Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-03-02
Little Journeys II,
Americana
When Graft Ran Riot
By LESTER B. COLBY


GRAFT ran riot in the 1905. It
was an era of frantic search for
easy money. Honor and honesty
seemed forgotten. The Civil war had
been ended but a few years. Great
wars appear to deaden the consciences
Of men. Come, after such wars, very
often, periods where integrity seems
lost.
Throughout the West, in the years
following the Civil war, the old In
dian trading post system began to
expand. The business was a mon
opoly. At first trading post conces-
sions were given to politicians as re-
wards. A few years in charge of a
trading post, selling goods at high
prices to Indians and underpaid Unit
ed States soldiers and a trader could
retire with a fortune.
That much was bad but not as bad
as 1t became later. If man could
clean up $4,000 or $4,000 in a year
as trader, was there not easy money
enough to share? Those empowered
to make the appointments decided
they wanted theirs.
Caleb p. Marsh, wealthy New
York man, not overparticular about
how his profits came, was the prime
mover in the scheme. Gen. William
w. Belknap, secretary of war, was
drawn into the conspiracy. Soon they
began selling agencies, knocking them
down to the highest bidder. Ten
thousand or fifteen thousand dollars
was considered a low price for an
appointment.
But this money merely whetted their
hunger.
Through the powerful influence of
the Indian Ring, as it was afterward
dubbed, they got the Indian Indem-
nifty Act passed. That was what
they wanted. 1t unlocked the doors to
Uncle Sans treasury and let the gold
flow out.
Under this act If hostile Indians
set upon train of goods being
freighted to distant post and cap
tured 1t, the trader might put in a
claim for the goods and get reimburse
ment. Soon our fathers and mothers
began reading Of Indian attacks on
wagon trains. Newspapers, themselves
without knowledge of the conspiracy,
carried stories almost daily Of red
skin uprisings. Here is what would
happen:
Fifty or sixty wagons in a train,
loaded with goods for the agencies,
would set out from Kansas City, st.
Joseph, Omaha or other frontier Mis-.
souri, river points. A few days out
on the prairie and feather-bedecked
Indians in war paint would gallOp
down upon the wagon trains sounding
wild war-whoops.
Wagon drivers, under the command
Of leader who was in the conspiracy,
would abandon the train. Some might
be killed. What the difference? These
Indians, well drilled by the white
conspirators, would take charge. The
redskins would de ;ver the trains to
their employers and be paid off.
Investigation might reveal the
charred remains of few broken
wagons, often hauled to the scene to
make part of the picture. Some.
times wornout horses and ponies were
sacrificed that bleaching bones might
lie on the prairie. A few human skulls
would help to paint the picture.
Tn dno f;y,o fha ronIc xrnuII m nyofn
the market at some distant point and
be sold. Demands would be made on
Uncle Sam for the losses alleged to
have been sustained One raid often
netted $4,000 to 100000. It was all
very simple. Due to isolation and
fear Of retribution there was little
danger of exposure.
John S. Evans, of Fort Sill, was q
friend of General Custer. Evans was
forced to pay $4,000 graft to hold his
agency. He gave a check. Marsh took
1t, personally, on a collecting tours
he made into the West. The check
came back bearing the Endorsement
of Mrs. Belknap, wife of the secre.
tary of war.
Evans told Custer the story and
produced the check. Custer, full.
knowing the strength of the Indian
Ring, went to Washington to break ul
the scheme. He and others, brought
about the impeachment of Belknap
But he also brought about the hos.
tility Of powerful forces.
And that was why Custer, with 8
handful of badly armed men. met
that day In 1876 the most powerful
Indian army that ever dashed to q
single attack; 5000 mounted Sioux
with 100000 rounds of ammunition
1t is not nice white mars story
"a. 1929. Lester B. Colby