The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-06

TEA IyrnaCRE Az OLD ST0RY-THE SAME
THING ToLD ~ TIE SPRING OF 1S72.-Tke
View York Tribune reprints the following
sr,i". from IL Washington dispatches Of
February II, 1872:
Amy officers stationed at posts in the
We, complain OF the eXtortions prac,iced
~ the po>l.lradcrs, and Of the gross abuses
pr.cticrl under the law which authorizes
their appointment. These traders are given
tn exclusive privilege Of selling goods upon
iue military reservations to the officers, SOL
iieTs. cmgrants, and Indians. The priyi-
lrge is % valuable that it is obtained by po-
!ilicll or family influence at Washington by
men VINO never 90 TO the posts Or engage in
TIE business, but farm out the privilege TO
az ui traders for sums amounting, in some
cases, 70 $looo0 or $4,000 a year.
There /, good authority for stating that
traders privileges are Systematically farmed
on, Is those who obtain them from the War
Department. The Secretary is not charged
With being c9gulz.nt Of these practices. and
probably has not been informed of them.
0rcoi the most Outrageous cases Of the kind
i described in the following letter from an
OH cr Stationed =: Fort Sill, Indian Terri
tU.y:
o. have incidentally heard that you have
desire 10 know whether 4 bonus is required
from Tie traders here for the privilege Of
trading, aud have been urged to write you
the facts IN The case. As there seems to be
no secret mace Of The matter, and as, in CON-
mon with Al others here, feel il TO be a great
WTon-. think you will readily excuse the
PRESUMPTION winch ny writing, uuasked by
!Vu. might lrdn4.y. | have read the cons
NArt h"t"rru j. :. Evans, Fort Sill trader,
and {. I. ore. +. Marsh. OF No. 1867 or No.
~ broadway, New York, office of He.ter
Brothers, whereby J. ). Evans Is required to
pay sid {. 7. or {. f. Marsh the sum Of
eI2g9v per year quarterly, in advance, for the
exclusive privilege OF trading on this mill
taTy derivation. am correctly Informed
That said sum has been paid since, soon after
lie Lev ia~ went in force, aud is now paid,
20 in1ad" some time in February next. This
IL Bot an rOIatcd case. | am informed by
".iceTS VITO are stationed at Camp Supply
mat Lee and Reynolds paid $4,000 outright
iof lie sam" exclusive privilege there. Other
CASES are talked OF, but not cOrroborated to
ne; sufficient 10 state the tax here amounts to
near IoFty dollars per selling day, which
must necessarily be paid almost entirely by
'ne command, and you can readily see that
If'ctS o. SUCH goods as we are compelled to
D"y hust DC grlcvousy augmented thereby.
l. 10, beng revenue for the Government,
anu DIT. Marsh beng an entire stranger to
e't!! one AZ The post, 1t is felt by every one
1u'oluca oil The facts TO be, as | said before,
avery great wroug.''
IAE BELKSAP ScAsDAL.-The dramatis
W. are well known here, and it seems
'ye'sAfS 10 state a few facts in the case to
I'm I'm IAe whole story Ineligible. Caleb p.
80 me witness who took an interest in
as toEt Sli! business at the suggestion of
I 1.t hr!knap and divided with the family,
VS. "~s "1'a aoou, !en years ago prominent
, o1>H,,> man OF this city, being Of the firm
- I!Ht DAVIDSON 4 Co. He retired from
", I1''E" are buSlutoS, and has since resided
"n.,,. l2fh and Europe. He was -ae>
EiEr,s1' wien IN this city, with the Mrs.
wyi' f' Win whom be negotiated and
NJ ~ ~ ser, then Mrs. Bower, the present
y,.. va, - '"hal, whose first husband (BoweE)
s.n a. ne line OF his death u member of the
~ T.~ VI /. q. Leonard d. Co.. of this city.
n =" ta present Mrs. Belknap is the third wife
,oH VIC eA,>ecretary of War, and is the
isy s ,lste? 0! his second wife. During
sT 81, " WAT, Colonel Belknap, widower, met
I,1na chdrred TO the charms of Miss Tom
w -I'"1 y 9l HarrodsbuIg, KY, and this lady,
n, NV "'sI III 1871, We think, is the one who
t ,fL,"', i Tor Marsa the place of post,rader,
49,. IS At, At 'he time She proposed the business
bo"'o ~! sister then a widow, guest in his
R,iS, IN New York. The second Mrs.
;.n 1'nap died, leaving one child, which a
alrss months aiterwsrd died. Mrs. Bower,
In sna 5e'hg ior some years IL brilliant figure
enc Secle'y in Washington and other eastern
Seer,'.nl'aF fleo her brother.in lazy, the tex.
WHY She is the presen, Mrs. BeIknap,
po,sss,; very well known here-a ady of pre-.
dn.' appearance and fascinating I'D.
s,r >. ~" ~. has 3een tue bright particular
s,,eu ~ Washington lie, wearing the most
t.p," 1,n dresses and giving glittering enter
''s'-- t!"snGati Commercial. .,,y
aI. baltimore and Ohio freight train broke
Ohio r nniie Crossing bridge near Defiance.
uart 1n ii9@y' One eag Wa thrown from be
and ~, ~ ! INTO thy ,riyer., CONDUCTOR Keech
%f'S ypIGkGnFn orr - IL a. z,