Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-12-04
It II-I Il-| - y 7 u 3 W Ui Il
THE Indian HING.
HOW Fortunes are TEuIe atts.c Ills
sOur5 SILVER Agencies.

HE sisDsAN HING.
HON Fortunes are rEnde at ti,e ,7Is-
sourj sStver Agencies.
ST. PAUa, Novem her 24-It was
some time ago-in June, 1871. Then
no railroad competed for the trade of
the Upper Missouri River, and two
steamboat lines were then, It least,
not quarreliing; compel ton was then
unknown The 1udian agents . VI =
dered their carSoes without let or
hindrance; the army contractors re-
ceived all conscience would allow for
their work; traders made from 100 10
1000 per cent. on their goods; whisky
and wines were FREQ 10 officers; and
Tradition, division and silence were
the order Of the Gay. One Coinrel
OCcnner, 4 well known New York
man, was agent fog the several bands
e s;:ouz I"di:Hs then "t Gra;:d River;
t;tH +. :: r:J. =, = E.:s'nn man. vino
has since n.LJ- l.: grief: WIS il5ant for
~ :t.l..l Is, r - Nc-,r.s aud Ar
r-cla1nez. u. .f2r5 y Ji....G; ANA the
atre;.S 80. l. - IS = Sc his oxn
ost...t - -....-: = = s'.ra- aunuitias
p .er.essl5 80 - :;,f@ Teri:
Cay It 49, u,t"Ea t~u.son was
i,'uT- Ms c.. .otT Ola 0s.e OF the now
l-Y.l :.u:ts; hat he pTospeced, and now
owns 4 controlling Interest in several
! CT the best boats on The river and is
chief OH the favorita liue. In Jnne,
1871, he had been advanced to captain
OF an Independent boat, and, as the
story runs, his boat, the Tar West.
left Sioux City carly in that month
heavily laden with goods for the Grand
i \
Both. About half the goods were put
off, eli were cecoipted for by the vir-
tuous O'Corncr, then Indian agent,
and the Far West feft with is booty.
The Miner, owned by ". \. 3urleigh,
an ex-indian agent, ex-RepUb'ican
! Delegate % Congress, hove il sight,
/ and the determination to hide the
/ booty unit! q more convenient season
was changed and he goods transferred
TO the Miner, which took lac p,uu,ler
up The river, where ii vas Sposa1 otto
traders. traded to tho Indians cor furs,
/ sold 10 wood choppers, *. The
{ Cover uu3Gj vas Mt robbed Ia this
Instance. o., no. Bat the Indians
%oiC. aud were tnIr punished because
th"T were hostile. lie punishment
cost the Government so.ne;h :n.-, but
keeping troops IL that flr oE' country
gave the ring business and Il chance to
p,urder. As 10 Who shared tie plan
der | atn not able 80 s&v, bat {. X. Peek
and =. II. DGrf'", wal.in O. l.. Grant
d4d =. J. E1nna,l.sn. Sr, WHOM !
,utnt.oncd in M last. succeeded IS
t:alleIs, are accused Of having mcn0p-
oiizsd sIle lions share ot il. /: 1ras
their great gains wiiicL lem; ted the
Grant family. who are now day IL
stalled ia tnc!r s5ca1. The man me- :
toned are ali fayorit,.s with he Gov .
cYnmcnt. IN tie matter uG Missouri !
River tIanspor: alton IL tie past s311l- /
iner, cOHtrHc.s were made with las |
-lLG. aat lower bids Of honest and !
Responsible men thrown cat. The .
man 3yls2eiSh, put forward hy til S !
ring, sought the Republican ro-o:na- !
lion l,.r ':eirStte from Dek"te Terri
t - his FL; failing il tia, - y c,rb-
c,' up an monopoly ra!tr tjE
enough IL lAas,-c,.ll- ,,,it.UH.
wh.c;i H01.aa[s@ In. he then
byv@ti Ep and "DGsted ~ lie Dem
osra:io convention. which also ronlj-
mated him; lnt tie Democrats reIsu-
dial Il nf.a: aux: thirteen o;.t of f2ur-
*, ct the i'aE"v5 IL he i.rEito:E,
: tlnpiit tel~sau@t tn p1lt.c7, ccnoGoC-
81 nan, 1""ciug his withdrawal, and he
h1aly -tit the IeTritcrE III disgust.
IheT tel story ot jh!S fellow ruuniUg
something like this: lie had ceased i
e en- inCi3n agcn-, bu5 vas StlI IN
|. seHtld ii contracts aa.s & Ceis gate IL
congress. IN t.fly-4S j ierl Of becF Z
cA'i.9 - ;'.c GRIND i,iyer agency, iate
a tie sai., one OF those fearful storms (
cyia:4"n - The prairie regions, Gaze
nP and his hero was stampcGe9.
an IN ut hon 4
d dozen, were recovered, h0 pushed
c'"iln 1oT $oo,o0o IoI damages which
was allowed and pad. L have called {
attention to but two cases OF stealing
ut the Grand River Agency; but those
two will do for samples. Ihe DISPOSE t
ton to steal or the part of agents and
lan8ers-on was not lacking, and OPP :
oortunlty was constant y occurring. G
When at Fort Berthold, soon after C
he removal Of John E. Topper, an T
agent at that point, an ola Missouri a
River man, who has lived on the from G
Ter foT the past fifteen years, called t
NJ attention to the farming interests g
1t Bcithold. Immense sums have been o
expended to develop this interest, and a
he Indians Justly took pride III their Il
Uccess. But under the administration b
# thlavInG agents The flour produced p
rom wheat raised by the Indians Was a
tolen from their warehouses. convey n
d TO tn traders store and sold 10 the g
indians, who owned it, at twenty dol Il
2rS per barrel. Their beef, in like -
lanner, was stolen and resoId to
hem and, in filing contracts for n,
eef, the Same herd would be count
d sometimes two or three times, is
gents, inspectors and contractors di- re
idingthe profits. This kind of robbery
as not only been winked at but en- 81
On a proposition 70 in "
ease the salary OF agents from 81, 500 b1
) 8 500 per year. Ben Butler said
lat man who couldn't steal 49, eco tic
wear IN 4 first-class agency was not ~
tor the position. So far as the
resent agents ct the Grand River and "a
erthold agencies are concerned, G.,
lere IS no cause for complaint. They tel
e honestly endeav0rinG to DO their "a