Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-09-17
Our Array in Utah.

comfortable quarters at Camp Floyd. ~ Th'
army does nothing but enrich the contractor
favored by the War Department, and tn,
sanity spectators Of Mormoudom. Mr.
Greely says: 9fc 1 -
Whether truly or iAlseay, this amy proba
| bly, without an individual exception, undoubt
edly believes the Mormons as a body to be
| traitors to the Union and its Government
infexibly intent on establishing here power
which shall be at first independent of anG
ultimately dominant over that of the United
States.
Mr.. Greeley says that a suspicion is enter,
tanned that the army is kept in Utah for the
pecuniary gain of the tribe of contractors. He
gives few of the many cases of Government
profligacy:
$4,000 LOST BY THE FLOUR CONTRACT.
Twenty-Five cents per pound is paid for the
transportation of all provisions, munitions, &C.,
from Leavenworth to this point. The great
contractors were allowed this for transporting
this years supply of -four. By little dex:
ferrous management at Washington, they were
next allowed to furnish the -four here, being
paid there twenty-five cents per pound for
transportation, in addition to the prime cost
on the Missouri. AS Utah has a better soil
for growing wheat than almost any thing else,
they had no difficulty in sub-letting this con.
tract at se0en cents per pound net, making a
clear profit of $l5O,OOO on the contract with
out risking dollar or lifting finger, except,
in demanding their money.
5000, 900 LOST IN THE SALE OF MULES AND
WAGONS.
Pursuant to recent order from Wash
ington, the Assistant Quarter Master General
here is now selling by auction. some 1000
mules-about twO-thirds of all the Govern
ment owns in the Territory. These mules
cost $l75 each, and are worth to-day 1926 to
$3.50. | attended the sale for an hour or so
this afternoon ; the range of prices were from
$50 to $115; the range of the 700 already
sold for $75. Had these mules been taken
to California and there properly advertised
and sold for at least 800, 900 more than here
where there is practically no demand and no
competition for such an immense herd; and
after every Mormon who can raise q hundred
dollars or more, shall lhave2supplied himself
with span of mules for half their value, one
or two spectators will make as much as
they please, while the dead loss to the people
viii be At lssst $200, Geo. Nobody here has
recommended the sale of these mules they
were being herded under the care of dctach-
ments OF the army, at no cost bat for herds
men, as they could have been kept through
next winter in secluded mountain valleys at a
cost Of about $40 per head whereas, the
army can never move without purchasing an
equal number and they can neither be
bought here for 5000, 900 more than these ami.
mails are now fetching. Some6ody's interest is
subserved by this sale, but it is certainly not
that of the army nor that of the people The
order is to sell 700 wagons as well, but these
would not bring $50 piece, while they cost
at least $3.50, and could not be replaced when
wanted even for that, while the army cannot
move without them, and keeping them costs
absolutely nothing. Who IS sues such orders
as this and for whose benefit?
$780, LOST IN THE TRANSPORTATION OF
CORN.
There has recently been received here thir-
ty thousand bushels of corn from the United
States at nett cost, including transportation,
of $34O, 900, or $11 per bushel No reuui.
stion was ever made for this corn, which
could have been bought here, and delioered,
for So per oushel, 100000 in all The dead
loss to the Treasury on this corn is $780,
600, even supposng that the service requir-
ed it at-all. Somebody makes a good thing
of wagoning this corn from the Missouri al
over $40 per bushel. Who believes that said
somebody has not influential and thrifty
connections in the War Department?
SPECIMEN OF GOVERNMENT RErRENCHMENr
The mail from Missouri to Salt Lake has
hitherto been carried weekly in good six
mule wagons, the contract time being TWEEN.
two days.
The new Postmaster General has cut down
the Mail Service on this very important cen.
trail route from weekly to semi-monthly.
But the contractors, who are obliged to run
their stages weekly because of their passenger
business, and because they have to keep their
stock andpay their men whether they work OF
play, find that they cannot carry the mail
| every other week so cheaply as they ear
| weekly. For instance: A mail from the States
now often consists of twelve or sixteen heavy
sacks (most of them filled with franked dcu.
ments,) weighing as many hundred pounds
Double this, and no six mule team would
draw it at the requisite pace, and no baggage
wagon stands the jerks and jots of an un
made road. So they say, "Please let us car
ry the Mail weekly, though you only pay us
for carrying it semi monthly" But no -
this is strictly forbidden! The Post Master
at Salt Lake has express written orders te
refuse it, and of course he at st. Joseph also
And thus all the central region, embracing a
least dozen important Military posts and
countless Indian Agencies, is reduced to semi
monthly mail service, though the contractor
would gladly make it weekly at the same
price !