East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-05-12

Agent A. e. McFatridge failed TO
heed Instructions from Acting Com
missioner Valentine and was suspend
ed by tina official. This is the sub
stance of dispatch received from the
Washington correspondent OF a Port
land paper.
The story says he will probably be
transferred to some other branch of
the service, but that he was suspend
ed by Valentine because OF dissatis-
faction in the administration of In
dian affairs on the reservation and in
the Indian school. The financial af-
fairs OF the agency and reservation
are said to be satisfactory, but much
friction is reported between the agent
and the employees OF the school.
Agent Charged With Severity.
1t is said that four of the employees
have charged McFatridge with Sc
verify of school management and his
failure to obey certain instructions on
how to deal with his employees result
ed in his transfer. What these in
structions were is not stated.
So far McFatridge has not received
a message or letter of any kind from
Washington relative to his suspension
or transfer. and in regard to the re-
port that he was let out for his re-
fusal to heed instructions relative to
the management of the school, the
agent will say nothing. 1t is certain,
however, that he will make a fight
to retain his position, believing he
has been relieved because of personal
grievances and without fair hear
ing.
Business Men Fight for Retention.
Now that the business men of the
city understand the situation, in n
manner, they are going to work with
the determination to secure the re-
tention of McFatridge. Senator's
Chamberlain and Bourne, and Con-
gressman Ellis will be appealed to; n
direct appeal will be made to Com
missioner Leup. and it is probable
Washington. For the first time in
years the business interests and the
white renters are all pulling together
meeting of the Credit Mems as
sociation, bankers and others, was
held last evening in the office of the
Pendleton Abstract company They
believe It will be for the best interests
of all concerned to have McFatridge
retained, holding that the dissats-
faction among the employees of the
school is Insignificant, compared
with the general administration of
the affairs of the reservation. In
this respect It is said that McFat-
ridges services have been efficient
and admirable in the extreme.
Discharged Employees Interviewed.
Mr.. and Mrs. w. L. Gardner, two of
the employees at the school who were
transferred as a result OF friction
with the agent, are now residing at
500 East Court street. Both have
been in the service of the Indian de-
partment for 20 years and they have
been AT the local agency TOT some
time. Mr. Gardner was the indus
trial instructor and Mrs. Gardner was
matron for boys.
Most Of the trouble seems to have
been with Mrs. Gardner and the
agent. It was evidently of some
months standing and about couple
of weeks ago. the department trans
ferred both Mr.. and Mrs. Gardner
to a reservation In Oklahoma. When
seen last evening Mr. Gardner ex-
planned that their business interests
were all here and that rather than
go so far away they resigned from
the service and took up their resi-
dence in Pendleton.
He declares neither he nor his wife
filed any charges whatever against