Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-01-18
THE BRITTON DAYLIGHT INTER-
VIEWS GOV. SHELDON ON
THE FIT. SlSSETON
MATTER.
MATTER.

The Governor was approached by
the Daylight reporter in regard to
the selling of building a d other
matters pertaining to the state
properly at Fit. Sisseton. The fol-
lowing is the gist Of the Governors
remarks:
"That paper at Britton does not
make any charge against me; does
not say where it got information, or
whether it has any information at
all. He simply intimates, In an
adroit way, that there has been
some crooked work done. What
the editor Of that paper wants is
notorlety. l could never catch up
with him if | should start after him
in this kind of a controversy.
There Is nothing to him but wind,
and | have been in this country too
long to fight wind with facts. l
have other business to attend to.
The insinuat;ons are not based
on facts. and | cannot cite facts in
denial, but simply deny that there
was any truth III the whole thing.
l really don't care to 60 into a
newspaper controversy in the mat
ter at all. My Official acts will be
reported to the people, through the
e legislature in due time, and | have
no fear for the consequences.
| will give you the facts, and you
may use them as you see fit.
The law granting US this property
provides that when we cease to use
is for the militia, it reverts to the
government. Besides the brick
and stone buildings, there were
several wooden ones. These build
ings must either be kept IN repairs
at the expense of the state, be per
mitted to rot down, or be sold. 1t
is true that under our present ten.
ure, we have no real right to sell
the property, but there is no one to
question the right except the
United States government, which
would not be done under q know
ledge of the facts. 1t has been
plain that strict compliance with
the law by which we car only hold
the property, requires the muster
of at least some part of the South
Dakota National Guard next year.
The appropriation for the main
tenance of the militia is not suf-
~fciently large to cover such
expenses. l have therefore assumed
the right to sell this property, con
verting it into a separate fund,
if, in the judgement of myself and
the officers Of the state, 1T is deemed
necessary. In order that there
might be no question as to the value
of the buildings, the price for
which they were sold, or the use
made Of the money, | took three
reputable citizens of Marshall
county, Messrs. L. r. Knight, Gil
bert and David Roberts, out to Fl.
Sisseton to appraise the property
and have their certificate in which
they say lin the appraisement of
the within mentioned property, we
have exercised our best judgement
as to It's value
The building.which | am accused
of as selling to Dan Hubbard for
$40, the roof OF which he sold for
the same price, and for which
building parties stood ready pay
5000. was not sold to Dan Hubbard
at all, but was given to him al q
part Of his compensation for the
care Of the fort property for one
year. The pay he is to receive is
this building, which am told ia
only fit for fuel, and the use of the
old garden which belonged to the
garrison when the fort was occupied
by troops.
The day We were at the fort it
was very stormy and cold. l WAS
not well and did not 60 out TO look
at any of the buildings which were
appraised, and which Mr.. Hubbard
was ordered to sell. l did not wish
to appear to be influencing the ap-
prsisers in their estimate of value
of these buildings in any particular