The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-06-12
WHAT TH1 a1AN1'saAY.
interview Showing tho osuzss.of ths'1ad
FailupA.

'What is your opinion Of Mr.. James D. Fish's
statement regarding letters, which passed be-
tween the general and himself relating to .gov-
eminent contracts?'" asked . reporter of Col
Fred Grant. ~ SIS ~
sInever heard of such letters before saw
Mr. Fish's statement, "a
elias the general?'p =. - -, /
Gas to that Icannot sayis 1 know one thing.
however, and that; is that father is almost
broken down by the assertions made BY MI.
Fish. This has come upon him like thun-
derclap, and it finds him as much unprepared
as when the crash came He was so stunned
ty the statement printed that it has almost
'Is it not true then that the general was in
terested in Wards colossal government con-
tracts and derived a colossal income from pro-
fits thus obtained!"
''No, sir; that is, father assures me that he
was never so Interested"
"No, sir" schimed in Jesse as he knocked
the ashes from . fragrant Havana and twirled
a nifty bamboo. 81 guess the reputation of my
father for veracity will bear an exceedingly
favorable comparison with that of Mr.. Fish
among all right-minded and unprejudiced peo-
pie. When he says that he was not interested
in this government contract business say he
wasn't His word is al want, and think it
enough to satisfy ALL You remember, as it has
already been said, that when father ascertained
that Ward had been trading on his name in his
alleged government contracts, he became OK
ceedinely enraged and threatened to have moth
II further to do with him Ward assured him
that it was all mistake, ana father, suppose
took his word for it"
''Why is itthat the general seems 80 unwill-
ing to make statement Us to his side OF the
case?" asked the reporter Of the colonel. -
ha ia n
into print until he knows where he stands
Whom Ward aud Fish and the rest Of them
have tired themselves with making afidavits
and statements for the newspapers then pos
sibly father may DO induced to fire boradside
I AM confident that the public believes general
ly that father is innocent of all wrong, in this
matter, and that he would not permit his
name to be used to secure business for firm
of which he is partner from this govern
ment'"
APROBABLE EXPLANATION.
An intimate friend of the Grant family said
that he had just spoken with Col. Fred Grant
He had in confidence informed him that the few
dollars in his pocket was all he possessed in
Gas to those photographed letters about
which there has been 50 much talk, [ cannot
quite understand. The only solution can see
to tho problem is that some time ago the gener-
ais correspondence assumed such large pro-
PoA oioAi' tA"o AIo was SohApoAA0NA w oiPAoy. ~
young fellow as a private secretary. Whenin-
vitatons to soldiers reunions, BALI, etc, etc;
were showercd upon him he would simply tell
the secretary to mark upon the envelope two
or three words of acceptance, or more frequent,
~ regret, and leave : the , 1rsrest
ing everything connected with his business to
his sons Ward or Fish, he came to think that
he must leave everything to their Judgment
Therefore when letters were addressed to him
BY either Of tile latter, ne simply. ordered his
clerk to reply to them, giving in substance only
what he wished to say. The scribe would en-
large upon what he said at will, and all entire
ly different impression Of what He had really
said could be conveyed by the lottor when
posted. Then, too the general being no contid-
ing a man, could BIO induced by such a keen
trickstcr as Ward to put his name to docu-
ments of the true import of which he had but
little idea | blame both the general and his
fer the ess
Ward and Fish AS to whore these auto
graph Or Photographic letters are | am unable
to say. never knew of their existence until
recently"