Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-03-26
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP


ROBERT SMITHS observation-disclosures
OPERATIONS. To-day We continue our ex
pose Of the speculations of Robert Smith, O
member of the House Of Representatives from
Illinois, In connection with the Fort-Snelling
military reserve, by which, in combination
with other operators" he managed to get
possession of the most valuable portion of it
worth at this moment million Of dollars-for
$l25 per acre; the price at which they desired
to obtain the balance; their plans to that end
having been defeated only through the declen-
sion of the commissioners to sell it as they had
hoped, so that the proposed combination to get
1t for the minimum public-lands price, might
"bag" it on their own terms.
We should have remarked on Wednesday
that Smith first applied by letter to Secretary
Crawford to grant to Brevet Major Woods
power to lease the mill property to him. He
succeeded In obtaining from Crawford the let
ter OF Gen. Jesup we published on that day,
which Woods interpreted to be an order for him
to make the lease. That, in turn, drew from
him (Woods) an official remoustrance against
the transactiOn-setting forth the great value
Of the mill property to the Government as
well as Its great intrinsic value, and conclud-
ing with pretty broad intimation that Smiths
object was simply to be put in temporary pos
session of 1t, that he might by hook or by crook
eventually manage to make it his own without
paying to the Government what it was really
worth.
But we prefer to let Major Woods speak for
himself, as he does most effectively indeed in
the following letter, the last clause of which
shows that he at least comprehended and e1-
planned to the Department the sinister pur-
poses of Smith, at that early day:
FOKT SMELLING, NJ. T. April 70 1919
General Your letter of March 3, 40, in reIa-
tlon TO the occupancy OF the house and mills
opposite or on the west side of the Falls of ST.
Anthony, was received by the last mail
have never been to these mills (havino come
here late last fall but am told the milf site is
an admirable one. The Public has erected there
one dwelling hous :, a corn mill with ore pair of
Darrs, winch suppose capable OF making good
Hour, and saw mill-this not in a running CON
dition The dwelling house requires many re-
pairs.
The corn mill is used for the purpose of crack
ing corn, or e"drsely grinding ID, for cattle This
1s1ndispensably necessary for cattle in the fall
sPnng aud winter, at least six months i'm the Year
cattle are delivered here by contract eaTIy in
the fall, for the supply of the troops with flesh
peer 10 these, the oxen at work at the post,
horses, and mules, the mill furnishes ground
stuff for food.
When Mr. Smith arrives here, will turn over
10 nlm the mills to be held until further instruct
co from w dshlngton with the cond tion that he
Is To grind for the post such Quantities of grain
toned.
think this post is destined to he one of uucb
importance to the United States as depo; Sc :
In which event ii might De desirable to have
fhls mill, as the winters are terribly severe
Aho STOCK require their food to be thus prepared
GIVING such holds upon the reserve are same
times dlfncult In the uBdoing, and a, | do not
expect to be in command here long, would pre-
yer NOT entering into the arrangement without
definite Instructions ffom Washington
would suggest that Mr.. Smith be reoujred IN
pay reasonable per cehtaSe upon the appraised
xhue OF The Improvements made there by the
United states, besides what the cond tions men
TONED above, that i will exact, require of IA IN
TO mold IL, subject TO a az enent at the end
OF each year with the Commanding Oficrr, and
when IL is surrendered by him to be in as good a
condition as IL now Is, his repairs &c. Ievertinp
10 the United States.
With due respert 10 Mr.. Smith, doubt u,urh
hts am fH rtShtHg 20 settle there, a. NOT an the
s1Ps1fafi0H that !he TsSsTre tUiH be idken or
Respectfully your obeaient and humble serv't,
=. WOODS,
GENERAL 4 = JesuP, Quartermaster General,
Washington City.
We mentioned on Wednesday that the mills
and houses originally cost the national treasury
some SIC, 600. Independent of the yalue of the
land and water power, he finally managed to
induce the Government to part with these i'm
proyements without receiving dollar on ac-
count Of them. At least such is our conclu-
sion, from the fact that after having searched
thoroughly for evidence that he or any one
else ever paid a dollar into the national
treasury, for these improvements, we can find
nothing Of the sort, either On the records here,
or in Minnesota Our columns being crowded
to-day, as usual, we content ourself with show
Ing further this afternoon, from under his own
hand, the pertinacity with which he pursued
his scheme to get the property for a song, pre-.
dicted by Major Woods, and so clearly avowed
In his contract Of May Is, 1856, with TsttIe.
published by US on Wednesday.
Thus, we lay before the public extracts from
precious letter OF his bearing date Nov. Is.
1888, four and half years after his contract
with Tuttle-four years after he commenced
to sell quit claims to the property, las Der a
check for $500 or 81 900, now in the Bank of
Metropolis in this city, in payment on account
of such transactions Of his.) and some six
months before the triumph Of his bill to de-
fraud the Government, in the shape of an act to
grant pre- mptions on q portion Of the reserve
the proposed pre-emptors having agreed to
deed to him three-eighths Of all they might
clutch, for bis services lin the lobby in divest
Ing the Government of its so valuable property,
according to the understanding to this day, in
the locality That letter is as follows:
ALTON, Nov. 18th, 1854.
IL Is near the time for Congress
20 convene. What Is thought best 10 be done by
those on the reserve in Minnesota Territory, I
think, in Q letter to you, l gave my views as TO
the policy to be pursued Ii did not do SO | |
g,,tayy S,,an1 y,,;,,ou go>, a., - |" s 'mport-
from ths sstIeIS, and from Judges aud all Gor- |
srnHsnf Ogiesrs an JaroT Of fhs settlers on re-
If A am forced 10 a suit with Tufle 10 oct the