The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-02
oBscIRE IIIsToRIcAL sTogIEs.
Did santa Ansla sell Out At Baens ytsta1
The Purchase OF AfsakA.
sxsatf3saAesntfa Eewz

Did santa Ansa SELL 0ut At Baens ytstag
The Purchase ef AIsska.
Indianapolis Sew&
Many events Of historical importance are
never accepted Is entirely settled There
are always set afiSat u connection wiki
every great transaction stories that are not
fully authenticated either By the records or
~ witnesses, and Jet which, iE the absence
Of FsEutasson. keep coming 70 the front IS
facts. The tive cited are 81 this class.
A gentleman Of standing in the state was
Sc one Of the hotels today, ueaitating on q
cnrisns and apparently vel authenticated
story that bad come to ais ears. He had
Hot been granted the privilege Of disclosing
names, but be knew the REALTORS to be per
sons Of character They had said 10 bin:
Recently there died in Kentucky man
who knew al The details ok remarkable
transaction, IN which Zach Taylor. general
Of the United States troops az Buena Nisss,
and santa Anna, commander OF the Next
Cans, we're the participants. 1t viii De re-
mefnbered that santa Anna had q very SUI
peFior force. and that the American troops
were almost hopeless Of victory. However.
the Mexicans retreated and the Americans
were lelt ia possession Of the field Now.
General Taylor had been placed IN posses
sion Of 3 large amount OF government
money for secret service work. When be
found that santa Anna was willing 70 be
defeated for q consideration, General Tay-
lor paid him part Of this secrel money. and
the one-iegged Mexican Fetreated without
sufficient visible cause"
Another story of the same kind, plausi-
bic yet improbable, relates 10 the purchase
Of Alaska from Russia. A gentleman OF
this city has facts upon which he bases
this aforementioned unheard of before:
II viii be remembered that there was. or
was believed TO be, an arrangement By
which Russian feet took up station on
the American coast during the late rebeli-
ion. Il can he shown that the use of the
feet was negotiated by Secretary Seward.
An option MAS procured and the feet was
held Tor some time. An expected crisis
did not arrive, and the Federal govern
ment had no use for the feet Afterward,
when il come 70 paying for the option. the
government foand itself somewhat embar-
raised, bat 4 way out oil the difficulty
was found. The administration bad
pledged itself 10 pay the option. but when
Russia demanded the money the govern
ment had not the temerity to admit that
it had contracted the debt for the purpose
specified. Russia was willing 10 part with
Alaska for song and as the sale was be-
ing negotiated the amount was increased
somewhat. and the United States govern
ment, in paying for AIaska--which Russia
held al no value--pSid also the debt ii had
contracted for the feet transaction. The
latter was not mentioned. because the
Alaska purchase Was made Tor so small a
SUM that no explanation was required.
However, there were those at the time who
thought that the government had paid
enormously for a barren and worthless
piece OF territory. 1t has since proven 10
have been desirable purchase