, 1885-12-12

RhAOhih was 81 hANuliiihf u NIlNilittil
would be issued to the contractor, VIII,
would then be authorized to proceed anC
make the survey, locating the lant
himself) and not only this, but holdiny
the certificate, which was ~assignable, h,
could get his money upon it at his option
The way in which the fraud was per
petrated upon the government, however
was in the manner the work would b,
done; and instead of an honest and faith.
full survey, it would in some cases be
sighted. To state the matter in a nut,
shell, under this legislature an original
contractor could get (f he went into the
business on an extensive scale) $50, 900,
or perhaps more, for less than $40, O0O
worth of work.
John A. Benson was the great scrip
contractor of the far West, and by
means and methods which need not be
discussed here, but upon which point
some prominent Republican ex- officials
could perhaps throw some light, he OBJ
tanned the lions share of this kind
of work west of the Rock Noun
tains, and of course sub-lct his work to
various contract surveyors, of whom G..
w. Brown was one, who not only took
but faithfully fulfilled a large contract.
Congress, however, soon repealed this
pernicious act under which so many frauds
had been perpetrated, and that
left certain original contractors in
a very bad plight. This collapse
Of the scrip survey business,
which occurred about a year and a half
ago, left matters in bad shape 50 far as G..
w. Brown was concerned, that his claim
for services, etc. amounting to $4,000,
could only be collected by him from
Benson, who in the meantime had made
an assignment. Brown proved his claim
against Benson, and some months &
they submitted the matter to a board of
arbitrator, and that board eventually
made an award in favor OF Brown for
$27, 900, being half the amount of his
claim.
1t was only a few days ago that c. W.
Brown left Cheyenne for San Francisco,
where Benson has been all this time,
(although he has frequently been in
Cheyenne and is pretty well known here
and where the award was made. When
Brown arrived there he found that Ben
son was unable to pay a single dollar Of
the claim.
The foregoing explains the situation,
and it Is easy to see how the two could
have met ia a deadly encounter.
c. w. Brown, or Charlie Brown" as
he was Familiarity called in Cheyenne, was
a young man about 80 years of age and
has always borne a most excellent reputa-
ton since he has resided here. His
father, A L. Brown. came to Cheyenne
about ten years ago, bringing his family
with him from Plattsmouth, Neb., and
since his residence here Mr.. Brown, the
elder has been for eight years chief clerk
in the surveyor generals Office. Very
soon after young Brown came to Chey-
| enne he engaged in the surveying bust
ness, but not at first to any great extent.
Subsequently, however, Charlie began to
take contracts and eventually became one
of the leading contractors at this point so
far as government surveying was concern
ed. Young Brown was a good surveyor,
and this fact very soon became known,
which in addition to thelfurther fact that he
was Justly considered as one OF Cheyenne's
most honorable, upright aud exemplary
young men soon made him very popu-
lar. In 1880 he was nominated
by the Republican county convention as
their candidate for county surveyor.
Brown published Il card declining the
nomination, but notwithstanding hat
fact he came very near being elected. In
1882 he was again nominated and elected
county surveyor, in which capacity he
gave universal satisfaction, but after serv-
ing one year he rendered his resignation
70 tne Doaru OIL county connnlsslone's'
which the board, however, declined to
accept, out subsequently II was arranged
that H. a Roy the present county sur
yeyor' should oilelate as MT brown
deputy, which he did until the
close OF the term During the
last four years Brown has been
.
quite extensively engaged IN surveying IN
other portions OF the far west and mad
also engaged in the same business IN Nyo'
ming. Last year and also IN 1883 he
had contracts which called him to Arizona
and California. and although CHEYENNE
ohN NH