New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-18
MIR. STEELE ON RED CLOUD AGENCY SUP
PLIES

PLIES.
THE SEVEN MONTHS OF RID CLOUDS DRcEIvING
PROF. MARSH REDUCED TO SEVEN DAYS
BEFF CATTLE snolIP WEIGH so, MOI l,ooo
POUNDs.MR SrEHIEs FAITH IN THE PRESENT
SYSTEM or FURNISHING INDIAN SUPPLIES.
To the Edttor Of The Tribune.
SIR: My attention has just been called to a
communication in your issue Of tho 9Th instant from
Prof o. c. Marsh, rejecting upon statements reported TO
have been made by me before the Board Of Indian Com
misoncrs on the evening Of the 9Th instant. VIII you
do me the Justice TO publish this reply to the structures OF
Prof marsh!
NV statement was made in the OF general and
somewhat Informal conversation, participated in by
members OF the Board which, doubtless, accounts for
some inaccuracies In the report and for Tie TACT that
some OF the remarks Of other parties ascrbed TO me-
did not detail to the Board any conversation had with
Prof Marsh nor did pretend so to do certainly knew
the Professor had never been seven months al Red cloud
Agency the remarks in that connection were made by
the Hon. T.. r. Smith, Commissioner OF Indian Affairs,
who stated, according TO my recollection: That he the
Comni son.r had asked Prof. Marsh after examining
his sam,lca whether he considered Red Cloud worthy
OF fun belief and that tie Professor had replied that he
did not It Red Cloud had deceived him Tor Serca days
Prof Harsh speaks Of tho con ii,ion Of the beef cattle
Of the Agency during hs visit oi those sIa,eCh,S -
beef cattle At the Agency at tho ttme OF Prof MarShs
Prof W@r,h VINO should have known. II he knew any
hne OF the subject that beef cattle received and
wfs SIb pe Of e a n 40 that the journey Of tie
cattle their receipt over an alkaline desert or 100
miles, exists only in the vivid imagination OF Prof
Marsh. What was sail in refc cnce 10 the cattle was
that they received at he Agency Weighed I'VE or
six at time and then turned in with The Agency herd;
sS" ' to t were naas III were ssacd p ar
AVERAGE weight at the time Of rccelpi ny ne IN,
Agent, and that il the cattle had increased in weett
while in the herd it the gain of the Indians but
the cattle lost weight meantime the Indians sustained
the loss" certainly said that the cattle were
weighed separately, nor that they were marked
Ii seems to be assumed that appeared before the
was that the statement Of Prof Marsh had created the
impression in the minds of some members OF the Board
that the supplies sent TO Cheyenne for the Indian service
might have been changed at that place. or between mat
place and tho Agency, for supplies Of IN inferior qualify
interests Cheyenne. OF the communities repre-
scented by me, well az to bring the business inte@rlty
of many Of my constituents into disiepute IL was III
defense OF their interests and good that my state
nent fore the Board was made and that stated that
for all practical purposes such substitution was iinpos-
sible. did not mention the name OF Prof. Mash be-
fore the Board, detail any conversation with him,
although If disposed to question hs fairness.
might have thought that when Red Cloud gave him tho
wa Of Ti screoae at the Ascncy and the mc Of
said samples by Prof Marsh might be to bring dishOnor
and ruin upon The Agent and discredit upon all connected
with the Agency AMI Indian service generally; that
common fairness should have induced him to spend 80
minutes in examination OF the supplies III warehouse,
10 determine if the samples given were OF the same
quality as the supplies II fraud exists at the Agency
SAMPLES given him by Red Cloud are fair sample OF sup
plies issued the Indians and Of their condition when
is.ued NV constituents may smile when they my
statement" but feel confident that they wl loci 'ieh
T T s aSs 90 I Pro Msfs the serious
ace upon their business interests that they at one time
"Bissnctte afldav;" Informed the Board that had
or read the aiiay lc cHpianation Ia ret
siorer of Indian Affairs. ". r. STEELE.
Washington, d. g., May 10, 1878.