The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-03
CLOSE POLITICAL FRIENDS
How Brother Jack Got Them Inter-
ested in Port Orchard
Deal.
Brother VI They Must Be
Taken y. ~ Ground
F'l~
why Some Loading Repubs cans Are
Watching the Distribution of Res
publican Money Closely.

Helena for the past two weeks in the hope
of getting an inte view with Jack" Carter,
Il. IL. Cartsr's brother, have about given it
up in disgust. jack has been in town
during that time, but he has gotten around
so quietly that before those who are most
anxious to see him we're aware he was In
town he had gone. IL may be Asked-why
are these people 30 anxious to see the
brother Of the republican national COM
mitteeman? John Potter. DIR. Treacy or
Morris BANDS could answer that question,
but the probability is they will not just at
this time. at least publicly, though among
party friendS they are not averse to telling
why thew want to see Il. j. Carter, famil-
iarly known as Jack" to the tune of about
$4,000. For several months the papers of
Montana have contained references to
"Polt O. ehard." At first but few people
knew what 1t meant, but after a time the
story leaked out, and this is how the victims
tell il. In December. 1890, Thomas IL. Car
| ter was member of congress. At that
time Jack went out to Washington state
and met Nelson Bennett the we'll known
| railroad contractor. Carter told Bennett
that he had some inside information on the
final selection of Port Orchard as site for
the dry dock the government was going to
establish on Puget sound, and told Bennett
| he wanted him to go in with him on land
scheme in the vicinity of the proposed dry
dock. Previous to this. however, Jack had
secured an option on about seventy-seven
acres of land. Helena men in the deal.
who have looked up the affair, say Carter
secured two t acts of land-one of. seve nty-
seven acres and the other of forty-three
acres. The original cost Of the tract they
s y, was about $6. 600. There were several
transfers within day or two as the
records show. and in the last one the
consideration was something like $2l, ,ooo
But to return to Bennett He finally took
a one-twentieth interest paying $3.50 for it,
Carter then returned to Montana. John
Potter and Chas. Snediker had already
gone into the Port Orchard scheme 10 the
extent of $2,5O0. With Bennett. Potter
and @nediker erasanuoleus Curter then began
the work of selling interests In the 70 D
O chard lsnd site- Ana Just here IL where
the Helena men allege they became victims
and not spectators. The, allege that Jack
showed them letter written ON letter
head of the national house OF representa-
tivos from his brother, Thoa. III. Carte, in
which the following sentence appeared:
The Port o chard dry dock is an assured
thing. See our close olitical friends and
let them in on the ound floor This the
Helena investors say was u bait, but now
they did nbols. The following list of
'.close political friends who were ''let in
on the ound floor will show that Brother
, Jack knew just where Brother TOMS olos-
est friends we're located. First comes the
United States district alto ney. Il. d. Weed.
who went in to the tune OF $l,0OO;
Su veyor General Geo. o. Eaton. a like
amount: Presidential EIeotor L. M. Malone.
the same; J. r. Wooman, ditto; 7. A. Gun,
mings collector of tue po at Fort Benton
and A. G. johnson divided up another
thousa nd-dolar interest; D.. Treacy tried
it fol thousand himself; M. Coleman, Of
Deer lodge did the same; Nor is Sanda
managed to get in the pool also as did
M osss Morris and Or. Mussigbrod, OF
) Warm Springs. The latter says he broke
in. He heard of the Port o. chard scheme,
and he says he wrote to Jack, telling him
what good friend he was OF Brothe'
TOMS and asking if he could not have a
slice Of the Port Orchard pie. Brother
Jack kindly gave him bite and drew on
! him for a thousand. The only democrat,
) SO far as known. whom Jack gave chance
was John Worth. The deal was kept awful
I ella, sed that whispers of the for
! tunes the gentlemen named were goinf
) to make through Brother Toms friend.
I ship for th"m got ont. But somehow ol
{ other the fortunes did not come and last
( February the "close political friends" be-
gan 10 Icll uneasy, mo ouS hhS" Sch-
} tainly who else was in the scheme. anc
I every once in while new claimant for {
twentieth or a thirteenth would show up
81 Brother Jack was baskinQ liz the sunshine
: on the Island of Demerara and the Mon
} tanians say they began to smell mice.
I After a deal of trouble a meeting was helt
( in Mr. Weeds Office and notes wore com
{ posed and the "close political friends" be
) came convinced they had besn played
} The federal officeholders gave it MS thei
; opinion that Brother Tom was not to blame
} but the gentlemen outside the breastwor ks
! who could not get even by calling tn
I money put into Port Orchard campaigl
contribution. declared that Brother Ton
b. other Jack was in the mud
! that if it had not beel
for Brother Toms letter Brother Jack
I would not have caught them. 1t developed
{ at this first meeting that SO far the mem
) bers of the sy Indicate had no title to an
I Port Orchard land and it was determ
I to correspond with the county officials an
see how the matter stood. This was done
( with the result that it wGs found that tn
taxes on the land the pool believed it owne
J had not been paid and that there wer
( about S., 200 ia claims for surveys and ma
I piled up against it. 1t was also discovers
5 that instead Of beng lot in on the "Rroun
} floor" the "close nolitieal friends" ha
J contributed about $4,000 to the exeheque
= Of Brother Jack and his partnera. Thi
meeting was held last February or Marot
Then Jack was written to, but he did nc
answer satisfactorily. Later in the seasol
Brother Jack came to Helena. meetin
was arranged with him ut Mr.. Weeds otio
Mt IL a. M. Oh certain mo ming. A
the appointed time the gentlemen who Ca
themselves victims were on HAND, bn
Brother Jack did not appear. Ii was di.
covered that he had loft Helena the even
ing before-called away suddenly. The
the Port Orchard speculatots swore to hRy
revenge, even il they could not get the
money. subscription paper was starte
and John Potter WIS made the collecto
Every mnn who said he had an interest i
Brother Jacks scheme was called upon I
subscribe $25 to pay the OK lenses of NJ
Potter to Washington state to see whG
could be done about the matter. Some wei
for using tho money collected in employin
lawyer and oriminally prosecuting Broth,
Jack and his partners, while others wants
to turn the case over to the county attol
ney. Tho federal Office holders in the deH
however. advised against the two latt,
augReetiona.
Mr.. Potter collected several hundred do
lars but no has not gone to WsshinRto
yet. ile was ready TO 20 when Broth,
Tom was made chairman of the nation
republican committee. Then the word WI
tpassed around that ID would not be goo