The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-05-13
Capt. Estes and the Lumbermen.

Capt. Estes and the Lumbermen.
We alluded in oursWeekly of Saturday to
the fact that Capt. Estes, the Timber Agent
and Col. Irwin, U. S. Marshal for Minnesota, had
which was entirely satisfactory to all concern
ed About the time we were preparing this
latter statement for the press, we were called
upon by mutual personal friend of Capt. Estes
and ourselves, who stated what we had previ-
ously learned from other friends, that The Cap
tain felt himself highly aggrieved by our stric-
lures ofthe previous week, and wished us to
inform him in regard to the nature and charac-
ter of th85nformation upon which we based our
denuncial try article. Not being in the habit
ofindulging in such language as we had used,
toward any officer or individual, unless con-
vinced Of our ability to furnish the strongest
possible proofs to sustain the charges, we cheer
fully, as we were authorized to do by our in
| formants, gave up their names, and at the same
time furnished several newspaper articles from
respectable presses below, making charges
against the Captains conduct as Timber Agent
equally as strong, ifnOt stronger, than our own.
The gentleman who called upon us conveyed
to Capt. Estes these matters of Information
which had reached us from public and private
sources, and returned with the following state
ment on behalf of the Captain:
He, Capt. Estes, declares, that the entire
charges, from beginning to end, in The newspa-
pers published at the towns below us, as well as
the private information furnished the editors OF
the Minnesotian, and consequently the charges
based upon the same which were set forth in
the Minnesotian of April goth, touching his con-
duct as Timber Agent OF the United States, are
false and unfounded in every particular. He
has never himself, nor has he authorized any
person as his deputy. to seize any raft of lum-
Der OF logs, and exact from the owners or those
in charge thereof any pay or contribution what
ever. He has never received dollar from the
lumbeTmen by way of compromising with them
as trcspasscrs nor has he ever seized, or allow
ed to be seized with his knowledge, any raft
that he had not the most abundant proof tc
show was in the hands of previously warned.
and consequently defiant, trespassers upon the
public lands. He further states, that the indi-
vidual alluded to as being his deputy here in
Minnesota, never, by the least show or color Of
authority from him, held any such appoint
ment; that being an old acquaintance ofhis,
and fndiag him here without employment last
season, he [Estes1 gave him some writing to do,
which was the full extent of his official bust
ness intercourse with him.
In this sicv of the case as matter of course,
our REMARKS were highly improper and uncall
Capt Estes, as well as to the owners and crew of
the steamer Berlin, and all others in the Cap
tain's employ. 1t is, however, passing strange;
how so many editors and reliable men could
have been so grossly deceived in regard to the
Captains conduct. Had we been base enough
to publish what we did upon irresponsible au-
thority, we should have deserved much greater
punishment than the execrations which the Cap
tain visited upon us in his card. published a few
days since in the Pioneer. But we think he
must himself admit, that considering the char
actcr of the information which reached us, the
standing Of the presses and persons from whence
it originated, and the high state of indignation
which it aroused in this community, and with
which we were of course surrounded when we
penned the offensive article, We had good
grounds for supposing that nothing short OF
what we did would help to accomplish the op-
ject we wished to reach, viz: security ana
protection to the rights and property OF large
and meritorious class ofour citizens As we
remarked last Saturday, that object being now
attained by instructions from headquarters, and
q cheerful and prompt willingness manifested
by Capt. Estes to carry out these new instruc-
tions thc issuing Of which, he has shown con-
clusively be himself labored zealously to bring
about) We have nothing more to say OF him save
in commendation of his actions as an officer
since he last arrived among us. The Captain
must certainly believe the senior editor Of this
paper to be hypocrite more despicable than
was ever permitted to have the respect and
friendship of any upright man, ifhe prcsumes
we were actuated in the least, by any feelings
of hostility or opposition to him personally; for
he we'll knows that the limited intercourse we
had with him last season after we first became
acquainted, was characterized by the best of
feelings on both sides.
| In conclusion, have only to respeat, that his
course toward the lumbermen since his present
visit to Minnesota meets our hearty approval,