The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-28
THE SALE OF THE FORT SMELLING RESERVATION
Tsktimony Re fore the Committee OF the IIouse
at WashIngeop. January IL. 1875.

Tektimony Re fore the Com mlttee OF the House,
At Washington. january IL, 1855.
Major Seth Eastman, U. s. A, was The arsi witness
sworn, and be gave history Of thu sale far be
knew as fokws-In April last received verbal insruc-
ots from the Secretary Of War proceed Fort Smell
lrs and make survey Of the place bis instructions
70 survey in forty loe he stated he wished Il
surveyed small iot could be conveniently sold
order that Of small should have an opportu-
nifty of purchasing he stated that sier had hnhed tho
survey he would send agent out there 10 sell NJ pro-
ceeded TO the place. and vert 10 work Immediately afer
had the survey nearly completed agent arrived and
reported 10 me, and al same time received the an
poiniment agent myself " act with him WAS no, APP
pointed agent The nrst instance and expectation
Of being agent; the instructions came with Me appoint
ment, and we vent 10 work al mako the proper
inquiries; al posted up myself about the whole
place BIO examined II. and sc then decided about the
manner Of the sale tbenftrucons 10 sell public
sale or private sale o. the agents thought best FOR the pub
bc istrest either IN small lots whole after had
oovuea on the matter 10 the conclusion .ha.
would be better Tor the governmental sell q, private sae
determined 10 mike innate 81 what thought IN he
fair price good price liked The price at go 900
after We had gone thus far Me question whom
We should nrst offer TO- and We determined 70 ODER 10
MI Sscle tor these he had lived there ov about
twenty years; be had butt him house. and believe
had Possession Of AL The private properly there he had
faked family o. think, seven children there AMI
stll living there he had made, and no the only
Se knew who had made oer h. the for H.
give him the refusal OF H. did Co. but be thought the
price we had 6Ned too high and offered iess sum
we told him ua could not take less than that amount
be then accepted IT, and mane agreement with US,
which TO give SO ooo-sso 200 q which was 70 BE-
paid on The 10th Of July, lnaK. $4,000 the 10th
Of July following, and $50 COO 90 the 10Th Of the July
pest succeeding viii state now the nuubcr o. Of
land there vss ~i,hn the bonndaIies-octwccn seven
and eight thousand acres this Included land water and
water and marth What sbould call irrecsim sie marsh
-snd ~hch could pu, no vaus upon should ssy was
wofh noth,ng for any purpose but for dnck ponds;
think left about s.r thousand i've hundred or between
sir boU ans and Thousand ~ land.
tell you The exact pumbcr Of but for this estimated
ust Me government received between sl2 and sl4 per
acre.
O. Did you ever receive from tbe Secretary ~ War any
70 which you have ,cferredf A. No, one word have
bad Consultation with him. either by letter verbally
did rot see him after eft here 70 60 cut and make
nov did you reach tho conclusion that better
10 have private than public salef A. Dor this reason
have invariably noticed that all the public sales Of the
public lands have been eGccted at the miuImum price,
thought would be impossible for the govern.
ment To have public sse and secure fair edition.
and se were sran To rnk H. II could have been eats
ned that could have had q fair competition should
have been In fsvcr n pubic sale.
u Had ron any 10 believe thai there we're any
oombiosuons or csher uraDscmene that would prevents
fair public saef A. YES besides the precedcuts
had been set In other sales rumors me-of course
nobody was gong " tell thai there we're oombina
tons, could only CLEAN from rumors-but the other
gentleman, who MIXED freely vhh The people, beng
thrgs which led him 70 believe that such the fsct,
and be told me
u ND you sell the hud 10 Mr. Steele or N Mr. Steele
In connection With otherss A. We sold 10 him aoue
and not IN connection wsh Any other person since the
tse have tina, Others were concerned:
how true y am not able 10 say.
a (by The Chairmanl Had you, ne the agent Of the
GOVERNMENT any knowledge ut the time that there were
any combinations between steele other persons for
he purchase OF the property A. had not.
Ind you aford any opportunity for competition At
private sale A. No. sr soer had Determined 10 sell
at private sale vethougbt beet, for the reasons
have given, TO ofer 10 this gentleman; he had re-
fused, We should probably then have gone 70 the next
man who owned property on the reserve, who was M.
Mckenzie; he owned hoto there; steele had possession
tbs property, however, understood, so that ne
purchased NE reserve Mr. Mckenzie would be AID or ms
property N We had cold the 70 any 0hcr man
suppose should have made Arrangements that uoula
have covered Mr. Steeies property ue Only h.ete.t
which Mr.. Steele tah ed W me about vM an snrev W
bis private property; bat vii $40 tnss olu
not consider ID any matter ~bo Oousht ihe WoPerv,u
how was sold that inc goverurnent sot .o'n p'ce
for H. was dss,rous OF getting GOOD price oi ind
not have sacrificed the main f~ft .oe tesorVeh mad
been afew years before. .- y, -.
Witness ,ben stated thst when he received irstrncts
n sell no ster,,ra his surve ne cpelancn anf ~ ye
sa,e ss,ev ,haf he ssle msfc n NJ SAe'e b, hat
lo res.sn 10 tess lie - n, - - 'A-s - - laai