Itasca County MN Archives News.....Politics, Serious and Frivolous of the Two Ranges March 15, 1908 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Debra Crosby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002467 January 9, 2021, 8:32 am Duluth News-Tribune Sunday Page 4 March 15, 1908 RANGE NEWS Some of the New Mayors on the Two Ranges POLITICS, SERIOUS AND FRIVOLOUS, OF RANGES How a Sparta Candidate Chased Another Through Street-- Preponderance of Success on Side of Independent Tickets-- When a Woman Ran Against a Woman Voters Were in Quandary. By a Staff Representative. In seven towns on the Mesaba range where the mining companies or officials of the companies took an interest in the election, they were victorious in six, Aurora being the only exception. In five towns and villages where there were two complete tickets in the field the independents were victorious in four and the caucus ticket in one, Nashwauk. In seven towns and villages where there were caucus tickets partially opposed, the indpendent candidates won in four instances while the entire caucus tickets were elected in three others. Mining companies or their representatives were active at Aurora Nashwauk, Sparta, Chisholm, Missabe, Mountain township, Fayal township and the Town of Iron Range in which Bovey Coleraine Taconite and Holman. At Aurora only thses caucus nominees who had no opposition were elected. Charles Olson, Independent was re-elected president over W. J. Rashleigh, superintendent of the St. James mine, and Capt. T. J. Nicholas, a well known mining man was defeeated for a trusteeship, the candidacy of Marcus Levine being launced for the express purpose of beating him. The mining companies near Aurora have not been enthusiastic over the issue of hands from time to time and a majority of Aurora's volters appealed to think ti best for the community to keep the companies or their representatives out the town's official roster. The fight was carried into the ton of White where J. J. Hudson who owas groomed to beat W. J. Rashleigh was elected supervisor. It was easy sledding for the mining company employees and their supporterers at Nashwauk where the caucus ticket defeated the independents by a vote of 3 to 1. Mud Slinging at Sparta Probably the hottest individual fight on the Mesaba range was between L. Rubenstein and H. Marco, who was defeated by two votes for trustee at Sparta. Marco claims that three illegal votes were counted for his opponent and that he was kept out of office by unfair means. There was a little incident on election day that thus far has not been given publicity. It was a personal encounter between Marco's brother and Rubenstein's broghter and Rubenstein. H. Marco got into the game toward the end but was chased away by L. Rubenstein who is said to have had a neckyoke in his hand. The fracas started in a livery barn and Rubenstein's brother who is a saloon keeper, is said to have gone into his saloon and to have procurred a more dangerous weapoon than had ben used in the affray up to the time he temporarily left the scene of hostilities. The Marcos gave the Rubensteins plenty of room, it is said, and no one was hurt. Rubenstein was supported by the mining companies and Marco received the votes of the Specialaists. Marco told the writer that he may contest the election. The Wye ticket, which roped in the Socialistic vote, was defeated at Chisholm by the administration forces after a strenuous scrap. The lines between the Socialists and th administration were indefinite, however, owing to the multiplicity of candidates. The victorious caucas tickets in Missabe and Fayal townships are completely dominated by mining company influence. The supervisor of Fayal township is Captain R. R. Trezona, general superintendent of the mines in the Eveleth district for the Oliver Iron Mining company and several of the officers in both townships are mining employes. There was no organized opposition to the two tickets. Combination Beat Bovey. In the town of Iron Range the causus ticket, which was comprised of Bovey citizens with one exception, was snowed under by a combination of Coleraine, Taconite and Holman. Holman didn't get a place on the ticket but it rallied nobly to the support of its two sister cities and Bovey did not have a look-in. The influence of the Oliver Iron Mining company was behind the Coleraine-Taconite-Holman combination. There is considerable rivalry between Coleraine and Bovey. The former is known as the "model town" of the United States Steel corporation which has spent a big sum of money in making it a village in which it is worth while to live. In Biwabik, Buyck, Two Harbors township and Iron Range township the independent tickets won sweeping victories. In Nashwauk the caucus ticket was victorious. The fight in Biwabik was over public improvements "the lid" and the expenditure of the people's money. The cititzens decided that they wanted improvements and signified their willingness to come across with the necessary mazuma by electing the administration ticket from top to bottom. It was headed by Mayor N. B. Shank. Up in Buyck the Buycks have kept most of the political plums in the family but the independents got together and changed the political complexion of the township by electing the supervisors and a complete independent ticket. It took a special train to defeat the caucus ticket in Two Harbors township. The Knife River settlers had been ignored in the caucus of the township by settlers near Two Harbors and they got together and nominated an independent ticket. All of the Knife River settlers took a day off and journeyed to the polls north of the village of Two Harbors, cast their votes and returned home by their special Iron Range train. They elected their ticket from supervisor to school superintendent. It is likely that they will be notified concerning future caucuses. Women Contest for Office In villages and towns where the caucus tickets were partially opposed the independents won out in two towns and two townships and were beaten in three villages. In Silver Creek town near Two Harbors, the fight was between two women and it is said on good authority that every voter in the township was pledged to vote for both candidates for school superintendent but as it was impossible to do this the voters managed to split the ballots as evenly as possible. Mrs. Louis Elving, Independent candidate defeated Mrs. Robert Johnson by one vote. The other caucus nominees were without opposition. The saloon question was mixed up in the election at Deer River and two independent candidates who lean toward the "lid," were elected trustees. They are T. A. Brown and F. B. Winslow. The "lid" however, was not an acute issue. A majority of the citizens did not desire the saloons, through men favorable to them should have a majority on the board of trustees. The other candidate elected, Jerome Kelleher, was satisfactory to bot the caucus supporters and the independents. For a real simon-pure scrap without any trimmings Grand Rapids takes the prize. George Riddell defeated the independent candidate for president, C. M. Erskine, by 60 votes and W. C. Yancy, caucus candidate for recorder pulled through by the "skin of his teeth." His majority over James Doran, Independent, was four votes. The fight between Riddell and Erskine and Doran and Yancy was based more on personalities than on issues although the "lid" received some attention from the Civic League. The noise made by the "lid" issue was not very loud however, the personal contests for president and recorder submerging everything else. The successful candidates also defeated their opponents in the caucus. Hugh McEwen defeated John G. Frazer, former county comissioner, for supervisor of Grand Rapids township. In this instance the fight was also a personal contest and if there were any "issues" at stake very few voters gave them a second thought. Did Not Fight for Job In Biwabik township there was only one independent candidate and he was elected. The successful office seeker is L. N. Keeler who defeated H. J. Milbrook who was not anxious for the office of justice of the peace and who did not make a fight for it. At Iron Junction and Hibbing the caucus candidate made a clean sweep. The only contest at Iron Junction was for the office of president. James Grierson the caucus candidate, defeated C. F. Johnson by ten votes. At Hibbing the contest for treasurer was a personal fight between A. D. Smith, caucus nominee, and R. L. Griffin. The latter won out by a vote of 295 to 465. Griffin was a candidate against several others in the caucus when Smith was made the nominee. The fight on Griffin in the caucus and at the polls was an echo of internal dissension in the St. Louis County Fair association which is the promoter of the annual county fair at Hibbing. He was treasurer of the association. There was a stiff fight at Buhl where Recorder John Pafich was elected president over A. B. Halley. Pafich likes to be president of Buhl and the citizens evidently reciprocate. He held a term in the presidents chair three years ago. The ticket headed by him was elected. The Successful Tickets The following are the successful tickets on the two ranges. IRON JUNCTION-President, James Grierson; treasurer, August Carlson; recorder, T. C. Young; trustees, John McGorkindale, W. C. Stauty and D. E. Perry; justice, E. E. Phillips; constables, Lawrence Nitka annd Clyed O'Brien. TOWN OF CLINTON--Supervisors, Gust Lund, chairman; F E. Beacham and Erick Fransti; treasurer, James Grierson; clerk, Emanuel Moline; assessor, Henry Solom; road overseer, Charles Anderson; justice, Charles Borg; constable, D. E. Perry. TOWN OF BUYCK--Supervisors, M. O. Kios three years; Gilbert Johnson, two years; Elias Christofferson, one year; clerk, B. B. Brosvik; treasure, Oscar Hanson; assessor, Ole J. Kjostad; justices, C. Christofferson, John H. Branvoid; constables, Ole Hanson and Peter Dunnum. BOVEY--President, C. J. Biederman; trustees, J. J. Specht, Charles Peterson Nels Lexen; recorder, F. H. Gardner; treasurer D. M. Vermilyea. TOWN OF SILVER CREEK--Supervisor, three years, Andrew Carlson; clerk, Hans C. Hanson; treasurer, L. C. Anderson; assessor, Adolph Dahlberg; superintendent of schools, Mrs. Louise Elving. NASHWAUK-- President, H. Hogan; trustees, F. J. Webb, William Wivell, Santo Sella; recorder, Dr. J. L. Shellman; treasurer John Lanto; justices, E. J. Cram, Frank Chinella; constable, William Hayes. TOWN OF IRON RANGE--Supervisor, Dr. N. D. Dean; clerk, A. S. McCollough; treasurer, J. C. Downing; assessor, G. S. Bolton; justices, W. J. Trescott, P. J. Volnskik; constable, Peter Wring, George Donohue; coun- continued on page 5 page 5 POLITICAL GOSSIP OF THE TWO IRON RANGES continued from page 4 cilmen, H. B. Hayes, Thomas Roddy, Max Rogalsky. TOWN OF STUNTZ--supervisor, James Butchart; assessor, Joseph Morgan; clerk, Charles Calligan; treasurer, A. McFayden; constable, Peter Wring; justice, John Lindblood. FALL LAKE--President, L. B. Hagen; clerk, Charles G. Neilson; trustees, Joseph Weed, F. Alborn, Charles Erickson; justices, William Bergman, Andrew Hanson; treasurer, Gust Johnson; assessor, F. E. Gustafson; constable, Fred Bergman. TOWN OF FALL LAKE--Supervisor, three years, G. H. Good; treasurer, August Lingahl; clerk, J. C. Russell; assessor, A. A. Good; justice, J. P. Hunter; constable, Robert Fritz. TOWN OF GREAT SCOTT--Supervisor, three years, A. W. Shaw; clerk, Ernest Anderson; assessor James Rafferty; constable, James Dougherty; Justice, Frank Denel. SPARTA--President, Otto H. Haehnke; recorder, D. M. Mauser; treasurer, Erl Frederickson; constable, William Olson; justices; Clyde Campbell, J. N. Carlson; trustees, L. Rubenstein, Anton Indihar, Sam Keller. BIWABIK--President, N. B. Shank; recorder, J. S. Hopkins; treasurer, G. M. Gleason; trustees, Frank Thomas, F. B. Myers, J. E. Riley; constable, Herman Jones. CHISHOLM--President, R. S. O'Neill; recorder, W. A. Masters; treasurer Matt Mattsell; assessor, D. Blough; justice, A. L. Waters; constable, David Neile; trustees, James Rosewall, Thomas Dandrie, Dr. D. H. Nelson. DEER RIVER--President, E. O. Moore; clerk, Cyrus M. King; treasurer, M. J. Baker; constables, James Kendrew and A. Stephenson; Justice, D. Cochran; assessor, William J. Taylor; trustees, Jerome Kelleher, F. B Winslow, T. A. Brown. TOWN OF BIWABIK--Supervisor, W. G. Dundas; clerk, D. J. Cameron; treasurer, Barney Kinney; justice, L. N. Keeler. COHASSET--President, Morris O'Brien; trustees, John Nelson, Owen Skelly, W. W. Fletcher; recordoer M. H. Jones; treasurer, H. H. Carrier; justice, Joseph St. Peter; assessor, James Ross; constable, Mike Stapleton. TOWN OF COHASSET--Supervisor, chairman, George Becker; treasurer, H. H. Carrier; justices, Pat Kenney and W. A. Walker. TOWN OF MISSABE MOUNTAIN--Supervisor, T. J. Trengrove; clerk, F. E. Helps; treasurer, William Burke; assessor, H. S. Sherman; justices, Otto H. Haehnke, Edward Moylan; constables, Peter Cosgrove, Rocco Cliffone. TOWN OF FAYAL--Supervisor, R. R. Trezona; treasurer, G. H. Dormer; assessor, R. C. Knight; clerk, W. H. Plummer; justice, B. C. Proud; constables, George Blumfield, Harvey Wills. AURORO-- President, Charles Olson; recorder, C. G. Vanderpool; treasurer, John Lang; constable G. W. Lang; justice, L. Tillmans; assessor, C. R. Graham; trustees, J. J. Roup John Geisch, Marcus Levine. TOWN OF WHITE--Supervisor, two years, August Knuti; recorder, J. J. Hudson; clerk, John Lang; treasurer, Charles Hill; trustees, F. O. Adamson, F. P. Levine, F. Y. Anderson. GRAND RAPIDS--President, George Riddell; recorder, W. C. Yancy; treasurer John McMahon; trustees, Henry Hughes, Leo Kerou, M. A. Bossard. TOWN OF GRAND RAPIDS--Supervisor, Hugh McEwan; clerk, J. McMahon; justice, Robert H. Bailey. MCKINLEY--President, D. J. C. Farmer; recorder, Peter Holand; treasurer Thomas Thompson; constable, August Johnson; trustees, Anton Skoda, W. F. Guyott, A. Hagenson. TOWN OF TWO HARBORS-- Supervisor, A. A. Gow; clerk, John McCormick; treasurer, John Marshall; assessor, Charles Anderson; justices, G. W. Roberts, Andrew Casper; constables, Matt Spillum, C. Upthegrove; school superin tendent, S. Sloan. Additional Comments: Photos of George Riddell, Charles Olson, L. B. Hagen, Dr. H. R. Weirick, Walter J. Smith, M. O. O'Brien, E. O. Moore, R. S. O'Neill and O. H. Haehnke was included with this article, they will be posted in this project as individual photos. submitter is not related and has no further information File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/itasca/newspapers/politics18gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 15.2 Kb