Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1894 — ROBBED BY BIG FIRMS. [ARTICLE]

ROBBED BY BIG FIRMS.

Minnesota Defrauded of *400,000 by Pina Lumber Dealer*. Tho great Minnesota pine land fight has come to a head, complaints having been drawn in the name of the State, charging six of the large lumber firms of Minneapolis and elsewhere with stealing over 100,000,000 feet of pine from forests belonging to the State. The names of the oompanies are withheld until tho formal filing of the complaints. The amount of moneyclaimed by the State is about $400,000. The suits are brought in obedience te the report of the Joint Legislative Pine Land Committee. This body began its work shortly after the adjournment of the Legislature last spring and has just completed its labors. Its findings are of a sensational nature. The theft of pine has been boldly carried on for the past twelve years. Almost whole townships have been despoiled, upon which only partial reports have been made. In other cases millions of feet of pine have been taken and no report wnatever made. The center of this wholesale robbery has been Itaska County, but all adjoining counties to the south and east have suffered severely.