Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-07
yosEMIrE INvEsrr,; ALTON
Major Ben c. Truman Gives Eis Answer
10 she Charges.

10 ihe Charges.
The Assembly Committee on Yosemite Valley
and Mariposa Big Trees held meeting last
night and listened TO further testimGnv on the
charges made by G. d. Robinson against the
management of Yosemite valley by the Commits
sloneIs Ihe were p estnt Chairman Rundell
and Messrs Tulloch, Gardner. Hook and Tully
Ben G. Truman, Secretary of the Commission
was the first witness called. The twenty-five
charges which be was sked to give testimony
concerning were as follows,
l. Squandering and misapply ing appropria-
tlons and public moneys.
3 Forcble breaking and entering of private
property.
8. Wanton destruction of public and private
property.
4. Cutting and destroying timber in the valley
5. Burning shrubbery, clearing aud blowing
up meadows and allowing persons to do the
same for their private gam, thereby doing
lrreparable damage to the natural beauties of
the valley.
G. Fencing ard farming out public land for
the benefit of private individuals.
z. Refusing to investigate or consider charges
of gross neglect and inconvenience and de-
struction ofproperty preferred against Guardian
s. Connivance with persons endeayoring to
secure all business privileges in Yosemite val
ley, and 10 evict other residents, and debar the
general public from just snd gal use of the
valley.
9. Neglect to prosecute persons for disfguring
and destroying natural features Of the valley in
oIen defiance OF law.
10. Holding annual meetings with closed
doors, in defiance of law.
II. Allowing contractors for the Stoneman
House to cut and mill timber within the limits
of the grant.
u. Open defiance of laws prohibiting the
granting of exclusive privileges.
13. Reduction OF rentals to the prejudice of
the States income.
Il. Making Illegal and arbitrary contracts with
laborers, and withholding their wages.
10. Refusal to recognize their own contracts,
and to pay balances due on the same.
SnnnrpgSinO from pit INC
facts concerning the acceptance OF the Stoneman
House by the Board. and illegally leasing the
hotel.
II. Cutting wood ON the grant and selling it
to residents of the valley, thereby destroying
the natural park timber, in defiance of their
own rules and regulations, and in violation of
law.
Is. Official sanction and approval of return
to the vicious toll system OF former years abol-
ished with great difficulty and at considerable
expense by the Legislature.
10. Eviction of law abiding and useful fami-
lies in aid of monopoly enterprises. thereby
destroying the district school of Yosemite.
20 Gross neglect of public roads and trails
within the grant.
81 Employment of safe labor upon work for
private parties.
y. General failure and incompetence of the
6oard to properly manage the Yosemite valley
for the interest of the State OF CALIFORNIA; in ac-
cordance with the conditions imposed by the
United States, for the comfort and convenience
of visitors from abroad, or for the welfare of
Major Truman answered these charges as fol-
lows:
l. This is not true-so far as can go back
with my connection with the Commission
Nothing, however, could make me believe that
the Commission would be guilty of such gross
perfdy and outrageous conduct.
2. No such thing has occurred since my CON
nection with the Commission.
8. This charge is UNANIMOUSLY and absurdly
false.
4. There has been judicious cutting of trees,
n nh sc rnrl1ie
5. Burning shrubbery cleaning and plowing
and other work of a like character has been
carried on, more or less, for the purposes OF
preservation and improvement, but not to i'm
pair the beauties of the valley; do not believe
that such things have been done for the private
gain OF anyone.
6; Dol not know of any such thing and do not
believe ii at all.
:. This charge ansedates my appointment as
Commissioner.
s. Am positive that no such thing has taken