Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-05-16
The Dakota Delegation Displeased
with the Reported River and
HarbOr Bill
1t Gives $1,000 900 for the Improve
ment of the Missouri River
Below Sioux City,
But Not One Cent for the Riyer Above
Sioux City, Where most
Needed.
About One Hundred Houses, Princi.
pally Belonging to LabUring
Men. Demolished,
He tainted With Joy.

He tainted With Joy.
WASHINGTON, May 10.-A most curious
incident, illustrative of the delay in cor
recting official mistakes in the depart
ments at Washington, has just come to
light as a sequence of the passage of the
bill placing John @. Fremont upon the
retired list of the army with the rank of
major general. The first republican can
didate for the presidency, is a most pic
turesque patriarch, seventy one years
old and has been for years in circum-
stances: if not of actual poverty, at least
Strengthened. In 1848, when a ~lieuten-
ant in the army, he seized and held with
an iron grip the region which is now the
state of California, and no one denies
that the nation is indebted to him for
that gilded member of the sisterhood.
While engaged in that service Lieut..
Fremont's accounts with the government
we're left in such a state that he
has always been regarded as
an official debtor to the government
to the amount of $4,000, and it has
been one of the chief SORROWS of Gen.
Frement's later years that he was unable
to square this balance against him, the
record of which was in the Office of the
third auditor of the treasury. The other
day Gen. Fremont called at the office of
Second Comptroller Gilkerson, of the
treasury, whose business it would be to
pass upon the balance against him. The
old man in trembling tones stated to Col.
Gilkerson that his financial circumstan-
ces are such that if his salary as retired
major general we're retained to meet this
alleged shortage, he would be for some
time in actual want. At his request the
second comptroller Investigated the &C.
counts, and greatly to his surprise, dis
covered that instead of Gen. Fremont be-
ing debtor to the United States, the gov
eminent actually owed him for over
forty years $4,000. The records were
perfectly clear, and it was proven beyond
dispute that through a mistake in book
keeping Lieutenant Fremont had been
charged with $4,000, for which sum a
voucher vac on file, and that by another
clerical error he had not been credited
with the voucher for the $21,000 which
he expended under direction of the war
department. When General Fremont
called again to ask Colonel Gilkerson
whether some arrangement might be
made to pay his supposed indebtedness
by installments he was so u~nprepared for
the glad news awaiting him that he
tainted. Yesterday a warrant for the
amount due him was made out and duly
approved and signed.
CONGRESSIONAL Do1Nas.
WASHINGTON, May 10.-The army ap-
preparation bill as it passed the senate,
contained a provision prohibiting the
sale of alcoholic liquor, beer or wine to
enlisted men in any canteen or building
or Il a garrison OF military post. That
amendment passed by q vote Of 80 to ID,
a strict party vote, the republicans favor
ing.
The senate also passed a senate bill
authorizing the secretary Of the interior
to ascertain the damages resulting to
any person who had settled upon Grow
Creek and Winnebago reservations in
South Dakota, between February q, 1886
and April II, 1885.
The senate then took up the individul
pension bills on the calendar and passed
all Of them, 1876 in number, in half an
number.
THE DAKOTAS SIGHTED.
WASHINGTON, May 1O.-Delegations
from North and South Dakota and Mon
tana are not pleased with the river and
harbor bill reported to the house. II
don't care if it is defeated when
it is brought up" said Senator
Pettigrew of South Dakota, en-
phatically to day. "The Q states have
not been treated at all fairly" he added;
las for instance, North and South Dakota
and Montana asked $75O,OOO for needed
improvements in Montana about Sioux
City, the commissioners did not report
one solitary cent. Below Sioux City
100000 is given. This money is net
needed there, as q net work of railroads
give plenty of competition in freight
rates below Sioux City. Then, too, the
river cannot be improved there with
cess. We did not ask for any unreason-
able sum and we need what competition
the river transportation would give us.
It's all right, however, congress hardly
realizes yet; the four new ~seates, before
many sessions roll around, it will be
shown that we were in it with votes. Yes
they will need our votes before this $685.
sion is over"
Howard B. Crosse, of Vermillion, pres.
ident OF the South Dakota university,
arrived at Washington to-day. He is
here to confer with the Indian commits
sioner and the South Dakota senators to
secure IN order to have Indian scholars
OF the higher grade OF that state sent to
Vermillion university. The request will
probably be granted.
G. 8. Robinson has been appointed