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

fixed upon The Secretary now rendered the appoint
ment TO Mr.. Heskell Of Virginia. The incompetency
Of this commissioner has been shown up 50 fully in the
report that little need be added His narrative Of his
interview with the Secretary Of War is graphic and Bos-
wclan 20 the last degree. II the friendship OF johnson
ur Boswell is unacc0unabe, that of Governor Floyd for
Heiskell is not less extraordinary. Here tis
"But will commence at the beginning. Before Gov
ernor Floyd appointed Secretary Of War, be and
myself ran for the Legislature in 1880 Shortly af
ter he had received notice from Mr. Buchanan that he
would be in tho Cabinet-the next morning. beleve-l
remarked 70 him, joclary, Now old feiiru, we have
bad rather hard fg Of together, against the Know
Nothngs here, and when you get in office you must not
forget me. rant y0u 10 gire place. want one
that viii pay not less than four Eve thousand dollars
year don't want anything else Said he. Wen,
old boy, in his way me- III do anything Tor you,
YOU shall have it, After he had been here in office for
two or three weeks be wrote letter 10 me, telling me-
there nothing here that you would want There is
office in my gift in the gin Of the President that you
would have Sometime in the month Of April he wrote
70 that he had little business for to do, that
would pay my expenses, and he wanted 10 come on
here. wrote 10 him, i do not odfto do aayh'ngthat
viii not pay ceH lie wrote to me to come on here
that he had some business he wanted me to attend to
that there reservation he wanted me 10 SELL
II that his qualifications for this position we're,
mat he was hard student Of newspapers ana That ne
had Tun race for the Virginia Legislature and was elect
cd after hard hght with the Know Nothing There he
scented 90 have got good deal Of information lie had
been agent to keep depot for large supply q salt
and for short time corporal in a company Of Virginia
militia. II saws that "wc writing 20 each other
every week" It seems that he and Governor Floyd
old cronics and very Intimate He called the Gov
crnor "od fellow and the Governor called the coporal
Mr.. Hcisksu saws.
~ good deal has been said about this matter being
kept private. when left Abingdon reckon two thou
sand men knew where was going and what my business
was"
Upon looking at the Gazetfeer, find that Abingdon
is very hourshng village in southwestern Virginia,
containing in 1854 fifteen hundred inhabitants. Must
he not have been dgcni to have informed two thousand
men IN village containing only hfeen hundred mhaoi'
tantr in ALL men, women, and children
why, sir, appears 90 that Fastas men in buck
ram or kcndAl green, nothing TO these two thou
sand gentlemen in Abingdon. But after while 1t will
he seen that this gentleman studiousy keeping his
business private and this is the reason for his doing so
"QNesfioa 20SO Is il your habit when you have
piece Of property for sale communicate the fact to but
one individual TO whom You want TO sell IT, or do you let
it be known publicly and get the best price you can
"iHscer That Is a question which do not conceive
hs anything to do with this matter but have no feel
ing upon the subject and will answer IT, When 60 to
make sale Of land Of my to particular individual
say nothing to anybody else about it until he is either
off on because by Intermediates, who thought they
were doing friendly deed, have lost first rate sales
| They knock me Of good chances
Il appears that after hc had got his instructions here in
Washngton and after be had got alongside Of Dr. Gra-
ham, with whom he had an appointment TO meet in Phil
adephia' he was entirely mum. The great chance with
the New York and Virginia company was not 10 be
knocked ont Of him. After he had arrived at ST. Paul TO
counteract the effect OF his communicaiyeness to thr
two thousand men at Abingdon he wrote a letter very
promptly to one gentleman, informing him that there
was bad chance for speculation =; that combinations
among the pcople were being made;" and Of course
advising him not to come there at all. He did not sec
anything more Of him until he got home. Ia the report
Of the commissioners to the Secretary Of War it said
Steele is far moderate. and estimates his at
eight OF ten thousand dollars and all the rest at six
thousand dollars, Instead Of $4,000 The Government
buildings estimated by Hciskcll at Sl00ODi by
Eastman at fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. Tho
facts are, that the Government had laid ont over ten
thousand dollars in permanent improvements there with
in the las, year and the best opinion is that the build
ngs could not have constructed in part by labor OF
soldiers at fifteen cents per day. less than hy sixty
thousand dolas and are to-day worth more than that
10 the Government. Colonel Thomas thinks the Gov
I to u for he
fort and buildings alone-allowing them to keep nearly
all the eight thousand Of land-rather than to
render and abandon the post
Il quite apparent that the purpose Of these commss-
oners was to elevate the value Of private bnd dprcss
that Of public property the reservation. Heiske told
Major Eastman he says, that If the reservation
sold at public sale they might force 1t up to $4,000.
Abiding to the same conversation subsequently he
fixes the low $4,000 The combination night
mare greatly depresses him.
Mr. Heiske says, he got to St. Paul Sunday. Mon
day election. Tuesday he went to Major East
man, but failed The next day he to saltwater on
a little business. On Thursday he went to Fort Smelling
and delivered to Eastman his commission. They talked
! il over. Ihaf he Immediately says, Friday. On
Saturday. he says, he went back and they got to talking
about whom hey could sell to- and sent note 10 Mr.
steele who replied Thev declined 10 take less than
100000 Steele then replied, as he says, on Monday,
/ that he would give the s9OOlO. They signed brief
contract Steele to St Paul the merit day, which
Thursday, he says, and the next Tor friday they
| signed the papers.
Now what the facts 1t appears from Mr.. Seelc's
testimony that both offers made the day, and
] contract conclusive
9th June, Saturday. Therefore it made Satur-
day. the day after Heskels delivery Of his
mission TO Eastman.
Here was extraordinary dispatch Of business Scarcely
less debeaon could have been yielded to the sale Of
/ ordinary mule
II has already been seen that at first he told Secretary
Floyd IL want you to give place. page 80, he
says, 81 never intmaed | wanted place"
But such discrepances--as "the very next morning
aferarc merely alluded for the purpose of showing
the character Of the commissoner-not as Of much mo
mcnt touching any other issue.
nt.r Al. tr.af ha raI the fae vnf
man with so poor memory and who uses his tongue
with this perfect loosenessi He sets it in motion as
man sets sawmill, and leaves il utterly irresponsible
for what says. lie tells his story with such hearty
joy that can hardly impu'e intentional misrepresen
atou, but he certainly appears 20 be ofhaud, reck
less alker But we have the secret at last, when he
says;
expect the deferred payments would draw interest ?
"AHsoer. ! do not know. | gave no thought
about H. I loas only anxious 70 gt home do not
think that really thought Of II all. do not think it
was mentioned between Major Eastman and myself at
There 4. a model commissioner for you who with the
interest Of the Government at heart is ony anxious to
This commissioner like the other one Just as soon as
the sale is completed began to the property down,
/ telling Mr. Steele that he had got hard bargain
/ One more extract
! enor Floyd from the fact that you regarded
sharp trader az home
"1asleor When got here he told me that should
have to keep my eyes open that was regarded at home
pretty good trader do not think he selected
hhff gf0uAd n|0Hc
think the House will be apt to concur in all this,
especially that he not selected the ground alone
that he was sharp trader
These gentlemen 10 have been anticipating that
there might be fuss made about what they had been
doing and therefore they anxious to create opin
on iorosta the public judgment, that they made the
best bargain they could aud the best bargain that
ever made.
The next bargaincr in the matter whose course will
comment upon, is Mr.. John Q. Mather. 1t is little
curious how artiuy Of these witnesses
crnl things some timcs and give vent to them at
others This says he had passed through Fort
Smelling his way To Fort Ripley. Now, il will be
that his instructions day later than those
Of Mr.. liessol, and the testimony Of other parties is
that he arrived there about the same time. lie admits
that Graham went ahead Of him but that they we're
there ucatly AZ the time He says he was return
ing! but gives the idea that he was only there few
hours. lie SAYS so Mr. Heskell says he (Mather) did
90 from Fort Smelling 10 Font Ripley while he was
/ there that he was taken sick.
Well now Mr. Heisko says in another place. that he
went with Maher 10 the stage Office and bought his tick
a and ahcr that went church with him In another
place Mr. Hciskel saws that Maiher not present
Mathcr saws he there, and drew up the contract al
though II was subsequently changed and that he
tbere us after the sale Steele says that Mather was
there and perhaps drew up the contract He also says
"Questioa 1919, Was Mr.. Marther present al the
time Of the sale
"Ansner. He
"QpeNion 1920, How long had he been at Fort srell-
/ ing before the sale
/ "Aipwer A few DAYS. DO not reeolee' how long