Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-17
THE INDIAN ROBBERS.


Selling BFushWOOd for Hay-Hatered
StOck-Weighingt the Driver with His
LOad-The Tricks Of Kicks.
Washington Special to the Chicago Times.
Each day brings new evidence to
substantiate the old charges, until a
case has been made out Of so strong a
character as to defy all efforts to break
it down. Information received here
from st. Paul, from trustworthy sources,
gives an interesting picture Of the
peculations of Indian agents. This
information pretends to give only
few of the many plans devised to
swindle Indians and the Government at
the same time.
AT Fort Rice, one o. G. Treadway
had a contract in 1867 for furnishing
hay. The contract called for 400 tons,
and that amount was paid for, but not
delivered. The hay put in was of In
ferior quality. Part of 1t, about $50
tons, was cut on the meadows opposite
the mouth of Cannon Ball river, and
more than half of this consisted of
willows and rOsebrush. The wagons,
as a general thing, followed the now
ing machine, loading the stuff as fast
as 1t was cut. At the scales, 1t was
not an uncommon occurrence to weigh
a driver with his load.
Indian annuity goods at Fort Rice
were stored IN Durfee & Peck's ware
house, and when the firms pork or
-four was exhausted from store, comp,
or kitchen, that which belonged to the
Ind ans was taken. The employed men
Of Durfee & Peck knew their cook was
frequently given the key of the ware
house, with instructions to take what
ever was wanted. The mea owned the
store, and Durfee & Peck's wood camp
were furnished with blankets which
should have gone to the Indians. OF
quantity of spirits sent there for the
Indians, In 1866, not more than one
half was given to the Indians. A
number Of clothes intended for the
Indians were given to employees who
were living with squaws. These, by
the way, were preferred by Durfee &
Peck. because they could be paid IN
goods.
The beef contract for Fort Rice was
filed by a. d. Wilder & Co., st. Paul,
with herd of Texas steers, so wild
that the herders were afraid to ap-
proach them. 1t is fact that the day
before cattle were to be received by the
quartermaster, the contractor fed bar
rel of salt to the herd. Then, next
morning. Just before they were weigh
ed, the cattls were driven to the river,
where they drank all the water they
could hold. 1t was estimated on the
spot that the gain for Anderson's EN-.
ployes, from salt and water, was about
40 pounds for each head of cattle.
FORT BERTHOLD.
Fort Berthold for a number Of years
belonged to Durfee & Peck, and,
strange to say, though there were Gov
eminent buildings for the purp, Sc, all
the annuity goods for the Arickarees,
Grosventres and Mandals, were stored
in Durfee & Peck's buildings. Mr..
Wilkinson was the agent for these
tribes In 1867, 1868 and 1869, and was
known to turn over whole cargoes of
Indian goods to Mr.. Marsh, who was
Durfee s. Peck's agent at Bertkold.
AT FORT BUFORD.
The hay contract at Fort Buford, in
1870. was awarded to o. H. Wilder &
Co. and that was swim lie, bad even
for the Missouri Valley. The first load
was a fraud, and OF the $50 tons put in
there was not one load hauled which was
not short weight. Capt. Joe Anderson,
of s.. Paul, was engineer of this job,
and this is the way he planned and
worked 1t: First, he brought from St.
Paul to Buford a wagon-lOsd of the
best whisky he could buy. Then he
said to his teamsters, "take the old hay
racks which we used last year, and
patch them up so you can make
trip with them. By that time
we will have some new ones" The
wagons were fitted out with the old, dry,
and light racks, and sent to the govern
ment scales to be weighed and num-
bered. One trip was made with the
old racks. Then, according to prom
Use, the now ones were ready. The new
racks were made Of strong, green tim
bers. but rather heavy. An old raok
weighed less than 200 pounds. The new
ones weighed from $50 to $50 pounds.
| So that, on each lead of hay, Uncle
Sam was charged for $50 to $50 pounds
of hay-rack. Then there were the
drivers, who, not being asked to get
down while the loads We're beng
/ weighed, would sit still and be charged
/ up to Uncle Sammy as hay.