The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1857-1858, 1857-08-12


From youthful brats escaped the cry.
9. Whilikensl
he needed not, but inward pressed;
His mighty thoughts no words expressed,
Save when some change OF grade before
Brought him up standing, then he swore-
G. Whilikens!
The night was dark, the mud was deep;
The narrow path was hard to keep;
And nresently splash was there;
A voice ran through the startled air
G. Whilkensi
Recumbent in mud hole lay
The youth whose locks were early gray;
Above, spectral lamp-post shone,
And from his lips escap ped a groan-
q. Whillikens!
There, the next morning he was found,
Stretched at full length upon the ground,
And pillowed there beneath his head
An empty brandy bottle said
G. Whliikens
From tie chcago Democratic Press.
The Fort Smelling * eservaficu-Dclmo.
cratic SpecuSottCns I'm LAnd-COr.
r1Ption in Nigh Places.
We had barely time in our issue Of yesterday
| morning to announce the sale Of the Fort Smell
| ling Reservation, and that the Secretary of
| War had issued orders for the putting OF Mr..
Steele in possession Of the property
The Reservation 10 situated at tie junction Of
the Minnesota and the Mississippi Rivers, nearly
midway between St. Paul and the Falls Of st.
Anthony, and embraces an entire township, or
23,O4O acres. The land is high, rolling and
fertile. The junction of the two rivers makes
it the natural site for great city, and st. Paul
would unquestonably have been built there had
not the Government hello the point for military
purposes. Many q spectators eye has rested
upon it with as much Of covetous desire as filled
the breast Of Ahab when looking upon the
Vineyards Of Naboth; and the time was looked
forward to with great interest by that class OF
people when it should be thrown upon the mar
ket Take it all in all, there is no other point
in Minnesota that has excited SO much interest
as this same Reservation; and if put up for free
competition it would bring price far in adj
vance of anything that has ever been paid for
Town sites in that Territory.
Early last spring rumor that it would soon
be offered for sale, gained currency. Since
then expectation has been on tip-toe to learn
when and upon what terms the sale would be
made. The files Of the War Department at
Washington, if all its letters are preserved,
would show the existence of very general de-
sire among the leading spectators OF the coun-
~
to learn, however, that any one of these letters
has ever received reply. Democratic mem
Der Of Congress in this State, who has already
made some handsome speculations in Minneso-
ia, has a letter of this character on file in the
War Department, soliciting the privilege Of ma
king an offer for the property, provided it was
to be disposed OF at private sale, but up to the
middle OF June last he had not received an an
swer. Whether he was afterwards favored with
-. 4 ,nt
say, but our impression is that Illinois politi-
clans have had their share in the speculation
assigned to Democratic leaders who are a little
more prominent in the public eye, just now,
than the representative of the - District.
The information from Washington on this
subject, which we published yesterday, Is very
indefinite in some respects. 1t gives no insight
into the matter, further than that sale has
been effected, that the first instaliment of the
purchase money has been paid into the Treasury
and that an order has been issued TO put AIR
Franklin Steele in possession OF the property
Mr.. Franklin Sseeles residence is upon the Re.
| servation, and we take it for granted that while
| he in all probability has good sized slice OF
| this government loaf, in taking formal posses.
| sion OF the whole he IS merely acting in the
| capacity of agent for the favored poitico-specu-
| lators, who, tor divers reasons, have no desire
| to see their names connected with the transac-
ton. 1t evident, also, from the tenor of our
| information from Washington, that the sale was
strictly private; and if private, 1t could be but
for one reason-namcy to swndle the people
out of this magnificent property and to confer
it upon certain Democratic leaders a reward
for partisan services. We have information
as to the amount for which it was sold, and that
fact probably never will be Givulged. We will
venture the assertion, however, that govern.
ment will not receive from the pun chasers the
one hundredth part OF what the property would
have brou ght if it had been put up at public
auction, with proper notice of the fact in ad-
vance of the sale.
This transaction, from first TO last illustrates
the extent to which corruption and fayoritsm
have made their way into the high places of our
federal Government. Our readers doubtless
have not forgotten the magnificent speculation
which certain leading politicians made at the
head of Lake Superior during the administra-
ton of Franklin Pierce. That whole thing
was managed at Washington City, with the
conniyance of government authorities, and the
leading men in the speculation "ieathered their
nests" to the tune of some hundred or more
| thousand dollars each. But were all the facts
brought to light respecting the sale OF the Fort
Smelling Reservation, we doubt not it would
prove to be much more gigantic fraud upon
the people than the Superior Speculation. We
should not be astonisied, moreover, it some OF
the parties to the former, are deeply interested
in the latter. Several leading Democratic men,
beers of Congress have visited Minnesota during
| the present season. II We mistake not, Geor-
gia, South Carolina, Alabama, and other States
| have had Representatives of this character there
| since the opening Of navigation. We wonid
| like to have certain prominent Democrats OF
those States, as well as number from the West,
| some from New York, and a certain Banker of
clans in other famous specuiations is well known,
upon the witness stand for a brief period. We
| think their statements under oath would revele
| degree of corruption in the government OF
| which the honest masses have no conception.
If submitted to tree competition in ali open
sale, the Fort Smelling Reservation would have
brought an immense sum OF money. We we're
on the ground last June, and heard its value
variously estimated at iron one hundred to one
hundred and fifty dollars per acre. At the for
mer rate the whole property would have bro't
$2,304 900, at the latter SS,456,000. The peo-
pie of the United State+, who we're the owners
of this soil, have doubtless been swndled out of
the bulk of the above sum. 1t has gone to
swell the possessions Of blatant and corrupt
demagogues whose rascality is in proportion to
their professions of honesty and OF love for the
dear people. The whole transaction will doubt
! less be so covered up that the names of these
fellows will never appear in connection with it,
but facts sufficient for tier Identification cannot
fail to lie ak out in due time. Let the people who
have been swinded keep sharp look out, and
when the parties once fairly known, brand
them with the inianiy they SO richly merit
| Let the federal authorities VINO have sanctioned
| the swindle, receive their just deserts also.
Destructive Fire. ...LOss 81 5000.
Yesterday afternoon, about o'clock, fire
broke ont in the block OF buildings on the north
east corner Of Clark and Washington streets
| The affair was sudden, that IN a few seconds
| the whole interior OF the building, which was on
Clark street, the third from the corner was in a
| blaze, and the flames were bursting through the
| roof. 1t soon became evident that the entire
block must 60, as the buildings were all under
repair, full OF combustibe matter, &C., and water
could not be had in any large quantity, on ac-
count Of the repairs going on at the Water
/ Works The efforts of the firemen, aided by the
citizens, we're consequently directed to the pre-