New-York tribune., 1875-07-14

employees, tne DeauS OF tne DaITels hnockcu III Win
, an ak, and the contents turned upon the ground.
The pieces Of pork were then given to the Indians.
who were waiting around, without being weighed or
any other means adopted to insure just distribu-
ton This pork l examined, and found It old and
strong. Some of it, at least was rusty and
unfit for human food. On this point Major
Burt in a certificate which he has recently sent
! me, states rs follows: Il observed the pork
given to the Indians it was lean rusty stuff unfit
for anybody's nsc.D The Indians received this pork
ration with evident disgust. Most Of them merely
cut off the outer thin layer Of fat and throw the rest
away on the spot In one of the recent Councils in
pork issIied to him and his people and said that he
thought some of the children bad died from eating
il. After this particular IssIe the Indians so strong
| was reported by the Agent 10 the Department IN
Washington. The contract under which this
wreiched pork was furnished to the Indians was
| given to j. w. l.. Slavens Of Kansas Ciy-well
known a favcrite contractor of the Interior De
partment and was signed by Commissioner Smith,
July IL, 1874. 1t contained the usual phrases
that ,he article furnished should be subjected toa
thorough inspection and careful comparison with
| the samples thereof; and the usual bond was ie-
required. The price paid was S2l per bar.l.
yI-FLorR ISSUED At THE AGENcY
Ny attention was called to the flour rations at ths
Agency by Red Cloud himself, and thi~ was ono Of
the samples he gave me to take 10 Washington. A
few days afterward saw the issue of provisions at
TIE Agency, and my attention was AGAIN attracted
to the subject by seeing sack of ilonr, which m
Indian woman had just received and was carrying
away, burst open, and part OF its contents ial on
the ground This four was dark in color aud adhe-
sve TO the touch although it had not been wet and
inferior in quality. The flour WAS il IA sn-le Sack
without any brand whatever. / aiterward saw IN
the warehouse apparently pat up in the same way.
and entirely without brands considerable number
of sacks although the contract cspeciay stipulated
Al, y
ity, to be made wholly from good, sound wheat aud
TO be delivered in good, strong, double sacks, each
sack to be branded Indian Department Flour" On
none Of the tour that saw in the warehouse did ]
observe any inspectors brands, although some of
the sacks may have had such marks without my
noticing them.
| afterwarl saw -four in three diff rent Indian
lodges and all appeared to he Of the same quality
as that saw issued at the Agency and essentially
the same as the sample X Il Cloud had given me-
although made ~ direct comparison between tho
two As the fairness of the latter - 4 sample of
the flour issued at the Agency was subsequently
questioned by Commissioner Smith and others re-
sporsiblc for Indian management have taken con
siderable pains to ascertain the Cgality of the flour
furnished to the Rcd Cloud Agency under the con-
tract which in force during the last half OF 1871
when nv visit was made and during the first half
y present
H. Martin of Denver, and was signed by Connnis
sioncr Smith, July II, 1874. The flour was to he
delivered in Cheyenne at the rate of - 30 per 100
pounds. a bond of $4,000 being given TO insure
faithful performance of the contract. learn from
good authority that this contract could not be hon
cstly filed according to the accepted sample at the
price paid.
The contract required thai the 1our offered for
acceptance under this contract shall De Subjected 10
Il thorough inspection, and careful comparison
with the sample thereof which has been adopted,
and if on such comparison and inspection any oi tho
flour fails to conform to or equal said sample, the
same shall he rejected by the parties making the Inc
spectionp have recently received portion Of The
original sample of the ilOur which tie contract
was based for the last fiscal year, 1S7i75. Thisis
a totally different article in appearance from The
nonr saw issued 20 the Indians at the Agency, and
in use in the lodges, and no could mistake tie
one for the other. This sample Of flour is the only
sample of all the supplies purchase 4 last year. that
the Department retained, by which to compare the
supplies actually delivered to the Indians, and thus
prevent frand The reason why this natural prrcan-
ton against fraud, has not bccn TAKEN remains iot
the Department Of the Interior to explain.
Some of the first flour delivered under This con-
tract, a lot Of 1000 sacks, or 2OO,rOV ponnfs
reached Cheyenne in August, 1874. This lOt oi
tloIr than Cif-tn OF tiF NIbH VIII sup
ply Tor Red Cloud Agency was not inspected. IT. re-
rlred. | ami informed that Dr. lrWiiL "tchl i'f
Inc Shoshone Indians who was then IA Cheyenne,
detected the bad quality of that hour, ana ifle'
ora nird the Denarlne that the Transaction w1Sa
fraud. Agent Savllc was ut Cheyenne at tiii~ tn';
and he has since informed Bishop Hare aiI m's,ii
t,laf he was ordered 10y Commissioner smith {" se:d
the flour on tn the Agency; sample oI II, mercy,
10 be retained by citizen OF Cheyenne i1Hhe
member there of the lad an ti"g, ana "n" - an
or dibly informed. has since been under $50 5eGt-
mont, for attcmping 10 bribc ned states oihc T.
This action on the part of Conimfsoncr Sfiith
would seem indicate Ills own aiililiy WIN IN" III
Tarly in September, 1874 Major A. K Long of tho
I'uitod States Conmi~-lrN Department, Wa' an
poiatcd Inspector at Chr@rne. III t'''i! e",u I,
nlcati0n dated June 10. l-I', ne sthtr, lh' wren
he hccau his duties. thele rnalncd ot tn above 100
of Nour - sacks, which he ImmrlHtCN rlr'ei,
Int il was afiorNau shipped t. H"d Iona AR 'cy
hv tc -torckceper-a, the latter said, by nlsiiie;
Major Iong statrs also, that BE- rejected esiai e.
of Nour al first then The grade b. came nSihr anu
ucrintcndrnt uf Indian Affairs, hrl Inspected ana
passed at Omaha -, ~. IL, -,
Washington. jane /, ut which vas pr;.o.nt. .na ,
above lot of Hour some 200 sa' 'ks "l Gdlh noi II
snnrrcd at Omaha by Barclay White, cane 10 'ha
Ked Clpnd Agency without being inspected VI i'y,
cnnc Tbs was very poor HOUR ana waS iSi"vr ,,'r
about thet ne Of MY visit aud he Thought tic 'di
saw there was part of this lot u.;.,,,.x
This testimony. from observers whose 1i'ih ''I''y
il was 10 examine the character of tc HOUR i"r A'u
Cloud Agency, clccnaIly dlsP">es "l ti!' SI'',r''
which the Indian Commissioner CIV 10 81" 80, .'';
cinted Press IN contradiction of my first presentation
of the case at Washington lie eApilhdtiuh" "l tio
Commissioner, which waS published MAJ D. Was "'
follows: ,, ,. >, rim
complaints concerning supplies ihrh,hed 'o l1, ii, -
at the Red Cloud ASen'y li Ma;i 9a u. , no" Go-yo
subsistence ~ the United states Army, ad ihi>s'
him us egna 10 t toc ,,cs W INF rr lou! brought here
by Prof Marsh at the request o Red tiona ~c' o.