The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-30
sale or the Fort Smelling Reserve.
OA2 WARRINGTON CORRESPONDENCE


nyocs swindie on the Part Of govern men omoe1 ana
s In the le TO private individuals Of te Fort Smell
ting reservation have taken some little pains 70 aso~
IAN ths t,uin reference transaction, and propose
GO this letter the Official documents which are on
;n.s Ia tie department Before doing however viii
CHOW the Eight Of day, attack IN one " the stock
.sobbipg abolition papers publehed In New York.
10 "trip tie rsmaroe Of ia circumooutsry insnuaohs,
vhs charge IL contains Is ths: That Mr. Douglass Mr. Rios.
and Col Orr (somo OF the abolition papers have In
uded ehs Vice President Of the United Staes) formed
pian BIZ whah to swindle the United States ont o, million
Of dollars; Mr.. Floyd tho Secretary Of War, tho
ready instrument 10 OUT participating in the sois,
sod ,has Mr.. Buchanan silently stuks ~ the srAusAcou
na cr:y necessary to state the charge to demonstrate
IL sbsurdy and establish Its fSlsehood Some private
~ mus have ranked In the heart which conn red these
gbu, sentiments.
Haytpg investigated this Wtoia rsusac ton from nr 70
last and the Ac's 10 be few and simple The property
&, must be borne in MIND Sod for beter and higher
price than any similar property sold for by the
United States The mode OF selling 1t IL by the
<rueuons from tho War Department to the Commissioner
and their report touching the sale; and they
Invite CAREFUL oerusal OF the whole TRANSACTION and yea
tbs assertion that the perfect propriety OF vii
o. amount 70 q demonstra.n
Tho modesi change is, tina, the most distinguished
bers Congress- ase.ed h, tbs cret.y OF War have
eone burg srousy entered the house
OF Uucle Sam sasen carried away million OF collars,
ana sba the Preslden. is the fence" to oonoe. It, How
'dsssrred uaiil The present suspicious hour
WAR DPAErsNT,
WASHINGTON, May as, 1857
sxsjcr SIXTH sAsrAS s. A., snd WILLIAM KING HsIsKstL,
E.q. Washington
Gusr1IAns You are hereby requested and instructed
60 Wait In person the military made by the
1--we Fort smelling IN toe Territory OF Minnesota, and
examine end ascefsa no far has been made vaaaole
by government improvement; also whether thcre
any ectnal BORA fds settlers upon the reserve Who have
made valuspe improvements thereon and VII se,ted
thaba The III Gdu ~ ar nf
enc government agents, Of having the pre- emp:on right
extended 10 .bem and whether, unde' all the circam-
stances they should alowed purchase exceeding
one hundred sld s.sy scyos EACH covering their I'm
pyovemens, at the government price OF one dollar AMI
twenty eve cents acre pom thu above potots you
will report to ths department practicable after
yeu obtained the dssred Information, that
may receive nrler Instructions ia regard he Ito You
viii sell all hit part the reservation not INCLUDED in suy
e-ant tn which actual set Ter may aave jas claim
her al public sucoc After giving due notice Ia hs ptin
pal n tue Northwest. at private sale in tracts
ois forty each 10 enable persons or small
nesas 10 eh.ke or in whole, b5heser, In your jadg
ray deemed beat; ba. ia neither at les. than
81 SO per You will examine Fort Smelling with
ference 20 lis eng retained a. military depot Tor the
CT tas suv ernnsII you should deem IT necessary for
such puTpotes viii reserve from tale the buildings
a5d And you may consider suitable, not ess than
forty You viii 70. expase ~ gale that part Of tho
reserve ~hoh extends over graveyard and church be-
Isngrg TO and claimed by the Catholic congregAuos
shipp not ding twenty five acros; bu, eos
toe remain in possession aud rndor tho control Of
ed OC0s's sasoD, wiih the undermining that it is nat TO
be uted disposed 81 for ouor purposes Very
Joan FLOYD, Secretary o. war
1surs Eastman ana Hssken subsequently submitted
asPoRT OF TIE COMMISSIONERS.
FoKr SMELLING, II i. Ter, Juns 10, 1857.
10 Hos. 5ztsIIAIsY WAX:
siR-Agreoseie your Instructions Of the 22d May last
have visited sut carefully examined the military
servalson ~ this place, and tee improvements thereon
made By tbs United sisea by citizens We nni that
fLcee made by the government we're for military pur-
Almost vaueess for sny O,hs' TIE tor; ana eu5udisgs
upon the reserve we're erected many ears ago and o.
butt Win coy great derce Of po-rnsncncy which, with
the great lapse Of time since their erection leaves them
now In d apida,ed condition We are confident hal al
OF tbs improvement could not be cold for Ii
$4,000, and Of the opinion that were they TO be sold
by themselves they would Lot ers more than hsi tls'
aum. evidence OF tais, respectfully refer 10 the
vale OF Fort ALI which tcl1 Eone three years aga
public sale for less than four houssud dollars; would
also refer the Improvements ut the late WDnshago
Sysncy which sold about years ago FOR about 81 oo,
and this too sinh guaranteed tina! the purchaser snocd
rgn; to enter The 81 ID per acre Tneso
Improve msnts cost Indian Depart 500 600,
and all 1883, ami he military al
the lad owOe ~ers askbs and selling lhelr lands the
neghbothood al $50 or upwaIds per acre
We TAI upon the refervaden exien'lve Improvements
nsde b. citizens tf shich oabno; le,s than
$4,000 They date back some i~eny years, and We so
su,cr Franklin steele, Eq. May Of the Improvement.
riade by hnse vito the knoEedge anc consent OF
the oicer IN command Mt the tan He has large ana
elegant dwolag with houses corresponding. Tbs
stustco q, the junction OF the Mississippi and hnnesota
rivers terry for the nmodauon Of the fort
acroas mol peusabie and find that
Ne SeoIS Wa, sulho, to osaai,n and nsinlaa said
ferries. VIII CD be old and has fR years transported ON
oers CT aorosz dag and night,
cree OF charge 10 the Cover nmfns He has bulk Terry
houses Put and constantly kep boa Of the best css,
awsrehouse Tnore large zra valuable stone building,
viii aframs add don, making al extensive home, h'oa
mot have ooes SIS 600 The stone pan baul
In ,hs year 1866, ~ sr aaSer, alter NsrdI raaor a.
wort sucing; sed 10 Kenneth Hokenzs E'q who,
In 1884, mi on the extensive addition alluded 10; the
cnuro building In good order, and furnished Tor houo
Of eocomncdet Mr. stcole having arranged With NJ,
Kenneth kohebze fo properly and secured the gov
eminent all ella from ihs Aorrce, ne arc positive,
therefore, saving thai Mr. Steele is the only csD nan. 10
che imp upu :se f1a1c by ci''zsnS ion
ue,lonlDg Mr. tasee, be frsrkg ,aif tna be did
DO. 20 raid rsiihc- did he make rur
cha.c improve menis upon wn the aI,oa,
having tbs pre- emp right extended 70 him aud we
noald not cone TO The coreas!on MA ne Should nave me
81 2b pr acre Is true thai his improvements have
cost nse ataouri out then Tor casa separate sad yaa
bic one 10 permit pu-cbsD LOO scrvsthc sui1uut
OF laud he wou DO enabled TO Obtain 81 that price
would amoani nearly 900 acres, or IL OF The teo'
wiz WOW 10 ascertain bcs, o. d'rposiuE Of
this under your 1struoS7', We came . the
conclusion thai unlcss ,old the sans al private sae
q would In all probability be scld al ille any ever
ouc dollar AID tscy nEe cents per acre aud Tor e 10"
L 10 1852 2sih August (siautes at large, vol 10, p.
S6, Congress passed lag reducing ihe then TeseTv aon
[of which Tho IL nar) and directed Ihs. the Comsl oa
OF the General Land once should sri that no, then
wsntoa for military purposes public sale The sans -s1
aurvey ed and adveod for sale IN the principal papers
throughout the country Thros ncnths notice given,
and the lands proclaimed for sale, 10 lst3 al saltwater,
and all then oieret sold for Jss soe twenty
per 1ha, Of the Old ressIvaasn on the
west side Of the ver s DOT sod 10 coniequonco OF tho
maps no, having I'D the GAY u sale,
Persons and made oi,ms the authority OF
law and thos APPEALED 10 Congress for relief AID on
the "a OF March, 1895, passed allowing cs;a
claimant 10 empu IN not exceeding 100 acres each,
~ - per Soras Of this land omb poroH Ct
thc FAILS OF 81 Anthony and had Improvements made upon
the BY the governments, and much vsla-
abls than any part Iof tho present reservation We
also collected such Information In regard 70 the
sales OF other reservations time, uudor
che circumstances, would admit, and found that
they SELDOM brought ovor 81 Is .pcr
when sold n private sale We also, upon good authority
sscertaped that combinations being for mod f,y tue
purpose Of purchaspg tnsse lands nj iho govern
nrnt prices and sasned that justice could not bs
tunlon aid