Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-07-10
INDIAN REUBEU AND THE NEE
PERCE6.

and Montana Transportation Co was IL
corporated with several persons names as
incorporators among whom was Chas +,
Monteith, the present Indian Agent at
Lapwai. He was then doing bushes
Id this city and had no connection with
the agency and no expectation Of being
appointed Indian Agent. Mr. Warner
was then Indian Agent. The incorpor-
ators, among themselves, raised someth him,
near $4,000 for the purpose Of employ.
isg party Of surveyors to examine the
Bitter Root range Of mountains to de-
termine the practicability Of a ra,lro' d
pass through that range Of mountn Ms
from the Clearwater river into the Bitter
Root Valley and determine the altitude
Of the pass and the grades leading to it.
Mr.. Monteith, as one of the incorporates
anl contributed his portion to that fund
The examination and survey was mad
and this question was determined and set
tied long before Mr.. Monteith was ap-
pointed Indian Agent The compan'
shen,' through Mr.. Warner as Agent,
applied to the Government for right
of.way through the Neg Perez reservation
to Lewiston and to Mr.. Warner the an
swer was made that the company could
make the survey across the reservatio,
with the consent Of the leading Indians
Of the tribe and report said survey to the
Government to have the conditions for q
right-of-way for the road determined. Mr..
Warner called a council Of the leading
Indians who, by majority, would not
give their consent. After Mr.. Monteith
became Agent upon the resignation Of
Mr.. Warner he was asked, by the COM
pany to call another council, it being un-
derstood that the Indians had changed
their minds and with the permission Of the
department he did call another council.
The Indians again refused their consent
but not by 80 large majority and the
company were cstopped from making any
further attempts to survey line Of the
road across the reservation. 1t was
charged in letter to the department
signed by James Moses, an Indian, that
Mr.. Monteith was using his influence us
Agent to induce the Indians to grant
this right-ofway and that in so doing he
was violating his duty as Indian Agent
for his own ACCOMPLISHMENT and profit. At
the council, in which this question was
brought, Mr. Mouteith distinctly stated
10 al the Indians present that he wanted
each TO act from his own FREQ will and
70 speak upon the subject freely and fully
without bias from him or anyone else
and they did 80 aud the report Of what
they said in council was fully written
down and transmitted to the department
together with the vote Of the Indians
upon that question. No man could have
been more fair and impartial as between
tho Indians and the company than was
Mr.. Monteith on the occasion of that
council james Reuben was suspected
Of being one Of instigators Of that Moses
letter, If not the writer. Moses ackuowl.
edged that he did not write the letter al
though he caused it to be sent. The
letter caused the department to send an
inspector here to examine into the matter
and report the facts. He came and told
the Indians, Moses ard Reuben, to present
what evidences they had Of Mr.. Mon
tieth's undue influence used at the coun.
Gil but they were not able to prove the
facts which had been asserted in that
letter and the Inspector exonerated the
Agent from all blame in the matter. We
learn that james Reuben, on his visit to
the East, was asked why those charges
against the Agent had been preferred and
he replied that Mr. Monteith was a stock.
holder in that company and that as such
it was not his place to call up the qucs
ton and As evidence Of the truth of what
he said he produced copy Of the TELLER
to show that Montei,h was a stock holder.
Now We venture the assertion that Meth.
er James Reuben nor any one else can
show BY the TELLER that Chas. Monteith
was ever q stakeholder in the Idaho.
Clearwater and Montana Transportation
20. He was one Of the persons named
as incorporators aud did pay his proper
t'on Of the expense of investigating the
Clearwater Pass, and all this was months
before he was made Indian Agent, he has
paid nothing since nor acted in any ca.
pac'ty as member of that company. In
fact there never has been stock book
OF the company opened aud no stock was
ever subscribed or paid in. The rcfus- |