Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-11-23


up per order of General Fremont. The
contract is regarded by the committee as
irregular and Informal, except that "no
member Of Congress shall be interested in
the said contract. The contract is il
part irregular, for the reason that accord
ing to the regulations of the department,
the quartermaster one can make con-
tracts.
The fourth act Of fraud is the house
rent, first in the palatal mansion Of Mrs.
Colonel Brant, cousin of Mrs. Jessie Ere.
mont, rented to Geaeral Fremont for head.
quarters Of major general, his private
secretary, and chief of the staff at the
rate Of Sc, 900 per anuum. Other palatial
mansions in the neighborhood are rented
at similar rates, and occupied for offices
cf members of the staff
Large and expensive barracks have been
buils in the immediate vicinity, ss quarters
for the Fremont body guard, Numbering
600 men. Tho barracks will accommo-
date 2 SOC men. The cost of these bar
racks and Benton barracks, capacious
enough TO accommodate 10 900 men, will
be about $l50,000, douhle the amount
necessary to erect precisely similar bull
ding. In the roofing of these buildings :,
which is upward Of 5000 squares of 100
superficial feet, the committee have dis
covered much fraud, The contract pyo.
vdes that the rcof shall be three ply, and
put on with felt and soaked in hot tar,
and in a substantial and durable manner,
/ The committee have evidence that the su.
periutcndept and architect, A. B. Ogden,
received a draft Of 500 Gu General Nc
kinstry from CIapp & Co., provided he
(Ogdon) would obtain the contract for
them at their bid, which was SO so per
square Of 100 superficial feet. A Mr..
King, under oath, testifes that he gave
Ogden draft on McKinstry for 81 500 for
his services in getting him the contract for
23,2J per square. To each Of these Og-
den promised the contract. The work
was awarded to Almen Thompson at
s3, so, but whether any bonus was given
does not appear The committee find that
Thompson sold the contract for an advance
Of $4,000, and that the plrty doing the
work only put one ply roof, and that with
fct Dipped IN cold tar. In few places
on y there were two phys. The facts were
obtained by cutting into the roof at various
points. It i. also in testimony that there
we're rosnonsib'o bids at So for Ghis same
work.
another fraud vas il the CONF pc,.ug
with L W, Fox for the manutactura cl
picket pins, at 10 cent each, when Thomas
Hood, b!aoksmith, with good security,
bid for the same at 70 cents per pin the
number to be made, $4,000 pins. Also
to Fog and others, camp kettles, at a5
cents, when there was similar bids at 30
cents; nails, axes, spikes, &c, at similar
rates Saddles, that were rejected by tie
Quartermaster, we're purchased by Fox at
low figures, and sold to McKiustry at in-
creased rates.
The building CT sundgy tug-boats, and
chartcring Of several steamers, at double
their csst and value, particularly the char
tering Of sundry boats belonging to the
keokuk Packet Company, have been gone
into at length, and much III sition found
to exist. The tug boats are being butt
at cost of S. 500, when tney ought to be
built at 81 500 each.
Other frauds in the purchase Of oats,
blankets, tents, &c the issuing
of transporoatou tickets, and paying Of
employees in uncurrent funds, such as the
Union Bank and Bank of St. Louis 50
cents discount, Instead of Government
funds, &C., &c, and fully in evidence be
fore the committee, but are all on par I
with those given above, No frauds were
found in the Commissary Department, but
.he report of the committee will exhibit ;
.he transactions Of the other departments '
n an exceedingly unfsyOrabio light. As
Inc California contractors are alleged by l
he committee with being largely interest
ID in many of these contracts, We give
heir names Joseph Palmer, of the firm I
If Palmer, Cooke, & Co.; Leonidas Has
ill, L, L. Beard, Major Selover, of the
irm of Seloyer & Sintern, real estate auc~ i
ioneers and I, c. Woods, manager Of |
Adams Express Company. !
Three Of these gentlemen are living in '
St. Louis in fine style, and two are on t
zen. Fremont's staff. l
The committee could have continued {