to expend money there
for ? It might not be unwise to memorial
ize congress for an appropriation for the
necessary surveys ana other preliminary
work.
HEARD FROM STANLEY.
The African Explorer at the Head
of a Party of Natives.
Bbri.in, Nov. 20. —The ltcichs Anzeiger
lias a dispatch from Capt. Wissniann, dated
Mpwapwa, Oct. 13. The dispatch says:
Four of Stanley’s men and one of Emin’s
soldiers have arrived here. They left Stan
ley at Neukmma on Aug. 10 and came by
way of Noembo and Mweriewero north to
Mgogo in thirty-three days, including nine
days on which they rested. Emin and Ca
sati had 300 Soudanese soldiers and many
other followers with them. They had in
their possession a large quantity of ivory.
Stanley had a force of 240 Zanzibaris, and
was accompanied by his six lieutenants,
Nelson, Jeplison, Stairs, Parke, Bonny and
William. The expedition struck camp as
soon as the messengers started. Therefore
the party should reach Mpwapwa by Nov.
20. Emin and Stanley repeatedly fought
and repulsed the Mahdists, capturir-g the
Malidi’s grand banner. A majority of
Emin’s soldiers refused to follow him south
ward, asserting that their way home did not
lie in that direction. Emin left two Egyp
tian officers in charge of stations. The mes
sengers have no knowledge of the Senoussi
massacre, or ot events in Khartoum and
Abyssinia.
Capt. Wissmann adds that the English
missionaries at Kisouke and Mamboia
needed protection until the fate of Bushiri
was decided. Although on good terms
with the natives, the missionaries were left
unprotected, and had to be called inside the
German station. Regarding neighboring
tribes, Capt. Wissmann did not believe that
the Masai would engage in hostilities
against the station, but the marauding
Wahehe, with whom Bushiri possibly had
his headquarters, had to be kept in check. \
Bushiri possessed only a ftew guns.
Capt. Wiasmann’s dispatch is dated Zan
zibar, Nov. 20. Besides Stanley, all the
European members of the expedition and
Schinze and Hoffmann and other mission
aries have arrived at Mpwapwa. All are
well. Capt. Wissmann expects the party to*
arrive at Bagamoyo on Dec. 1.
Tax
County.
$64,658 29
40,783 89
342 98
3,215 12
363 44
993,874 19
71,867 02
514 47
4,822 68
545 17
9171,623 52
9109,383
NEEDY SETTLERS.
APPROPRIATIONS.
IRRIGATION.
-= j - rsn§