The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-17
A MODEL REPUBLICAN.
DR.. silas Reed, friend Of orvil Grant
and John Delano.
From Cerrssp ondent the World.

WASHINGTON, April 12.-One vf the |
hardest working committees has been that
on expenditures of the interior department.
1t has now proven its value by unearthing
the petty jobbery in surveying western
lands, whereby young John Delano and
Orvil Grant enriched themselves at the
public crib. The proof in the hands of
the committee is conclusive. and the story
disgusting in its revelation of the low
water mark of public morals in the Repub-
lican party.
Thus far the committee have succeeded
in tracing back the idea of giving young
John and Brother Orvil a fat little job, as
far as DR.. Silas Reed, then surveyor gen
eral. He is tall gentleman with be-
nevolent face and goldheaded cane, who
appears to have gone about connecting
jobs, currying favor with the administra-
ton by any means, and overlooking with
highly moral precepts all the while
Under date Of Washington, January Is
1875, this man, writing to L. G. Stevens,
OiCih ~ OuCySuuC, says
II have this moment parted with 0. L.
g. (by whom Reed admitted under oath
was meant Orvil Grant,, and have sug-
gested that he hire good assistant and
go it own his own hook next season-for
all his plans seem to have failed this year,
and he is not certain he will receive dol
lar from NJ. (Merriam, Orvil's brother in
law So propose 10 let G. and NJ stand
aside and give q chance for a deserving
man to secure market money for his
family without borrowing"
Under oath, Reed also testified that he
suggested the idea to John Delano of
taking survey contract, although he ad-
mitted that he knew he was not q sur
veyor, nor Orvil either His only excuse
is that he was anxious for young Johns
health and needs, which he knew of by the
following letter, written on a couple of
sheets of interior department paper to DR..
Reed, who was then at Cheyenne:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
WASHINGTON, May 2, 1874. (
DEAR FRIEND: | have been detained
by my wife illness, but | hope to get off
for st. Paul by Monday and to reach
Cheyenne IN June. | shall have to return
here oy the last Of June on my wife's
account, but will go back west for the
summer and fall. l hope you will be able
to put Merriam II think it had better be
IN his name) into a good contract for me,
for shall sadly need the profits for my
summers outlay. Out of Office, sick and
me behind good deal. Thanks for your
kind letter Yours truly,
j. S. DELANo.
Possibly DR.. Reed would not have been
so willing to admit all these things if the
committee had not had positive proofs of
the facts in the checks for various amounts
paid to young John, signed by Mr. Stevens,
and the contracts for which they were
paid testified to by him. None of the con-
tracts were ever taken by either Orvil or
young John, but the money was sent to
them by Mr.. Reed, as appears both by his
letters aud the testimony of MIR. Stevens.
But this is not all The surveying
accountsiin.which young John Deano was
interested were made special accounts in
the Land Office, and were taken up and
paid out Of time. Young John was in q
hurry for his money, and so wrote to Dr.
Reed that as soon as the accounts should
get to Washington DR.. Josephs, dis
burSiug clerk in the Treasury, would push
them through, and John told Reed tC
notify Josephs when they were sent in, bu
not to mention his John Delano's) name
This arrangement was carried out. DIR
Josephs pushed the accounts through il
two days, although the ordinary time o
passing surveyors accounts through tn,
treasury and land Offices is about 81,
weeks, and telegraphed Reed in regard I,
them.
As sample OF a simon pure Pecksnifiar
letter, it is doubtful if there is anythinI
that beats the following, written by Rec,
to Stevens:
WASHINGTON, February, I, 1875.
l.. &. Stevens. Esq.
DEAR SIR: Your favor of the LIST CAM
night before last. / showed it to Nh
Dallas yesterday. 1t took him some tim
TO understand it. The range lines ough
to have been remeasured by 4. aud tru
length stated in the notes, and that, u
doubt would have warranted US to hav
them the same length as section lines O
our plats squared out instead of thi
awkward and outrageous anomaly. Put
note on the margin of the plat that thi
range line was run by the Colorado Office
before Wyoming district was organized
and by whom run (if the records show,
and could not now be remedied by th
Wyoming Office. 1t is nice record for q
old deputy to leave behind him, and fror
it my deputies can see the wisdom of tn
advice impressed upon them ut the outse
to have the work on the ground just as sc
forth in their notes, come what might.
am sorry Mason gets discouraged q
my criticisms. 1t will have n
patience. for ho is good boy, and l wan
to advise him in setting out in life. II
will no doubt show more appreciation c
my efforts in this line than the othe
nephews who have paid so little respect {
my Judgment and advice in most tina
bears on their personal and future welfare
1t amazes me to witness 80 little apprecis
ton OF the manhood and the part the
may be called to act in the future, if the
were prepared to act we'll those parts-a
educated, high toned, moral men-men c
general intelligence and free from IN
small vices and habits of the age.
Here in congress even not one. quartz
OF the men are gentlemen in the true sens
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