Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-03-04
INDIAN CONTRACTS.

IutnlsnCo iekeis'"b $3.50 T"
response &c = resolution passed some
five weeks since by the House request
ing the President to furnish a state
mcnt Of the extent and nature Of the
contracts purchases and expenditures
for the Indian service, made since July
l, 1873, setting forth which, II any,
were made or entered Into without
conference with the Board OF Inlian
Commissioners appointed BY the Pres
ident. and the extent and description
Of contracts and vouchers objected to
by said Commissioners, aud stating to
what extent payments have been made
thereon against their remonstrance.
This Information has been forwarded
by tho President to Congress, with a
long letter from tho Secretary Of the
Interior, arguing that It was BY no
means necessary that the accounts and
vouchers should DO examined BY the
Indian Commissioners or the Execu-
tive Committee Of the Board. The
Secretary says 1t will be gratifying to
him u Congress will make the action
OF the Executive Committee tlnal, aud
relieve his department OF such re-
s%ponAbility. II this Is not done he
asks that tho Indian Commissioners
may be required to hold their sessions
In the Indian Bureau, where all the
facts are at hand. From an examln-
alton Of these accounts Ii appears that
for half the fiscal year ending June ~
next, the Indian Bureau has, In the
classes OF expenditures described, ex-
haustsd $i.G3J.GO2 OF the a%ppropria-
tion for the carren, fiscal year.
The chief contractor for Indian sup
plies appears to be n Granville Nj.
Dsdgc, formerly a General OF Volun-
teers IN the Union army, Afterwards n
member Of Congress from Iowa, and
still later Chief Engineer VI the Union
Pacific Railroad. Il will be re~collect-
ed OF this gentleman that while the
Senate Committee OF which Wilson
was Chairman, were investigating tho
Credit Mobilier swlndle, n subpoena
wa, issued with which a deputy Sci
geant-at-Arms chased HIN all over
Texas to bring him before the Commit
tee to give testimony concerning the
mysterious distribution Of an immense
sum OF money which had fallen Into
his hands As special counsel fees. Tho
first heavy contract awarded TO this
gentleman. according to the report,
was msdc by Commissioner Smith
himself. OH the first OF the fiscal year
namely, July l. ls'3-and was for
beef cattle for the Yankton, Santec,
Sioux. and Cheyenne River agencies,
amounting to the sum OF sl75,iSl.
Other contracts followed soon after,
until for about six months supplies
General Dodge received the sum OF
sila, 99l-enoush at the profit usually
received by this sort Of contractors,
to satisfy nc ordinary man,.
There arc some little items In this
report which r ridiculous. For in
stance: S6,i3i for soap. 10 us, who
upon the frontier aud In daily contact
with tho aboriginal vagabonds who In
fest u back yards and kitchen doors,
this Item Is ludicrous In the extreme.
Soap for Indians! Again: Ono An
sou Dart furnished 5000 bottles OF
sanitary specific at 81 per bottle.
The report falls to note the chemical
contents OF this specific or the diseases
It was supposed to cure. This omission
Is fatal to q proper understanding
Of the doubtless valuable qualities OF
the sanitary specific" II Is evident,
however, that it was extensively par
chased, n not used. Perhaps II Is q
modified variety OF Mrs. wlnslow's
Soothing Syrup, or moro likely Hos
letters Blttsrs, or a genuine article OF
Schiedam Schnapps. At any rate the
Government paid for 1t. Some other
interesting Item, appear In this report,
~ ssi,l6l for "red flannel shirts" and
$3,l6s for Butcher knives" The
bald fact. however, stands out In bold
relief, that for the support Of the