Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-06

I
The ,tctt1l expenditures at TIE department
| ior the fiscal year ended June 81 1888 amounted
70 l65.le' 90. OF which sum g 49, 5l663 was eX
peteed cor puoilc works, including river and har-
/ Tor improvements
The board of ordnance and Notifications pro
! NlGed Tor under the act approved September s2d
! last was convened October So 1888 and plans and
! specifications tor procuring forgingS for eight,
ten and u inch guns under provision of section &
and also Tor procuring twelve inch breach loading
| mortars. cast iron, hoped with STEEL under the
! provisions of section of the said act were sub
nntted 10 the secretary of war for reference to
| same date.
These plans and specifications having been
| promptly approved by the board and by the sec
rotary OF war, the necessary authority to publish
] advertisements, inviting proposals, in the news
papers throughout the country was granted by
18th the advertisements were sent out to the diff
| ferent newspapers designated. The bids for the
! steel forging are to be opened on December GOTH
| 1883, and for the mortarS on December 18th, 1888
| A board of ordnance officers was convened at the
Naterviet Arsenal on october 4th 1888, to prepare
| the necessary plans and specifications for the
| establishment of army gun factory at that
point. The preliminary report of this board. with
estimates for ship building and officers quarters,
was approved by the board of ordnance and forti-
| hcatlons, numbers six and eight. The specifica-
! tons and form of advertisement and instructions
to bidders have been prepared, and advertisements
| inviting proposals for the excavation for the
| ship building and for erecting the two sets of
| officers, quarters, have been published, The
| detailed drawings and specifications for
| the gun factory buildings are well in hand and
will be finished within three orfour months, when
bids will be invited for the erection of the build
ing. The list of machines, ETC., is made out, and
it is expected that the plans for the large latheS,
ETC., will be completed within about four months,
fertilization, bids for furnishing the same will be
invited. The machines and other fixtures viii be
completed as soon as the shop is in readiness to
receive them, probably about 1890. Under the
provisions of the army bill for the procurement
OF pneumatic dynamite guns the necessary speci-
fcations are now being prepared, and advertise
mentS for proposals will be issued early in Deem
Der. The guns will probhbly be of fifteen inches
callbre, and fire q projectile that will carry q
charge each of about 500 pounds of explosive
gelatlne, with full caibre projectileS; the guns
will probably be delivered in from six to ten
months from the date of the contract, that
all the guns of this class that be
procured under the provisions of the law viii be
purchased during the year 1889. / earnestly re-
quest that the recommendations contained in the
secretarys report, all of which are, my opinion,
calculated to increase the usefulness and disci-
pine of the army, may receive the consideration
OF the congress, among these, the proposal that
there should be provided plan for the examina-
ton of officers to test their fitness for promotion
is of the utmost importance; this reform has been
before recommendation the reports of the secretary
and its expediency is fully demonstrated by the
argument represented in its favor that its adoption
should no longer be neglected.
The death of General Sheridan IN August last
was national affiictiOn. The army then lost its
greatest of chiefs The country lost q brave and
experienced soldier, wise and discreet counselor
and a modest and sensible man. Those who in
any manner came within the range of his personal
association will never fail to pay deserved and
willing homage to his greatness and the glory of
his career. But they will cherish with more ten
der sensbility the loving memory of his simple
generous and conSderate nature.
The Apache Indians, whose removal from their
reservation in Arizona followed cdpulGre of those
Of their number who engaged in a bloody and
nurderous raid during part of the years 1885
and 1886, are now held as prisoners of war at
Mount Vernon barracks in the state of Alabama.
They numbered on the 31st day of October the
boys, and SO girls in all $50 persons. The COM
handing officer states that they are in good
under the circumstances. The children
as thrJ arrive at a suitable age are sent to the
Indian Schools at Carlisle and Hampton. Last
summer some charitable and kind people asked
permission to send two teachers to these Indians
for the purpose of instructing the adults as well
as such children as should be found there. Such
permission was readily granted, accommodations
were provided for the teachers, and some portions
of the building at the barracks were made available
for school purposes The great work contemplated
has been commenced and the teachers engaged are
paid by the ladies with whom the plan originated
[ am not at all in sympathy with those benevolent
but njudciOus people who are constantly insisting
that these Indians should be returned to the
Walton. Their removal was an absolute necessity.
IF the lives and property of citizens upon the
frontier to be at all regarded by the govern
ment their continued restraint at distance from
the scene of their repeated and cruel murders and
outrages is still necessary. 1t is mistaken philan-
thrOpy in every way injurious which prompts the
desire to see these savages returned to their old
haunts They are in their present location as the re-
suit Of the best Judgment of those having official
responsibility in the matter, and who are by
means lacking in kind consideration for the In
dams. A number of these prisoners have for
feited their lives to outraged law and humanity.
Experience has proved that they are dangerous
and cannot be trusted. This is true not only of
those who, on the warpath, have heretofore been
actually guilty of atrocous murder, but of their
kindred and friends, who, while they remained
comfort to those absent with bloody intent.
The prisoners should be treated kindly and kept
in restraint far from its locality of their former
reservation; they should be subjected to efforts
calculated to lead to their improvement and to
the softening of their savage and cruel instincts
but their return to their old home should be per-
sistenty resisted.
The secretary in his report gives graphic his
tory of these Indians and relates with painful
vividnesS their bloody deeds and the unhappy
failure of the government to manage them by
peaceful means. 1t will be amazing If a perusal
of this history will allow the survival of desire of
the return of these prisoners to their reservations
upon sentimental or other grounds
THE NAVY.
The report Of the secretary Of the navy demon
Etrates very intelligent management in til
important department, and diScIOSeS The most sat
sfactory progress in the work of the reconstruc-
ton of the navy made during the past year. OF
the ships in course OF construction five, viz:
The Charleston, Baltimore, Yorktown. Nesuvius
and the Petrol, have III that time been launched
and are rapidly approaching cOmplet 7u, and in
addition to the above the Philad5I puIG, the
San Francisco the Newark the Bennington, the
Concord and the Herrashoif torpedo boats, are all
under contract for delivery to the department
| during the next year. The progress already
made and being made gives good ground for the
expectation that these eleven vessels will be in
cOrporated as part of the American navy within
the next twelve months.
The report shows that notwithstanding the
large expenditure for new construction and the
additional labor they involve the total ordinary
current expenditure of the department for the
three years ending June 30, 1888, are less by
more than twenty per cent. Than such eXpendl-
lures for the three years ending June 30 1884.
The various steps which have been taken to i'm
prove the business methods of the business de-
partment are reviewed by the secretary. The
purchasing of supplies has been consolidated and
placed under responsible bureau heads This
has resulted in the curtanent of open purchases,
which in the years 1884 and 1885 amounted to
over so per cent. of all purchases Of the depart
nent, no less than II per cent So at the present
time about SO per cent of the total departmental
purchases are made by contract and after COM
petition as the expenditures of the account eX-
ceed an average of 81, 0000 600 annually it is evil
dent that an important improvement in the sys-
lem has been inaugurated and substantial re-
economies introduced.
POSTAL DEPARTMENT.
The report of the postmaster general shows a
marked increase of business in every branch OF
| the postal service. The number of poStofices on
July TO- 1888, was 1896 an increase of 9, 124 IN
three years, and of 2,2I9 for the last fiscal year
The latte. mentioned increase Is classified as fol-
| lor16c of Ia