The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-29
Wealthy Corporations and Republic
can Politicians the Chief Bene-
ficiaries of the Policy.
Enough Perjury In One Case Passed
by Carter to Fill a Peni-
tentiary.
A Foreign Corporation Secures Imm unity
Through the Land Office-Haif q
Million Ties Stolen.

IHeTe mas DeeH Tecbnbiy bprunR q RreBb
deal OF journalistic balderdash, for political
effect, relative to the o-cailed liberal land
policy which was inaugurated early in 1889
by MIR. Noble, secretary OF the interior.
Thomas Fl. Carter has been eulooized by
himself and friends for his philanthr OPTICAL
achievements while dealing with the pub
lie land problem. Voters from the bay of
Duluth to the gulf of Mexico are being
daily informed of the great and beneficial
things accomplished by Mr.. Carter while
commissioner of the general land office. 1t
would appear that the commissioners sole
duty was to pass lands to patent.
Mr.. Carter, in his fulsome report to the
secretary of the interior for the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1892. refers in glowing
terms to the 'lberal and generous" land
policy in vogue for the past three years,
and with a degree of Carterian modesty (no
Port Orchard reference intsnded) he partic-
ularly dwelt upon the fact that during a
certain period (while he was com issioner)
more land business was disposed of and
more patents issued than was ever known
of during the same length Of time.
As far as the granting of patents is con-
cernsd this is true. Issuing patents pail
business was neglected to facilitate the
rushing through of patents. Registers and
receivers in the northwest know of scores
of cases in which hearings had been ordered
where patents were granted without even
revokinR the order for such hearings. In
several cases patents were issued where the
lands were held for cancellation.
In 1890 eleven persons in the Bitter Root
valley were indicted by the United States
grand jury at Helena. for the fraudulent
entry of land. Early in the spring of 1891
Thomas III. Carter was appointed commits
sioner and in less than four months there
after, and before these fraudulent entry
men could be brought into court. patents
were issued in their cases. No arrests were
made. 1t 10 perhaps we'll known that
government patent 10 rather an absolute
title TO land.
Aside from the promiscuous granting Of
patents, it was only the wealthy corpora
tions or the personal friends of Mr.. Carter
that received the benefits of this liberal
and generous" land policy. I will only cite
few of the many cases sxtant to prove
this:
On Aug. 10. 1889, the special agent in
Montana received the following worded
telegram: Report in person to me al
once. John W. Noble. Secretary of the In
terror" The agent did 80 and WAS in
struoted TO thoroughly investigate the oper-
ations of the Wyoming Development COM
pany. In 1886 the Wyoming Developments
company made final proof 30 seventy three
desert entries in Wyoming. The company
wanted patents but Commissioner Sparks,
knowing that these entries were fraudulent.
I II. Vtx thA Nr.n
again, when Commissioner Stockslager
sent an agent named Applewhite to investi-
gate. The latter reported that it ~as sim
ply big attempt at extensive land steal,
and honest Stockslager, like honest Sparks,
| refused to pass the entries to patent.
In May, 1889, Secretary Noble sent In
| spector Picker (now congressman from
South Dakota) TO investigate. 1t appeared
that the Wyoming Development company
besieged the land office again. Picker.
after spending few weeks at Cheyenne.
| returned to Washington and reported
every ything all right and strenously recon-
! mended that patents be granted. Assistant
Commissioner w. M. Stone, ONE governor
of Iowa, was extremely anxious TO grant
the patents, but Archibald Young, the
honest and efficient ehiet of the fraudulent
entry division. q. l.. O., opposed it. Judge
William w. Peck, of Cheyenne, arepubli
can who was judge of the United States
court of Wyoming, wrote 10 Secretary
Noble protesting against the granting of
the patents. He styled them "rotten
cases.
The Montana special agent learned at
Cheyenne that she Wyoming Development
company was quietly organized IN 1888.
There was no clamorous revery at its birth.
Soon after its incorporation one of the
originators named j. Nj. Weekly, slyly
went back TO his home at Carlisle, Pa, and
there inuuced sexenty-three persons IN and
about Carlisle to make desers entries for
the Development company. The land,
from eighty 10 100 miles north of Cheyenne,
had already been selected. Ths special
agent examined the land AVID found thas
water had been brought onto only three of
the sesenty-three entries. The dltehes
were not dug in 1886 when Anal proof was
made.
The special agent went to Carlisle and
obtained HnldaElss from several of these
entrymen. Ihese persons stated that they
did not enter the land tor themselves, but
III tine interest of the Deyelo ment com
pany. Not one of these Carlisle antrymen
had ever been as far west AZ the Mlssis-
sIppi. As incredible IA it may seem these
entrymen, at the time they filed on the
lands, transferred it 30 the Developments
company for different amounts ranging
from $40 to $50 per head.
How final proof was made In those seven
ty-thrse cases is something that would
stagger christian. There must have been
perjury enough III proving up TO I'LL large
sized penitentiary.
In 1889 J. Nj. Carey. She present United
States senator from Wyoming, was the
largest stockholder in the Developments
com pany. lie held 1900 of the 26.000
shares
When the special agent mSis his report
to Secretary Noble of these rank ftaudu-
lent cases, Noble said that patents to tho
land would never be- granted while he was
at the head of the interior department..
No. never!
Commissioner Croft was not liberal or
generous enough to consent - the Develop