Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-07-21

Reshaw, an interpreter, who hs
received high Endorsements 70
faithfulness and reliability, tina
there were only eighteen bales Q
blankets issued. Renshaw assiste,
the agent In the issue, and knew tn
fact from actual count. The bran,
U. s. /. d. on these blankets in
jured the cloth, so that after
a short time holes replaced tn
letters. The Indians complained
bitterly Of the blakets because o
their small size and inferior quality
Professor Marsh says the issue o
all goods was made in the mos
careless and irresponsible manner
The contract for furnishing bee
cattle for the last fiscal year was
signed July IA, 1874. The cattle
delivered were required to average
$50 pounds for the first six months,
and 1000 for the last six months,
and the price was 50 80 $50 per
hundred pounds, gross weight, on
the hoof. The contract was not
filed by the party to whom it was
given, but assigned to w. A. Pax
Nm, of Omaha. Prof Marsh per-
tinently remarks that as this as
signri : "could not take place
'wii.orndpd a.written consent of the
s sc kiS love we Interior the full
SGnSpousibility rests with him." On
Professor Marsh's ariIN~l at the
agency November 9th he ascer-
tanned that there had been no beer,
issued for some time, and only
seven head of cattle were then re-
naming over from previous issues.
The certificate of Colonel Bradley,
Captain Mix and Lieutenant Hay
is presented, in which they bear
testimony to the wretched quality
of the rations and to the undersize
and puny condition of the cattle.
They each estimated the weight of
the seven head left over, and their
average was only 35S pounds, in
stead of $50 as it should have been.
Professor Marsh was present Nov
ember 14th at an issue of cattle at
the agency. The lot was accepted |
by the Agent, and receipted for,
but he only weighed portion of
The herd. The Professor and Ma
ior Burt of the Ninth Infantry
both unite in declaring that the
cattle were in miserable condition.
They were so wretchedly poor that
wen the contractor deemed il nee
'ssary to apologize for them. Sa-
lille stated to Marsh and Bishop
Hare in June last that he was con-
ident that the cattle, thin as they
ere,would weigh $50 pounds on an
verage. He admitted that he did
ot weigh them all, yet the records
the Treasury Department show ,
d that he gave a receipt for the {
Oh herd, in which he certified !
nat the actual weight, as weighed !
y him, was 1,4S5, lbs, which !
'ould make the average 1,043 !
ounds per head. Professor Marsh !,
lys that no one could fairly esti- !
late the average of this herd at = !
'ore than $50 pounds per head ; ,
ut the government paid the con- ?
actor at the rate of 1,043 pounds a
Or head. The Professor further q
'ys he has reason to believe that :
lual rascality is practiced in re- {
lrd to the number of cattle, and
resents the following as an exam
e.: There is CONCLUSIVE evidence Al
lat the only cattle at the agency ic
ovember IL, 1874, were the seven A
lad Of puny animals examined
General Bradley, yet according .
the provision returns of Agent 10
willie for the fourth quarter of :,
IA, now on file in the Interior tn
apartment, he should have had OF
1906 pounds, or, according to
official receipts 179 head. The an
eff issue which he claimed to
We made November s did not ac
ke place. Hence he should have =,
d on November IL, at least 446,- do
Z pounds of beef, or about 43O :,
ad of cattle, when he actually had tn
ly seven! The attention of the r ,sl
esident is also called to the fact
1t on March II, 1875, Commits IT. IT
ner Smith made a private con- frs
vet with an old contractor for the 90
pply of beef at a much higher
ice (s3 per 100 pounds) than the res
Qinal one. I.ianfanant Car.o. -