The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-03-07

The: st. Cloud yu,1rnat'
". 8.MIrC HE'LL. EDITOR.
Thursday. March 2, 1871
CORRUPTION IN THE ST. CLOUD
LAND OFFICE.
The government has lately been de.
voting attention to the work OF exam.
lining into the operations of some Of the
Western Land Offices, and the startling
developments made show that q terri.
bic need exists for change and purif-
cation. The report of Commission
appointed last fall to investigate the
fraudulent issue and Wholesale applica-
tio. Of Chippewa Hail. Breed Scrip i'm.
plis.ted many prominent officials con-
nectea With the Indian Department
and With local Land Offices. In JAN
uary l.st the United States Land Office
At Eau Claire, Wisconsin, WAS closed
by reason Of the operations Of pow.
erfal pine land ring. Information from
Washington, published in another col.
uma, shows that tho Commissioner Of
tho General Land Office, through the
Secretary Of tho Interior, is urging
Congress to take such action AZ will
subject the operations Of all the Land
Offices to the severest scrutiny.
We know Of no Land Office whose
condition 70 closely approaches that Of
the Eau Clsire cfice, Is does this 1t
St. Cloud. There exists here Pine
Land Ring IS powerful and corrupt and
dangerous IS was that At Eau Claire.
BY its operations during the past two
years 1t has absorbed tens Of thous.
snds Of acres of the most valuable pine
lands on tho Upper Missi' sippi River,
As veil As large tracts Of choice agri.
cultural lands This Ring has COM
prised during that time the Register
and Recover of the Office, with some
half dozeo other operators. Men who
were poor and in debt Eve years ago,
are now SYSTEMATICALLY parading their
wealth..
Pos eur present purpose it is only
necessary to give the names Of the con-
trolling spirits Of this corrupt combine.
tioa during the time when its most suo-
oes'fsl and daring operations took
plass-tAe past Two years. They are
Charles A. Gilman, until recently Reg
lister Of tho United States Land Office
at St. Cloud; Henry q. Wait, former
Register Of the Office; T. G. Mcclure,
the present Receiver; and N. P. Clarke,
. brothes.in.l.w Of Wait and Mcclure,
and = lumber monopolist: In Nay,
1859, Mr.. Gilman succeeded Mr.. Wait
- Register, the latter having held the
cfdee during the full term Of four years.
The plans for obtsiOing possession Of
valuable tracts of government lands
we're, it would seem, perfected during
tho following months when the put
poses Of the Ring required the removal
of Mr.. e. G. Burbank from the Re-
ceivenhip. This was accomplished 10
February, 1870, (although Mr.. B. bad
held the Office less than three ycars,)
and 7. G. Mcclure was appointed to
tho position. The full control of the
Office vas thus obtained. During the
two years that followed, MI. Gilman
personally made number Of trips to
the Pima regions, and he and bis con-
federates Kept agents examining, select
ing and reporting on choice pine and
agricultural lands, which were secured
by one means and another.
1t is evident from the report Of the
Commission that in obtaining . claim,
or pretended right, to these lands.
an unlimited use was made of fraud
sleut Chippewa aalfBreed Scrip. The
report of this Commission of which
Hon. Henry 3. Neal, Of Ohio, was
chairman, shows that half-breeds and
others who came with the carts from
Red River and were camped on the
prairie near town "vere taken in charge
and brought in cro,od. to tie Land
Office" At St. Cloud, where, as the re-
port continues, ''They subscribed and
svore to applications, we're identified
in due form, located their 80 acres and
Immediately conveyed it to their
friends Who had 30 kindly informed
them Of the bounty Of generous gov.
eminent; and resolving in turn from
fifteen 20 forty dollars each, they went
their way to their carts and to their
homes ia Canada. In these 116 sue.
cesstul applicants, We find, after the
most dilIgent search, the name Of only
ono man Who belonged to tho Chippe-
v.s Of Lake Superior 10 l854-Ed-
card Wells-,rd he had already re-
esived his scrip under this Treaty"
The fraudulent applications thus o.
ta,ssd, ~ we'll ~ many others feoured
personally and BY means Of ruaners
Who visited the half:breeds, were used
ID sesssing lands carefully selected.
Tho o&si.l position held BY . part Of
th. combination gave it great advan-
Iags over.etAer persons who desired to OBJ
tain these lands, and who were prepared
to make p.,nset with either lawful