The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-01-20

order to abandon those forts created
no little surprise, as the necessity for
their continuance was then, and is
vet, inst al great as when they were
established. The order, however,
was issued, and advertisements, it is
said, were published in several West
ern papers, announcing that the build
ings and other public property at these
forts would be sold to the highest bid
ders on or about the LIST of June.
Those who dwelt in the vicinity of
these posts were well aware of the
value Of the public property there,
and its worth was v~ariouslg estimated
at from $4,000 to 100000. One
Individual, believing that in order to
settle up affairs as speedily as posi-
bic the officer in charge would proba-
bly, sell the property at a large sacri-
ice, went to the General commanding
and offered him $40, 900 for the whole
concern at Fort Smith. The General
gave him encouragement to expect
that his offer would be accepted.
When the person who made the offer
came, q few days later, to close the
bargain and pay n portion of the mon
ey, the General informed him that he
could not dispose of the property at
private sale, and when he spoke to
him about it before he was not aware
that tine. property was already adver-
4oF sale at auction. When the
day arrived no bidders appeared, and
The accounting officer took the respens-
ki3ility-of pestponing it for about ten
days. At the expiration Of that time
a very small group of persons were
assembled, considering the great value
Of the property for sale and the large
number of people in that part of the
country who needed just such materi-
a s,as were to be sold. The absence
0 bidders was nm Indication that there
was a screw bose somewhere, and it
was intiInatet that the loose crew
was in the feeble manner in which the
announcement of the sale was made.
Only one bidder could be found and
all the PUBLIC property at Fort Smith,
estimated to be worth nearly $780,
00J, was Knocked down to the single
bidder for $500. This property
consisted Iof several buildings, n
steam sawmill, one water mill, saw
and grist a large quantity of. cloth
iny, camp and garrison equipage,
quIrterr1aster's stores, stoves, dc.
Ihe1stedm mill sold for fifty dollars
and theiother articles in proportion.
The only explanation OF this alarming
'acrifce of public property is that the
iorts had to be abandoned, as the
troops had to be withdrawn, and the
country was filed with hostile Indians.
The sale was advertised as extensive
| Y as possible for three months before
t occurred. There is no law author
izing accounting officers to sell United
| States property in any other way than
by auction, and that if the property
Ind not been sold at that time it
would have been necessary to destroy
it to prevent the Indians from obtain
ing possession. The property at Fort
| Reno was sacrificed, it is alleged, in
the same manner, and the lucky pur-
chaser, Notwithstanding the hostility
Of the Indians, took off his bargains
and realized to the tune OF 400, 900.
v "A LtSN14SoNSAI
N Y. Price 10 cents,
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