The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-22

stampede 1 afterwards learned from various
persons-among them Louis Reshaw, who
was familiar with the circumstances, and
testifies to the facts in the following certifi-
cafe:
WASHINGTON, d. c., June 5, 1876.
1 hereby certify that in tina summer of
1874 the herd OF cattle at the Red Cloud
Agency, which had been received by the
agent from the contractor, stampeded, and
most OF them, over 100 in number went
back to the contractors herd on the Platte
The same cattle We're afterward driven to
the agency and were receipted for a second
time by the agent. The contractors herder
offered to sell me those cattle at $40 per head
before he drove them back to the agency.
LOUIS REsHAw.
From such stampedes and the fraudulent
results following. both the Indians and the
government have suffered great losses. Mai.
A. s. Burt and myself were at the issue of
provisions, NoY. 10, 1874, and among other
things, saw and examined the pork that
was delivered. The method employed in
distributing this article to the Indians was
characteristic of the management of
affairs at this agency. The barrels
OF pork were rolled out of the
warehouse by one of the agency employees,
| the heads of the barrels knocked in with 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 adopte ed
L
examined, and found it old and strong.
Some it, at least, was rusty and unfit for
human food. On this point Major Burt, in
| certificate which lac has recsntly sent me,
states as follows: Il observed the pork
given to the Indians; it was lean, rusty
stuff, unfit tor anybody's use." The Indians
received this pork ration with evident dis
gust. Most of them merely cut of the
outer thin layer offat, and
THREW THE REST AWAY
on the spot. In one of the recent councils
in Washington, Red Cloud earnestly COM
planned of the PORK issued 70 him and his
people, and said that he thought some Of
the children had died from eating it. After
this particular issue, the Indians so stroLgly
objected to the quality of this pork that the
| fact was reported by the agent to The depart
ment in Washington. The contract under
which this wretched pork was furnished TO
the Indians was given TO j. w. l.. Slavens,
of Kansas City-well known as a favorite
contractor of the interior department-and
was signed by Commissioner Smith, July
| IL, 1874. 1t contained the usual phrases
that the article furnished should 10 sub
jected to thorough inspection and
careful comparison with the samples
| thereOf;" and the usual bond was re-
required. The price paid was S2l per bar
rel. My attention was called to the flour
rations at this agency by Red Cloud him.
! self, and this was one OF the samples he
| gave me to take to Washingt n. A few
| days after ward / saw the Issue of proyi- !
sions at the agency, and my attention was
| again attracted to the subject by seeing a
sack of -four, which an Indian woman had
just received and was carrying away, burst |
open, and part of its contents fall on the
ground. This -four was dark in color, and
adhesive to the touch, although it had not
been wet, and inferior in quality. The flour
was in single sack without any brand
whatever. 1 atterward saw in the ware
house, apparently put up in the same way,
and entirely without brands, con-
siderable number of sacks, although !
the contract especially stipulated
that the flour was to be "iresh ground, of
Xxx quality, to be made wholly from good,
sound wheat, and to be delivered in good,
strong, double sacks, each sack to be
branded Indian Department Flour" On
none of the flour that / saw in the ware
house did observe any inspectors brands,
although some of the sacks may have had
such marks without my noticing them. L
afterward saw -four in three different Indian
lodges, and all appeared to be OF the same
quality as that l saw issued at the agency,
and essentially the same as the sample Red
Cloud had given me, although L made no
direct comparison between the two. As the
fairness of the latter, as a sample of the flour
issued at the agency, was subsequently
questioned by Commissioner Smith and
others responsible for Indian management
L have taken considerable pains to ascertain
the
QUALITY OF THE FLOUR
! furnished 10 the Red Cloud agency under
the contract which was in force during the
last half of 1874, when my visit was made,
and during the first half of the present year.
This contract was given to ]. II. Martin, OF
Denver, and was signed by Commissioner
Smith July IL. 1874. The flour was to be de-
! livored in Cheyenne at the rate of 3 80 per
| 100 pounds, bond of 900 being given to
insure faithful performance of the contract.
/ learn from good authority that this con-
tract could not be honestly filled, according
to the accepted sample, at the price paid.
The contract required shat the
-four offered tor acceptance under
this contract shall be- subjected 10
a thorough inspection, and careful compari-
son with the sample thereof which has been
adopted, and if, on such comparison and
inspection, any cf the flour fails to conform
TO or equal said sample, the same shall be
rejected by the parties making the inspec-
| ton" / have recently received portion OF
the original sample of the flour in which
| the contract was based for the last fiscal
| year. lS74-75. This is a totally different
article in appearance from the -four L saw
issued to the Indians at the agency, and IN
use in the lodges, and no one could mistake
the one for the other. This sample
OF hour is the only sample, OF al Ine sup
plies purchased last year, that
the department retained, by which to COM
pare the supplies actually delivered to the
Indians, and thus prevent fraud. The rea-
son why this natural precaution against
frauds has not been taken, remains tor the
department for the interior to explain.
Some of the first -four delivered under his
contract, a lot of 1000 sacks, or 100000
pounds, reached Cheyenne in August, 1874.
This lot of flour, more than one-third OF the
whole years supply for Red Cloud agency,
was not inspected as required. am in
formed that DIR. Irwin, agent for the Sho-
shone Indians, who was in Cheyenne, de-
tected the bad quality of that flour. and tele-
graphed the department that
THE TRANSACTION WAS A FRAUD.