The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-21


ment food at various times, nine OF them were
working for Leighton. Grant, Stanley Co. A Mr..
Smith, employed by the agency, was discharged
while was there aud the agent gave MIN an
order on Leighton, which read. "Cnarge to our ac-
count" have seen the teamster who on the 18th
OF March haulec fifteen sacks OF sugar from the
government warehouse 10 Medicine Lodge eighty-
1ve miles from Fort Peck. and delivered the sugar
10 DR.. Gaylord for Leighton. The sugar was put
mp In corn sacks. Whether this was one OF the
shipments previously referred to cannot say.
WOLF POINT, FoRTY-FIvB MILES BELOW FORT
PECK.
This Is really q fine location for an agency,
one OF the best on the Upper Missouri. The graz.
Ing is good, there is plenty timber, and the soil
is fertile. 1t is called the Assnoolne Agency, and
is branch OF the agency at Fort Peck The
Leightons have made money out OF 1t during the
winter. and Stanley has managed things In
his own way. am told that Agent Anderson is
making arrangements to move the Peck Agency
thther ana have only one establishment TO look
AFTER And ! guess the statement is true, Tor
several men have been az work there this spring.
saw mill is going up, and Stanley
Leighton are preparing to erect buildings.
About 700 Assniboine Indians are camped
on q neignboring slope, and they are
the most friendly and respectable Indians
In the country. But they have been treated
shameiully. After swimming two rivers and max
ing little trip OF ninety miles ON HORSEBACK l
reached Wolf Point at sundown. l had no idea
that it was regular agency or that was eating
government food until was indebted TO them ior
supper. The man In charge had been there but
few days. He seemed like fine gentleman and
could not ask for better treatment He nad moth
ing TO do with the frauds, so far as l can learn,
and was only working temporarily for Anderson.
The beef was delicious and l was sorry that he
could not take pay for the accommodations, and
when found that the place belonged 10 the In
dian Department ! felt somewhat embarrassed
Leighton, Stanley co. have had men at the
Point cutting wood during the winter. Stanley
hired them-some to- work for the government
some TO chop. All were fed on indian supplies
leighton & Stanley expect to have the contract
for putting up thesgovernment buildings. so they
have taken the liberty OF beginning work in ad-
vance. Men were hired by the agency for the gov
eminent and Leighton has paid them. This
created much dissatisfaction, and one man
sent up to the agent and asked whom
he was working for. whereupon he was
discharged and leighton paid him OFF.
Stanley hired this man on the 14tn OF May to work
for the government at Wolf Point, but he told him
that his pay would not begin until the following
day. This obliged him to pay his fare down on
the boat, which was so much in Stanley's pocket.
The man was to have $50 month for issuing
ratlons and working around the fort. Now, by q
happy coincidence can prove that the transac-
tlon was q scheme to put money In Lelghton's and
SANKEY'S pockets. hunter & Lunt had wood
yard below Peck, and this man was their pest
chopper. Stanley told friend Of mine that MS
object in hiring him was to smash this opposition
wood yard and get control OF the wood business
along the river. The result was as he expected,
In part. Hunter & Lunt went under, but when
Stanley & Co. undertook to raise the prlce TO s.
cord the steamboats, started other yards, and the
Leighton combination were beaten at their own
game, Notwithstanding they had every advan-
tage, for they fed their men on government
rations. The man who was discharged for asking
questions is hostile to the Indians in every pos
slble way but he does not hesitate to declare that
they have been treated like dogs by Anderson and
Stanley. He was issuing clerk for a while at Wolf
Point, and ne says that the rations Tor lodge for
seven days was at the best only two gallons of
flour, two pints Of sugar. one pint Of conee ana
four pounds OF pork
AN IMPORTANT WITNESS.
have learned many facts about the manage
ment at Wolf Point rom Mr.. George Jonndror,
the late government engineer. He was sent to
the agency by government Official from Mime
sofa. Anderson never liked him, but he was
forced to keep him. He came with saw and
grist mill which was to be erected for the benent
OF the agency. l found MIN at Wolf Point AS
soon as the agent learned that we were together
ne discharged bin and accused him OF general in
efficiency. This was entirely false. have taken
some pains TO inquire about him ana find that he
Is a first class sawyer and engineer and that he Is
a hard WORKING, Industrious man. He Is native
OF Vermont ana O graduate OF Massachusetts
machine shops and Maine and Minnesota sawmills.
But he Is too honest for an agent like Anderson.
n wit fhraa aT.d
ting his hand on his revolver, said that he would
blow his brains out. But soon after this the dis
tingushed ex-preacher became gentle as y lamb
and he settled by giving the engineer a draft on
the First National Bank OF Bozeman. On the
same day another government employs was dis
charged and sent to Leighton for his pay, and he
gotit
I came TO Fort Peck in October as engineer in
charge OF machinery, which was directed to
Porcupine Creek below Peck, ON the Missouri
River There was no one to receive it, the neigh
borhood was full OF hostile Indians and had to
leave IL exposed 70 the weather. The agent was
In Bozeman. | waited three or four weeks until
he came. took two men down 10 the creek to
watch the machinery. The Indians were bad.
Boats were fred and we had no protection.
It was about thirty miles TO the fort. 1 stayed
fourteen days, when the men demanded reinforce
ments went to Peck. but could get no assist
ance from Stanley, and finally the two men had to
leave. The agency would neither send team to
bring the men away nor men to stay with them.
When went back few weeks afterward the en-
CINE and mill were greatly damaged. The In
dams had carried away some OF the lighter pieces
and stolen the screws. The wheels were found on
the ice and the finer parts of the machinery were
almost worthless. Alter while the agent
shipped q part OF the mill to safer place, and
this last winter tried TO get him TO move the
rest, but he did nothing until May. The
mill Is now at Vol Point. The reason
that could not get the government teams to
move the machinery was because they were busy
hauling Stanley & LeiGhton's wood, which had
been cut on the reservation 10 sell to steamboats,
Last winter Leighton's men we're boarded at the
government COOK Rouse. IL was hard 10 tell who