The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-03-17
uhot Cy.ik Grant hne;t,S -4oct"
posi- Y'r0dej'shfiDs. DC.
WASHINGTON, March 9--OrvIi Grant

| o>- March 9.-Orvil Grant
! 49,, c',r,u.itteo on expenditures
/ :. u,r 6apartncnt this afternoon, ana
-; test;n,nuv showed that he WAS Interested
/ 80 90 -, trsdrrships lie gave particulars OF
! Iis transactions in that connection ana was
/ cross examined. cD:lr,
air. BrviI II. Grant, brother on freS'uei''
! Grant. having been sworn, teS' ''heo ''''' nc
,orar at any time. either orally or M VIII
;nr l'od anv authority from Belknap iii re
Iation to most tradcrstips in the army, ana
th,t he never. directly or indirectly, eAeI-
,ieod ,hrnuoh others, control over such
t,aderships. but he thought lie was Ihstiu
,ncntal in obtaining a post sutlcrship Tor
nan appointcd at Fort Stevens. ne ""s
not interested with any parties VINO oosai.i, c.l,
ed aDpointments to post tradefSh'P iio'i'
the secretary OF war. ~ ,;o,,,
ON beiuo asked whether he was d'fec,y
-. ;,,d;roc.iy interest ed in contracts under
tho Indian deDartment he said he was ana
tb,t he obtained the post ON ms own ac-
cor,t from, Commissioner smith, MS aiph-
cation having been made III Sep'Si"Uei,
1874. The witness admitted that ne ""oi
received n letter from the i'resldehI 'u re-
ply TO his application Tor trauiiS Poa' a,
E1,t peck. which was favorable, put ne
.houoht he had destroyed that letter. ne
PRESIDENT moi ificd him that there would pc
, vacancy at Fort Peck. III he had hoi
known there was to be vacancy ne "Hoiu
not have made the application. ne .'""S III
the President specified Fort Peek, or ne'-
knap and Standing Rock as places 20 ne
come vacant, and he appied i"r thess
places in pursuance Oh hho"N"So S' ~
him by the President.
These we're the only trading stations IN
which the witness had any interest. In
1874 he became interested In Fort fech anc
Standing Rock Originally Jacob IL. Gas
sel5erry and himself run the establishment
at Fort Peck. The witness put IN -;oJo,
He thought the stock was worth ABOUT
a..3 eco, 4. J.. Donation afterward oec
came concerned. Tie witness thongHc oi
n,,ttipo i'm onlv one sixth OF The calltal
Stock diyid, d the profits, all the money in
vested being borrowed at per cent, and
for one-haIf Of which lie was responsible
The witness thought he had taken out oi
the concern about 81 100. As to the Stand-
ing Rock leadership, he was joined by JOS
Layton. The witness was hall partner,
though he never put in anything 80, ,OOo
was invested there, but tho contract never
really went into effect. lie was not Only
required not to furnish capital, but not re-
duired TO go out TO attend to any business.
The witness assisted George ". Felt at
White Earth in procuring a post but he
never received any consideration for it.
Felt told him he would give him an inter
est. but he did not want or expect 1t, as he
could not afford to take any risks. This
WAS last fall. The witness assisted man
named Conrad, of the firm of Baker u Co,
at Fort Belknap. He always felt grateful
to his brother Uhe President) for lis uflu-
ence in procuring him the Office.
IN reply 10 Il question the witness said be
had influence with the President to manage
such matters TO some extent, although he
did not always find the matters to DC profit
able. On cross examination the witness
said Bonnaffon, advanced Sf3, 600, the wit
ness borrowing of this g, 600 and Cassel.
! berry an equal amount. There had been
/ no settlement in the division of profits
! BonpaffOu was represented 20 the amount
! of $4,000. The witness said he had not
| pressed the appointment of trader on the
! attention of the President. He procured
! the offices from the commissioner Of Indian
/ affairs, after seeing the secretary Of the in
/ teIior. He 1;d not think that he put any
papers on file, and did not know whether
! the President iuterceded with the commits
/ sjoner or secretary for him. He did say to
| Philadelphia reporter that lac bad much
! influence with his brother. the President.
/ The witness thought that in his letter as to
traderships the President stated there were
/ some vacancies, because he had told him
. he would like t0 get Il trading post. lie
obtained Il leadership at Fort Berthold.
bat as his partner, Raymond. wished to fe.
main, the witness Withdrew, drawing from
Raymond about $1,000. Neither the Pres
ident nor the secretary of the interior had
the slightest knowledge of the fact OF his
receiving the money.
Nj. Grant was asked whether he knew
The fam of Basshor & Co, of Baltimore -
He replied that he did, being employed by
The firm. This had no connection with his
! Indian matters in any shape form. He
had just appeared before the naval commit.
tee aud given n history of the whole matter
| Having been asked in what capacity he was
employed by the firm lie responded. ~
solicitor in business at the rate OF $500 2
! month. He had been in their employ =
! year and a half. BasSbor & Co. we're en-
gagged in e'steam-heating business. Hi,
| sO!ictorShip was connected not only will
the government, but with private parties
lie never obtained contract from the wal
department, but obtained one from Genera
! Myers, Of the quarternIaster'S bureau. tC
the extent of only four or five hundred
dollars.