Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-02-02
MORE FROM RECORDS.
The Senate Report on Villas
and Knights Indian
Dealings.

The Sentinel prints a long article
from its Washington bureau connecting
Senator Villas with Colonel knights
lumber operations. Besides publishing
letters showing the relations between
the Superior Lumber company and the
Indian reservation logging operations,
The Sentinel dispatch says:
"The Senline's recent exposures Of
John II. Knights pine land deals have
attracted large amount of attention in
Washington and have caused people
who know something of the history OF
these matters TO hint that there is still
much that might be added. TIE full
scope OF the report made to the senate
~ March, 1889, by the msjorily Of the
select committee on Indian traders has
never been given in the newspapers for
oDe thing This is the report that deals
with Colonel Knights man Gregory,
during the investigation of whose deal
ings there was large amount Of inter-
est and some of the facts regarding
which were printed in the Sentinel at
the time.
Col. Knight was so frightened when
the investigation was launched that he
az once caue on to Washington and
volunteered to give his testimony, for
he foresaw evidently what might follow
and the anticipated did follow, despite
all precautions. This exposure resulted
from resolution providing that the
select committee on Indian traders be
directed to inquire into the methods of
allotting lands in severalty to Indians
upon the Court GRIZZLIES. Lac de Fam
beau, Bad River, Fond du Lac and 9TH
err Indian reservations in the northern
portions of Wisconsin and Minnesota
and into the system under which In
dams to whom lands have been allotted
are allowed TO sell the timber thereon
and especially to inquire whether or not
adequate prices are paid to Indians I'M
der such sales, and that for the purpose
of this resolution the committee be au-
thorized to exercise all the powers here
tofore conferred upon the committee by
the senate.
sCORCHER on Villas
The report of the majority was
scorcher duplicating Secretary Villas his
partner, Knight, and their man Greg
DRY. 1t was very exhaustive, covering
1,3C0 closely printed pages, with the
testimony appended. In the language
of the report, the facts disclosed BY the
investigation sbowed:
''First-IneXcusable neglect of duty
and serious administrative incapacity on
the part of the late commissioner of the
Indian affairs, Mr.. J. d. c. Atkins.
Second Willful and deliberate dis
obedience of laws ard orders and gross
abuse of official power on the part of
the Chippewa Indian agent. Mr.. James
T. Gregory, all resulting in the oppres-
sion and spoliatiOn of hundreds of desti.
tute, ignorant and helpless Indians,
who, as wards of the nation, had been
for care and protection mistakenly con-
tided to these two unfaitbful officers.
Third For the misconduct Of Agent
Gregory and the wrongs done by him to
of the interior. the Hon. William f.
Villas, is also fully responsible and is
censurable.
HOW INDIANS WERE ROBBED.
at remains to recite the facts which
both justify and require the foregoing
arraignment of the commissioner, agent
and secretary. The reservations named
in the resolution abounded in pine tim
Der of excellent quality. An estimate
OF the quantity growing in 1882, before
any cutting began, foots up 1000, 000,-
00O feet. This timber, properly dis
posed of for the benefit of the Indians,
should have produced net at least 81
per thousand feet, making $4,000, 900,
amounting for each Indian to $40.
which carefully invested would have
given each an annuity of $40, or enough,
taking the Indians in families, to feed
them With the Indians doing the
| logging themselves their labor, esti-
mated to average s. per thousand feet
would have brought into circulation
among them 50, 600, 600. This employ
ment of the Indians would have extend
ed over twenty or thirty years, and the
habits of labor thereby acquired with
other incidental results would have
greatly benefited the Indians beyond
| the moneys received and would have
made them self supporting citizens.
/ Under the system of disposing of the
timber actually adopted, the amount in
six years was 459, 69S, 4S1 feet, or near
/ II one-half of all that was standing.
From figures shown it appears
"Frst-That during the three years
prior to the summer of 1885, 206 con-
tracts made by the Indians for the sale
of their pine timber. covering 1919
7715 feet, realized S42S, 31661, which, as
the work was done by the Indians, re-
suited in the useful introduction of
nearly that sum of money smong the
tribes.
Second 1t appears that during the
three years after the summer of 1885
!, POS contracts made by Indians cover
ing So. 9lS. POO feet realized to the In
dams 1891, 0SS.79 in cash ami $685.
S7556 in merchandise. Reducing the
merchandise to cash value of one halt
of the prices charged the Indians and
the amount realized by them appears to
have been S61S, 5266 81 for their $50,
000 600 feet of timber.
After 1885 the timber cutting was
done mainly by white lambermen and