, 1862-09-27
Umatilla Agency.

EDS. STATEsMAN-As promised to place in
your possession certain certificates and affidavits
to prove the charges | have made through your
columns against Agent Barnhart | will do so af-
ter making few additional charges The public
will notice that the only means l have for obtain
ing aidavits is by persons voluntarily giving them
to me. If | had the power to compel men TO
testify, | could obtain some rich things.
1st. charge him with obtaining butter, eggs,
chickens onions, one hog potatoes, etc, of far
mer by the name of Mitchell who lives at TIE
mouth of Mckay creek. All except the potatoes
and onions were used on his private table and
when Mitchell presented his bill, naming the
items, Barnhart requested him to render the bill
for potatoes alone-calng it all potatoes. If
the bill was made out for the simple item of po-
tatoes the agent could charge the expense to the
government otherwise he would have to pay for
his iuxuries out of his own funds.
I'd. l charge him with selling the contract for
the wagon road across the Blue mountains, to
Frank Rector (son of the Superintendent for
one thousand dollars. The evidence l have for
the above charge is this: Mr.. Frank Cooper
| use his name by peTmission-says that some
time in the month of June last, he was on the
way from the Dalles to the Powder river mines
in company with Frank Rector. Rector stopped
at the Umatilla Agency, and had a conversation
the conversation, Rector told Cooper that Barn
hart had said as much to him as to say, that if
Rector would give Barnhart one thousand dol
lars for his own use, he would give Rector the
balance of the money appropriated by Congress
some five thousand dollars or more-tO build
said road and that Rector said he thought he
would go back and take the contract, which he
afterwards did. Mr.. Cooper further states that
after he arrived at Auburn, he met a man there
who said he would build said road for sixteen
hundred dollars, and give good security for the
performance Of the contract and that he wrote
the facts to Barnhart, stating that by so doing
the government could save some three or four
thousand dollars. If he had stated that Barn
hart could save that amount, it would have had
some effect
Frank Rector received said contract, the Super
intendent being at the Agency at the time the
contract was made. OF course we have no evi-
dence other than the above, that the one thou
sand dollars was actually paid said Barnhart, but
think fair to presume that it was, or that in lieu
of the one thousand dollars, the contract was Civ
en- 20 the Superintendent's son with the under
standing that the Superintendent should not sus-
pend said Agent. Rector goes out to work on
said road. Government hires teams to transport
TOOLS provisions, &c., to said road In about three
weeks he returns, and behold, the road is fin
lshed NOW l propose to show by atidaylts
which shall obtain hereafter, that the sixteen
hundred dollars proposed was amply sufficient to
have built better road than the one built by
Rector. | mpugn no mans motives other than
the officers of our government; and / claim my
right as an American citizen, through the col
umns of the public press, to show to the people
what their servants are doing. l claim that there
are no officers either so high low in office but
the people have a right to know what they are
doing, and how they are doing it-whether hon
estly, or dishonesty. l can tell you the officers
in and about this Agency are rotten to the core
have already heard insinuations of a personal
character intended to prevent me- from further
exposure of the affairs of this Agency but, gen.
tlemen, you might as well save your wind and ex-
ecute your threats at once, talking about it is
time thrown away. If you demand the proof of
any of the charges l have made, look at the affi-
davts. If thai is not enough demand more and
you can have it. CHARLES GOODNoUGH.