The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-10-16
Stearns County Ticket.

FRANK ZEIGENBElN.
For Commissioner.
4th Dist-B. H. WINSLOW.
9th Dist.-JEROME J. GETTY.
0OVERNM ENT REAL ESTATE OF.
Flee - HOW SETTLERS AKE
SERVED AT THE ST. CLOUD
LAND OFFICE.
It is . we'll known fact that the St.
Cloud Land Office is, and for the past
three or four years has been, managed
not to aocomm odate the people or to
serve the interests Of tho government,
but for the personal benefit of the officers
and hal. dozen or so individuals leagued
With them. The officers are present
when it suits their convenience to be {;
sad when it does not they are roaming
through the country attending to other
business, leaving the affairs Of the
ef6es 10 charge Of Tom, Dick or Harry,
OF Whososver may be arouod-as II. L
Gordon is now attending terms Of
oourt IN different counties as counsel
for persons having cases to be tried
Tho encouragement, as we'll as positive
corruption, OF this Land Office is 90.
toYious.
The following case is one of q
character that is by no means uncom.
mon. On Saturday We had a call from
Nr. Bernard Ebbert, an Intelligent set
tier, Who, on the second Of October.
had entered homestead on Rich Prai.
rio, Morrison county. He paid the full
fees and charges demanded at the Land
Office, and obtained the following final
receipt:
Finas Rte<tusrs Rect No. 1ee2-Applieatson No. $3.50
HOMESTEAD.
R1cB1v1R's OFFICE, ST.. CLOUD, MINI.
Oct. I'd, 1853.
Received Of Bernard Ebbert, the sum Of
8 dollars, being the second compensation
Of Register and Receiver, and bsla nee of
payment required by law for the entry Of
nj Of nw} Of Section 8, in township 80 of
Range 80, containing 80 acres, under tho
act Of Congress approved June sth, 1872,
and March 3, 1878.
T. c. MCCLURE.
80. Receiver.
A few days afterwards, the following
letter, written by h. L. Gordon, the
Register of the Office, to a prominent
gentleman Of Rich Prairie, was placed
M. Ebbert's hands:
ST.. CLOUD, Oct. 4, 10,
Clarence B. Buchanan, Esq.
DBAR S1R.-Please notify Bernard Eb-
bert that his homestead entry $3.50. upon
nj nv} sec 8 T 80 r 80, is Withdrawn f. ON
tho files. He paid too small Office fees.-
He should have paid $500 govern ment
and $l.00 ofice-lnstead he paid only
$3.50. He must return his duplicate With
balance Of money Immediately and We will
make his entry all right. He can send
need not como himself unless he chooses.
Tours &c.,
HI GORDON.
Rg.
It will BE- remembered that, after Sc.
Letting his homestead, Mr.. Ebbert
came to the St. Cloud Land Office, q
distance Of about forty miles, conform.
ed to oil the requirements of the law,
paid the full charges asked, and OBJ
tanned bis receipt. Two days aferward
this letter from Mr.. Gordon, demand.
ing $1,000 more, Is the condition of
bis homestead papers being forwarded
to Washington, is placed in bis hands.
Right here 10 wish to ask Mr.. Cor.
don two questions
l. Wa this one of the many eyre
gioss blunders made by the boy Coy
whom the papers were made out and
tho money reesived) who is usually
LOFT in solo charge of the Office, while
the Register and Receiver are devoting
their time 70 their personal aff.irs?
2. Or was it % attempt on the
part of Mr.. Gordon to deftaud Mr..
Ebbert out of $10.50?
Mr.. Gordon, as appears BY his letter,
rather preferred that Mr.. Ebbert should
"send' tho money; but Mr.. Ebbert,
feeling satisfied that something was
wrong, "came himself" at an expense
both Of time and money. Arriving
here on Saturday and going to the Of
fec, hs found Mr.. G. A. Gilman (the
resigned Register, and leading mem.
Der Of the Ring which feeds aod fat.
tons on this Land Ofice) in charge
both Of the Registers and Receivers
Offices. Nj. Ebbert stated his case.
when Mr.. Gilman informe ed him that
he might leave the money, for which
he GILMAN would give him (Ebbsrt)
. personal receipt and that that was
oil he could do, as Mr.. Gordon and
Mr.. Mcclure were both out Of town.-
Not feeling disposed to do this, Mr.
Ebbert was compelled to return home
leaving his matters still unsettled, be-
Cause no person competent to traos'ot
the public business was 10 the Office or
in tho city svon, asd one or more trips,
with further outlay of money and
loss of time, will doubtless be necessa.
~. Unfortunately, Mr.. Gilbert is not
tho only pszsoo who has suffered in
this zane way. The Land Office VA