The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-17
GlQ1ntl6 m Trust III OF III Edr|U I'M DduS
Story Of the Yazoo Fraud" Which Had Its Inception
in the Days of the Last Century.

Early Day FROM q southern
one Of the most gil
rA"o' gantic trusts ever
formed on this continent was in the early
days OF the republic back in 1885. Sew
eral gentlemen organized themselves into
a company for the purpose of purchasing
from the state of Georgia her unclaimed
western territory, extending from the
mississippi on the west to the Atlantic on
the east, and from the thirty-first degree
OF latitude north of the equator on the
south to the southern boundary of Ten
nessee on the north, including what now
constitutes the territory of Georgia, Ala
bama and Mississippi. This vast territory
was purchased for $500, 900, and this was
the commencement of the famous "YaZoo
Fraud. about which so much was said
and written
The bill authorizing the purchase and
sale passed the Georgia legislature on the
9Th of January, 1875, and 1t Is said that
members We're paid all the way from
eight negroes to 100000 acres of land to
vote for It, Corruption by bribery was
open. Great indignation spread through
out the state and upon the assembling of
the legislature one year later an act was
passed declaring that the said resurped
act was null and void; that the records
relating to the same be burned, in order
and fraudulent transaction should re-
main public
The Infamous records We're placed in
one vast heap said the senator, "and
sun glass was used to set 1t on fire,
that 1t might be said that the fire that de-
stroyed 1t was from heaven. This IS the
first and only instance in the history
OF the country where a legislative body
personally superintendent the destruction
by fire Of its previous records of corrupt
and obnoxious laws. I regret to say that
II the people of this day should be moved
by the same spirit this continent would
be flame Of fire from the Atlantic to
the Pacific, and from the Gulf Of Mexico
to the confines of the British empire"
Perhaps if Mr.. Muchly Married Rob
erts, of Utah, had nn
desired a seat in
congress during the OF
administration OF minister.
President Jefferson he would have had
much easier sailing than now. This con-
clusion is reached from the fact that dur
Ing President Jefferson's first term the
Turkish minister. or ambassador, reach
ed Washington. and at once set about,
to use g. common expression, "to get his
moneys worth" The Turk put on all
kinds of style, and evidently regarded
himself as the real thing" He was fire.
quently out riding in his splendid car
riages, having a colored man, not negro.
but Moor, as his footman 1t is said
that the ambassador was a pale siclzly-
looking individual, but never lost an op-
portun1ty to attempt to make an impress
sion on the females with whom he came
In contact. Finally he officially applied
to President Jefferson to provide him with
number of wives for his accommoda-
ton during his residence here Mr. JEFF
N FIR i,fo
he was not in the matchmaking bust
ness, but he might have as many as he
could get.
Speaking of Mr.. Roberts reminds me
FIR. pobe-ts that when he reach
o.. ed Washington, and
registered at the
sAo Ai' Metropolitan hotel,
he instructed the clerks to send up the
card of every individual who wished to
see him.
This order" said one of the clerks,
was something we had never before re-
ceived from any public man. 1t is gem
orally understood that we are to separate
the wheat from the chaff-to Judge who
guest wishes 70 see. Well, instructions
have been carried out, andaI can say that.
Mr.. Roberts has rot turned down a
single card sent to him. He has either
received the senders in his apartments or
he has met them in the parlor or In the
lobby. Innumerable newspaper men have
been here to interview him. and many
have volunteered the informa ton to me
that they had been most courteously re-
ceived. / have never seen Mr. Roberts
the least bit ruff1ed."
While Mr.. Roberts is easy too reach it
Is the reverse with -,-s,s CUMMINGS
Congressman Amos
Cummings, of New 80 iaru
York. His Washing 10 See.
ton residence does not appear in the con-
gressional directory and in every way
possible he endeavors to keep his "roost-
ing place" from the knowledge of those
who might run in on him when he was
engaged in mighty matters of legislation,
or writing a syndicate letter. A news
paper correspondent who, one night this
week, chased himself around to every
hotel and f1rst-class boarding house hunt
Ing Mr.. Cummings, and finally located
him on street, near the capitol said:
Il had to do some tall prevaricating to
the landlady before she would even tell
me that Mr.. Cummings stopped there
She said he didn't want the public to
know where he boarded. Well l remem-
Der when Mr.. Cummings was hustling
around New York doing newspaper work
he sometimes didn't know himself where
he lived 1t is tough on him, but 1t Is
a fact. that he lived in a row where all
the buildings were white After getting
tangled up repeatedly by getting into the
wrong door he had the front of his IMAM
sion painted red, and red it remains to
this day. His New York home was easier
to find than his Washington home"
Indian education in this country has
Educa.,an had a most remark
=, able growth In 1877
Indians. 80, no l,.a 9os -
only 1000 for this purpose, and the en-,
rollment of Indian children in the schools
was less than 1900. Now the amount
appropriated exceeds 81, 000, zoo, the en,oll-
ment of pupils is more than 81 900, and
the average daily attendance 10000 The
Indian bureau has 299 schools under its
control. The school at Carlisle, Pa, is
regarded as the best in the country and
its cost per capita is less than at any
other institution. Representative Shcr-
man, of New York, who is chairman of
the house committee on Indian affairs
will endeavor to get larger appropria-
lions for Indian schools this session of
congress.
The youngest member who ever occu-
pied a seat in con- v4,,
gress was, beyond
question, John RAN
dolph, who was congress.
sworn in before he was twenty-five.
When he stood up to be sworn in the
clerk asked his age Ask my constitu-
ents, sir" was kandolphs reply. In
nearly every congress there is some
bright young fellow who is believed by
those who know him to be below the
constitutional limit of age Charles r.
Cy~az