St. Paul daily globe., 1891-08-13
Young Harrison Will Not Eas-
lily Gust the Inspector Of
Steamboats,.
Mr. Sloan Will Not Toady to
Politicians in Making Ap-
pointments.
An Insane Man Illegally In
eapcerated in Steele Coun-
ty Poorhouse.
Retail Clerks on the Eve of
a Vigorous Early-Closing
Agitation. ~

The ftiends of John D. Sloan, super
vising inspector of steam vessels, are
very numerous and are influential. They
seem united in their determination to
see him out in his set-to with Gen. Du-
mont, and will make the investigation
instituted by Russell Harrison and Gen.
DumOnt quite interesting. Mr.. Sloan
will not say word about the matter,
but his friends in this city say consider
able. They all maintain that Mr.. Sloan
is the most efficient official that has
filled this position for years; that he has
attended strictly to business and to i'm
proving the standard of the service. They
say his disposition to keep the office out
of political interference has diSpleased
the politicians, and his rigid Way of
wedding out incompetents and inspect
ing vessels has angered the incapable
men who failed in passing eXamlna-
tiOnS and inspections. The disappointed
politicians and the incenSed river men
would like to have Mr.. Sloan decapi-
tated. Judge Shiras, who was on the
commission that selected the Dubuque
board, was satisfied at the time that the
nominations of Knapp and Yeager by
Mr.. Sloan were good ones, and he re-
fused to lend hand to the appointment
of others suggested by political in
tiuence. Judge Shiras was in the city
yesterday and expressed himself to the
effect that he believed IN the integrity
of Mr.. Sloan. A number of govern
ment officials have freely said that Mr..
Sloan will come out of the inveStiga-
ton with credit.
Captaid David Floyd, of the United
States army, knows some things about
the history of the charges preferred by
Gen. DumOnt, and expressed himself
to the effect that Mr.. Sloan will be hon
Orably acquitted on investigation. Mr..
Sloan is a competent mechanic.
In speaking Of the inspection of the
steamer Zillah. on Yellowstone lake,
Capt. Floyd said the lake is one that
drops down between the bluffs and is
from $50 TO 700 feet deep. liza vessel
sinks in it there would be no hope of
saving anything, and vessel upon it
ought to be a good one. The Zillah
was taken in sections from Lake
Minnetonka and shipped TO Yellowstone
lake. a blower was attached to it
by Capt Barr. who is only a pilot and
not an engineer. Tne TACT that Mr..
Sloan could not see his way clear to
license the boat until improvements
were made in the way mentioned III his
correspondence with Gen. Dument is to
his credit. Capt E. E. Waters. the
owner of the boat, was at one time in
tereSted in hotel and other enterprises
at the lake, but was left out of the SYM
dicate that operates in connection with
the Northern Pacific there, and he has
no interests there but his boat Capt
Waters has considerable influence
among number of Washington city
politicians, and he doubtless started in
to secure Mr.. Sl0an's scalp. Capt. Floyd
commented upon the failure of Capt.
Waters to send Mr.. Sloan tranSporta-
ton to inspect the boat and the course
pursued in reference to the inspection
and the failure of the boat to come up
to regulations. The whole coarse of
his discussion was in favor OF the COM.
plete eXoneration of Mr.. Sloan and in
dicating that he believed that the effort
OF Capt. Waters 10 OuSt him would have
a tendency TO show the value and COM
petence to the supervising inspector.