National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-10-19
Total. Is, so5 Is, eO6, 1852 700, s4. IS
1Ae average weight on whole contract
gil p37-2S sos,


lie average weight on whole contract beng
gil 957-2s,s65.
AT the request of the commissioners, MIR. Bosler
presented for their private use an abstract from
his books for that year. The commissioners feel
themselves justified in extracting from 1t so much
as shows his purchases of cattle. The total num-
Der was, Of beeyes ~ 25; and of COWS, 1885; max
There can be little doubt that Mr.. Bosler bought
for filling this contract the large number of 1850
head; Of which he delivered 2s,Ss5 head; showing
This abstract furnishes us with the exact cost of
every animal, the cost of herding, and all Incl
dental expenses, including interest on the capital
invested, and net receipts on the contract We
find from the testimony of numerous witnesses
familiar with the subject that the prices shown by
said abstract to dave been paid for these cattle,
were the ruling prices in that country during that
year. 1t appears from all sources and there is no
dispute upon the point that during the spring and
cattle delivered on the Platte was for cows from
sl05o to SO per head, and for beeves from SO to
SIS per head. 1t should also be stated here that
the first contract was for p 900 pounds of beef
at $3.50 per hundred pounds, and that after that
amount has been furnished the contractor was
called upon to furnish % per cent in excess that
amount, as his contract provided he should do
upon proper notice. But the notice was not given,
as it should have been, in season TO enable the
contractor to purchase the required amount at the
ordinary market rates, but at a time when, his
own stock having been exhausted, he would be
quired supply at very much advanced rates. He
claimed that the notice was not given in season,
and refused to comply with the request. His posi-
tion was deemed to be tenable and legal. Under
the stress of these circumstances a new contract
was entered into March H. 1875, with the approval
of the Board of Indian Commissioners, by which
he agreed to furnish the additional amount re-
quired at 50 per hundred pounds. Under these
two contracts q 965 head of cattle were furnished
weighing 2s,o l52 pounds. 1t has been shown
heretofore that the average weight for the year
was 991 pounds. 1t would require, therefore, to
fill the first contract - 704 cattle whereabouts
disregarding fractions and 161 to fill the second
contract If assume that the cattle furnis shed
were one fourth cows and three fOurths teeves,
and that the price for cows and beeves furnished
under the first contract was-cows S12 and beeves
SIS, and that for all cattle furnished under the
second contract the contractor paid an average of
$40 per head, which from evidence in our posses
sion Is probably nearly correct, we have the means
Of determining the probable cost of the cattle to
the contractor. IT. seems to be true, the cost Of
herding is 81 per head, allowing the contractor
interest his Investment for half the year at
ten per cent, we have all the means necessary to
determine the probable net profits on the contract
and the account may be stated as follows, viz:
5000 at sl2, $751; liz HOPS beeves SIS $780,
504 6161 cattle at $40 S123220; cost of herdng at
q per head, s57,73O Total Investment, s555, 566;
interest on investment six months, at ten per
cent 81, $50. Total cost, $685. 34 30 Net profits
s117, 5l01s. Total cost to the Government, $780,
S54.4S
With full compliance with the contracts of
1S74-75 are satisfied from all the evidence that
the above sum of Sill, 5lOlS at least was possible
as net profit to the contractor, assuming that he
lost by accident, disease, and Indian raids 995
head, which is the number purchased by him in
excess of what he turned over and was paid for,
and which were lost by him. This would seem
to dispose Of the question as to the number of
cattle delivered by the contractor. When we
come to consider the weight of the cattle delivered
we are met with the remarkable fact that the
average weight for the year at each of the six
agencies is very nearly the same or that the diff
age for the year at Red Cloud was LOTT pounds;
at Cheyenne river, lob, n difference of four
pounds; at Spotted Tail 995, difference of p
pounds; at fanEton 9l2 pounds, difference of
los pounds; at Standing Rock 97i pounds, diff
ference of 43 pounds; Crow Greek SOS, a differ
ence of 1l9 pounds at the Crow Greek agency,
December q 1874, as appears on page 374, 10
head OF cattle, averaging az pounds, were de-
livered. 1t is in evidence that these arc small
cattle intended for grazing, and constituted the
largest herd delivered there during the year. and
greatly reduced the average at that agency the
other Tour averages for that year at that agency
being respectively: LOIS, $50 800 and lOO5 pounds.
1t is also in evidence that at the Yancton and
Standing Rock agencies smaller cattle were gen.
orally preferred by the agent. 1t is also in evil
dence that the best feeding ground for cattle is
on the Platte river, which accounts in a measure
for the difference in the weight of herds delivered
at Red Cloud and Spotted Tail as compared with
those delivered at YanktOn, Grow Greek and
Standing Rock.
1t is apparent from these facts that if great
frauds in weight have been perpetrated at Red
Cloud, similar frauds must have been perpetrated
at all the other agencies, and TO assume this re-
quires that should find as fact that all these
six agencies their clerks and assistants, the con-
tractor and his associates, assistants and herders
were combined, and confederated and actuated by
u
the Government and all shared directly or in
directly in the benefits of the fraud. 1t may be
in accordance with the current OF present popular
feeling to adopt this conclusion, but dealing as we
with proofs we forced to say that the facts
do not support 1t.
1t has been asserted by witnesses of much intel
ligence and undoubted honesty that the presump-
ton Of fraud justified by the very low price at
which the contract was taken this year-S2 46l. OF
nil the contract without loss; but we think the
evidence printed herewith demonstrates that the
contrary Is true, and that very large profit may
be legitimately realized.
We have previously seen that a herd of nearly
good cattle is this year being delivered to the
agencies which actually average more than 1000
pounds eBch. These cattle were bargained for In
at sl2 per head for cows and so per head for
beeyes-not more than one fourth fthem were cows.
The contract tor this year is for 81 900 pounds of
beef for the Sioux agencies. five assume that
81 500 head Of cattle will be required to I'LL the
contract we have the following result:
S,la 81 COVE T az 81 1890
Cost of herding g, 500 head Of
cattle At y $4,000
Total investment - $3.50, 900
Interest on one-half amount ut
10 per cent $40, 500
- Total Cost S6,325,500
g. 500 900 pounds of beef at s245l1 cents per 100
pounds, amounts to $50, 1880. The difference is
a net profit Of Sis $500.
Under the contract Of A. H. Wilder, G. NJ.
Dodge and ]. w. L. Sleavens for furnishing beef
nished TO the several agencies the number of ami
mails Of the total weight and at the price here
with named: