The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-03
INDIANS CLAMOR
FOR GRAND JURY.
ASSERT THEY ARE ROBBED BY
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
Agent and Other Officials on the Bad
River Reserve Said to Be stockhold-
ers of Company Auxiliary to the
One Which Has the Timber Contract
t on Indian Lands.

Special to The Journal sas- ,,@ :ag,5ras., 49,
Ashland, Wis, Jan. 3,-startling discoveries in
the management of Indian affairs the Bad
River Indian reservation, in which the Stearns
Lumber company plays prominent part, will
lead to a grand jury investigation II a petition
to the commissioner OF Indian affairs by the
Indians is favorably acted upon. +, -
The Indians charge that s.. w. Campbell. In
dian agent at; the La Pointe agency, has been
been, while performing the duties Of. agent and
directing the affairs of the Bad River reserya-
ton, stakeholder, in the, York Lumber COM
pany at Grafton, York county, Va, concern
which Ia nothing less than an auxiliary to the
Stearns Lumber company of Ludington, Mich,
which has the contract for cutting the timber
on the Bad River reservation; also that Roger
Patterson, Indian farmer under Agent Campbell,
has been and is now a stakeholder in the afore-
said lumber company, and that John Caldwell.
who acted as head scaler for the Bad River band
under the direction of Indian Agent Campbell
during the winter OF 1903 and 1904, was also
employed at the same time by the Stearns Lum
Der company as assistant superintendent of log
ging, and at several times while acting as head
scaler and representing the interests of the In
dams was the acting superintendent of logging
for the Stearns Lumber company.
| The petitioners submit that 1t is impossible un
der these conditions to guarantee to the indiana
of this band either an honest scale of timber o.
an equitable administration of the reservation
and the individual Indians, and that the mere
| fact that such relations and the consequent OPP
portunittes for personal gain at the expense O.
! the Individual Indians either has or does nov
exist disqualifes Campbell and Patterson for thu
Offices, which they hold. ,s., = j.
The petitioners further submit that the follow
ing named abuses are proper subjects for a gran'
jury investigation: ~ -.
| First-Charges of activity on the part o
Roger Patterson, Indian farmer, in behalf of th
Stearns Lumber company.
| Second-Charges Of speculation and usury pre-
| ferred again Patterson - SO .-. 80,
Third-That Roger Patterson, tho drawing Z
salary from the government Of only $40 month
has in nine years accumulated much property
| the visible portion Of which Is estimated to b
worth not less than $4,000. =
! Fourth-That the log scalers employed unde
Indian Agent Campbell favor the Stearns Lum
Der company and discriminate against the In
dians, for whom the timber is scaled.
Fifth,-The system employed by the Stearn
coupon books, issued on Indian timber to tn
pany store. 49,. a, .
sixth-Charges Of trespass made by John Cal
penter and Rev. T. C. Thomas against tn
Stearns Lumber company .-'s
1 Seventh-Charges that Assistant Indian Farm
er Norbert Sero holds more than one office an
draws pay for more than one service. -
Eighth-Genera1 conditions of the practice {
Issuing orders and allowing them to be discoun
ed or purchased for about one third Of their fac
value
t Indian Agent Campbell was interviewed as
the charges and stated that he would do all
his power, to further an investigation and sal
: that all his acts had been approved by India
! Commissioner Jones of Washington. The Stear1
: Lumber company is also eager to have an invest
CATION. ~" - 7aaaE, Il. -s.: 10y -