Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-06-25

saw him in Richmond during the session of he Ieeis-
latuJc' ot whgh ! have spoken when was member.
"Question 2llf Was Dr. Graham awcru that YOU
worc at St. Paul for the purpose Of making this sale
"iaaccr suppose he was; saw him In This city
before went west and again in Philadelphia IL told
him In Philadelphia
"Qvc'fan 20li Did not you tell him that you we're
authorized TO make the sale and did you not confer with
hn about the mode Of sale
"A".cer. think I told him going to sell it,
but We had conference about the manner Of sale"
Major Eastman kept the secret with guarded sanctity
ln ifeply % question 81, he says
] owe offered it first 10 Mr. Steele; wanted 20
make as little noise about n as possible 10 prevent any
thing taking place to defeat the sale"
He made no noise about ~ lost should fleet the sale;
no one, not even brother officer was taken into conf
the fact lie told Colonel Tbonas ,I ~ in ,"fcr
ence to the sale the let Of August that the Fort had
been would be sold carefully conocalne the fact that
had been already Sold or that he had anything % do
about H. Or. Graham says the commissioners did not
learu from him that he connected with the purchase
aud that be might havc known that there other par
tics in Now York who parties TO the contract but
HH' ne "er~ Do0e day WZN"E lie knew who the
commissioners were 10 be before they appointed
and knew what their instructions hut says hc dd
not sec the Secretary of War only at his first interview
Nj steele thinks that he might have informed the
miss'ner there were other parties, aier the sole but
not before As 20 bis ohifct ia concealing the fact he
I says be had "none in particular"
7 Another purchaser, John G. Mather stranger"
and ho seems 70 have preserved big character such
y "Qyc0ioH dlj. Did you conceal from Major Easman
and Nlr Hcikel at that time that yon we're one Of the
"i,vecr I do not know as there was any conceal.
mont about H.
question GO Was there any omen talk that you or
/ any other party was purchaser hcsidcs Stocci
thinner. believe chat Steele che onl, man that
had conversations with tho commission in regard 20
"Qpe,iion G77 Had YOU any conversation with Ma
ior Eastman or Mr.. Hciskcl, hy which ho informed
OF the iart that You were purchaser in part OF that
"macer. took no pains to conceal the fact or to
made !, known drew mp the writing at The request
Of steele and believe the commissioners changed it,
do not know whether Major Eastman or Heiskcl knew
thc fact that wasa part purchaser. was stranger to
The onlv rea on that Mr. Mathcr gives for this
conceamcrt that 81" was not thought necessary i0ror
Htno to be Incorporated in the contract Mr..
Steele vai Informed hv Major Eastman ACCORDING 10
Dr. Graham. fer dIys b-i1It the sale cons,ailf-
3d. that it would be dspoaci Of irtey owing to com-
And DR.. Graham confirms the same thing Soil win
be- seem Mr. Speaker that it WAS communicated 20 no
other rcrsuu whatever hut fo Che ultimate purchasers
after ieiskc arrived n this city, and after he had
ceived his nsructions With single exception which
seems That ho and DE-. Graham stopped the no.
4 cl and that Hcske had assigned 90 him inferior
room Feeling bis dignity injured, he LEFT in high dud
son ana went 90 another place. and, as we may suppose
n order TO create good impression upon the mind or the
bar keeper thereto impress him with plohipotentary
importance-he dscloses to that barkeeper that he is
the agent Of the United States appointed to sell this mill
itlry reservation.
We fnd, by the testimony, that not single Army Of
hcer was consulted by the present Secretary OF War in
relation to H. General Scott not consulted Gener
Al Pcrser T. smith was not consulted General Church
~ was not consulted Colonel Thomas consulted
No man In the Army consulted, and the military
opinions record against the proprcty Of selling
price as that which was received for it.
Can be possible that all this secrecy purely acci
dental and without conccrti There be answer
save that IL served the interest Of the operators.
Mr. speaker propose to refer to the testimony Of two
mr. three Of these gcntencn and begin with that Of Ma
inr Eastman not FOR the purpose Of mpeachingit but
show the utter ncompctency Of the men who were sent
the Secretary Of War Major Eastman saws, at one
Time that Graham was there, and then again, that he
cannot tell whether he was there or not As to whether
rort smelling Is more valuable as town site than ST.
Paul any other town in that region, he says;
" should think it was, II the others had not had the
built there suppose that il the reservation had been
sold eight years ago before ST. Paul estab-
IS too Eafe."
But we find that he ready go into a combination
for the purchase o some of the lots in this town site and
late when he wanted to jy, though when he
: ed to seH | refer now to the testimony Of Captain
"Qae,tion 2l3o ask You whether you ever had any
conversation with Major Eastman in regard 10 the pur
chase Of part OF the Fort Smelling property and II So
what that conversation was3
"AI,sicer. had conversation with him upon
that subject the exact time do not rccoect but wns
nHer the sale was known 10 the public lie acoosted me
In the grounds Of Fort Smelling and said that he had
proposed TO somo Of the officers 20 make investment
lie asked me II would like an opportunity TO do so with
them, saying that they proposed 70 put in couple Of
hundred dollars each and buy block The price, he
mentioned would probably be about sixteen hundred dol
lars and saying that he thought he could get il at that
price. then mentioned 20 him that as block usually
contained only six eight acrcs thought IL prct
ty large advance upon the price which understood
paid for H. that price would make It cost about two
hundred collars an acre said that OF that price sup
posed we might have choice pick Of the blocks
upon the reservation lie said, nos AZ that price we
would have to take block back at about average
place the reservation lie said the blocks composing
the water lots would cost several thousand dollars He
suggested to me that this would be good investment
He offered the opportunity in with him and such
others he might find to Join together"
Whether This lot was to be paid fo or whether it is
one OF those Mt Steele speaks Of having given away
condition that it should be built upon, does appear,
but shows Major Eastmans real estimate Of the prop
erty town site lie says that.
"During long life have boHgh any land
Notwithstanding, the Secretary Of War again placed
teis man with John Mather so late September 0,
1871 to sell Fort Ripley Il is not probable this officer
will again be detailed to sell any land Certainly, Dr.
Graham wouldnot employ him. When asked, fronl what
he observed il they thc commssioners) such per-
says
81 would not have selected them, probably as he
Seeing that before the sale he was constantly urging
that it very valuable pieceorcy-esfimafng It. he
much for it " that large portion Of II is 'only ft for
duck ponds neither his Judgment candor will be
T But. Mr.. Speaker. the fault have to find with Nj
Eastman is this lie sent out to make survey aud
preliminary report but does not appear that be
made any such report, that he completed tho
survey. The land was sold without its being known how
much there was of it. IL is not known H0i7 Al the
first interview with Mr.. Hciskcll he learned his SUR
PRISE that he was appointed one Of the commits si0ncrs,
because MI Hclskcu wanted some good man WITH nm,
and decided TO sell pTrao sa Al the second inter
view, they decided % sen 90 Mr. Steele. In less than
thirty six hours after Major Eastman knew Of his app
p0intmcut the contract made. The instructions OF
the Secretary of War dsrogaded. and it is clear
that he cipher alongside Of the other commission
er. Indeed, Mr.. leskel is quito ready to take the
sponshility and claims that hs responsible for the
private sale.
We find that Dr. Graham, Of Virginia, called here To
pay his respects the Secretary Of War Here Is his
testimony;
''In The month Of April. 1857, ! was on a visit to
Washington ciy called ~ the Secretary Of War,
Governor FLOYD, whom had known in my state. and
during conycrsa'on with him told him was going 20
Minnesota make Investments, and asked him II
he had ANYTHING in hi7 Department there could do for
him. 10 paycypenses Hc told me had nothing. unless
took the agency Of selling old forts that Congress
had directed the sole Of lie mentioned Fort Smelling
and Fort Ripley / had been in Mnnesor in 1854. and
knew something n the value Of Fort Sncling and pro
fcrrcd being interested purchaser, 10 taking the
agency for the sale If IT, Therefore declined 10 have
anything do with the sale of IT, That I'D state
10 him"
He going 80 make some investments" Tho
quel shows he had no money 10 invest
''Qacs'i0a pa You yourself then, did not furnish
any money TO pny upon the purchase
"dRSrer. The purchase made, and they advanced
for me for little while, and paid Il back.
"QHe0R 2l5. In money, or Ia part Of the property
?, "Aaacer. paid Z in my ser,iccs--by my salary
lie had "bccn in Minnesota in 1854, and knew
LII