The morning call., 1892-02-20
POSTOFFICE SITE.
The Treasury Department In
VeStigating 1t.
Special Agent C. H Gibson Looking After
Frauds He Invites the Active Co.
Operation of the People.

c. II. Gibson, a special agent of the Treas
ury Department, is staying at the Baldwin
Hotel. lie has occupied a cOmmodious
suite Of apartments there since tile middle
Of November last, and has been known to
the hotel people as plain Mr.. Heritage, with
no outward occupation that they knew of.
Mr.. Gibson was incog. from the time he
first set foot here till last night, when, for
reasons that will be explained further on.
be threw away his alias and revealed the
nature Of his employment.
He is CHEEKY gentleman, OF slender
build. fair complexion, smooth almost boy
ish features, and light blonde mustache.
which gave signs Of careful trimming and
attention. Ia appearance be might be % or
50. but after a brief conversation he i'm
presses one, By his prudence. shrewdness
and fund of general information, as being
man Of large experience in affairs Of the
world ana much older than his looks de-
note.
THE AGENTS OBJECT
When a CALL reporter interviewed him
last night at his comfortable fresde Detec-
tive Harris of the United States Secret
Service was his only companion. 1t was
then that he threw off his disguise aud an
nOunCed the purpose of his visit.
L have been here" he said, ito lnvesti-
gate the alleged frauds in the selection Of
your POstOffice Site and 10 protect my Sc
cret had. OF course, TO 90 under an assumed
name, ! have been working asslduOuSly
for the past three months, endeaV0riDg TO
ac Cumulate facts and figures to lay before
the Government at Washington. During
the greater part of the time | have heard
your merchants and even the press charge
INIT 1 bn w In NJ an z
protect the public in this matter; hut let me
tell you that the Treasury has all the time
been examining into it with far more care
than you can possibly imagine.
was all alone in my inquiry until
fortnight { 60, when, in answer TO my call
for assistance. Mr.. Harris was associated
with me. Now we have about completed
our inquiry and we desire the public TO
learn that for the next few days We want
every enc who knows of anv fraud in the
selection, whether with The Commissioners
/ who close it. or the owners who wish 10
sell il, 10 give Us their statement
OLD TIMERS WANTED,
"If there is any one in San Francisco who
| remembers the land when 1t was q quag-
| niiTe or a sand dune, We want him TO say SO.
! Ii there are others who know the value of
! land in that location we want them TO
speak. Whether for or against the site. we
want to give the public a chance 10 20 on
record and assist the Government in arriV-
ing al q determination Of the controversy.
What we propose Is this: II you know
something that affects the value of this
property as q site for the POstoflice We
want You to put your opinion IN writing,
| make affidavit TO 1t and give lt to us. GU
| can write the statement IN your own words
| or dictate it 10 US mere. You can swear 10
/ II wherever YOU choose, but TO save all eX-
/ peu5e you can swear 10 1t before me. As l
am authorized TO administer Caths. II yOu
/ don Z wish 10 he seen ppnlUV here won cHU
mail your statement or leave II az TIE
/ CALL office to be forwarded 20 me. The
statements VIII be received in all COuf-
/ denCe and neither their contents nor the
name Of any individual will be dlvulged.
! After we receive the statements we VIII in
yestIgate them, and after those Of a Spuri-
OuS or worthless character have been
weedet out OF them, they Will be sent for
ward With our reports 10 Washington"
WHAT has BEEN DONE.
Having explained himself on this point at
considerable length, Mr Gibson gave the
reporter an idea Of the y Ork ne had ali eady
/ accomplished by showing charts Of the
I property IN question and OF the contiguous
blocks, with tie owners names, appraised
values Tor taxation purposes anu actual
values where recent sales had been made.
Other charts showed the result Of com
/ PARSONS between the price asked for the
/ selected site and what similar property
would be worth at tie actual selling prices
i'm the blocks between Fourth and FILTH,
Fifth aud sixth and sixth and Seventh
streets,
MI. GIoSoh uecljheu 70 give me .eSult OF
hlS lhIee mOLLIhS VOTE, as IL belonged
ssO-eI4 70 tHe u!FeIh!Heul nor "OuId ne
olllulale any op''-tu . 4L ms o%u d 70 tLe
TieIlt "a ue5i'Tile oI 'ue p"Pu'ai CiailoI
ne aGlIlI'eI, no"eVeI' tLat he rau IA ~, a
4Iet a. H'si &c "a =" $50 nanS ,pio
upou .7 Su9Jeet , "i-ou. 'Itii hnoMlns us
! p9lPoST, anu Idu Gl9CuSSt9 IIe matter COZ
/ sl4e'dot5 ~ me C4uoo "Iu Hot5'S, uuu nc
H9peu lu4t lsle pGop,e ln.e! io"eu M.I tdAe
/ a4N&hla-e OF tAIs iHFi.alluH 10 SIiHs hIm