The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-05
Surveyor General Eaton's Style OF
Dressing Vouched for by
Capt. Swiggett
The Register Of the Helena Land
Office on the Prevailing
Agitation.
He Don't Know tho Writers, but He
Guesses at the Authors OF Certain
Letters to Washington.

II attribute this whole fight 10 the fact
that some attorneys cannot have their own
way in pushing imperfect applications
through" said Capt. s. A. Swiaaett. reRis-
tor OF the Helsna land Office, yesterday, re-
fsrring to recent publications in The lsDE-
PENDENT. ''Besides, u. r. Burton told me in
front of ths motor Office on the last night
OF tho mining congress- that Frank Sterling
was after my place. Sterling was an
applicant for the place at the time
il was given to me, and had the
backing of most everyone in town. The
two senators and the member of the
house being all from Helena, 1t was thought
best not to recommend q Helena man for
tho place. They recommended me. / was
working in hole in the ground ont there
in Jefferson county at the time. After my
appointment Sterling came to me and in
formed me that he had no hard feeling
against me on the matter, and offered to
give me any assistance in his power.
/ preferred. however. to consult s..
W. Langhorne. who had just gone
out of the office. This may have
had something to do with SterlinR's feelings
toward me. As far back A. March last
John w. Eddy began running around with
a petition to have the register and receiver
removed. He couldn't make anv head
way. and 80 they began writing separate
letters. They got Surveyor General Eaton
to join in one. I have some extracts from
these letters, and though the authorship il
not given it is not hard from previous
events to locate the writer's.
;c T
who buttons his cuffs and collars onto his
shirt and ties his necktie, and then pnlli
his shirt on over his head. How can it be
expected that u man with head like that
can have any influence? I'll read you
what he said 1t is not my purpose to pre-
fer specific charges against these officers
but to inform You that there are almost
constantly broils, contentious Of serious
nature and disturbances going ON and tax
ing place in that office (until it has become
publio). and. in short. the Office al
conducted il disgrace to the United
States government and the present admins
tration. Both of these officers are disoour-
teous. quarrelsome. overbearinR. positively
insulting, Contentious End incompetent
both BY nature and education. and thor
| oughly unfit to hold any public Office. am
| we'll aware that this is plain and positive
language. nevertheless trne, and can be cor
roborated by nearly all who transact busi-
ness at that office, especially BY the attor-
neye.'
''Another complaint was shat when ad-
vised in . very courteous manner that Ger.
tain action We proposed to take was not in
accordance with the decisions of the score
tary of the interior and the general land
Office, we disposed of the objection BY ad-
MI nj ho - in hoIA iuanlaNt and 6io-
courteous manner, using substantially this
language: We don't give damn what the
surveyor general says, or the commissioner
| of the general land office. or the secretary Of
the interior for that matter. We are run
ming this land Office, and the Same power
that appointed them appoints us.'
Now that complaint undoubtedly came
from Sterling, as the one quoted
before it came from Eaton. The
circumstance was this: Sterling
brought in an application for patent
to piece OF land. On examining it VI
found that lode claim ran right through
it and had been patented. There were
other conflicts, 40 We told Sterling he would
| have to have new survey made. He told
| 10 We had no business to 60 behind the sur
veyor general, or to order that officer tC
| make q new survey. We weren't ordering
| the surveyor general to mako new survey.
nor did We care whether he did or not. Bu,
We knew tN6t AI VIC h0ub buc papotb III WAtu'
| out 1t, the general land office would return
| them to have a new survey made and prob
ably censurs our Office for putting them te
that trouble by not having the records
properly made before. may have used
some strong language while expressing my
| self to Sterling. and very likely did. Fol
| this they accused MS of trying to usurp tn,
authority Of the surveyor general. Th'
survey made in his office took no note o
the conflicting claims.
| II think the whole situation is under
stood in Washington. and that the kicker