The Owyhee nugget., September 13, 1907, Image 3

About The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984

Image provided by: Idaho State Historical Society

                
Two Cliques of Land Thieves, !
Lincoln Steffens, who has been ,
j
contributing a series of articles
to the American Magazine on i
" The Taming of the West," says
that when E. A. Hitchcock
appointed Secretary of the In
terior he discovered that state
officials, legislators,
congressmen and senators were
involved in land frauds,
pected to find only small officials
corrupt.
how the frauds were exposed by
two cliques working separately.
If they had combined, on the
trust principle, they might never
have been found out. Mr. Stef
fens thus gives an account of the
working of the machinery of the
two cliques, published in the Sep
tember number of the American
Magazine:
" The Secretary's ear was for
the men about him, and, stiff
necked and obstinate, those who
know him have long wondered
how it happened that he, of all
the Secretaries of the Interior,
came to be the discoverer of the
ancient graft of the General Land
Office.
was
governors,
He ex
Mr. Steffens explains
"The explanation issimple. In
the land office there were two
cliques. Binger Hermann, the
commissioner, was the head of
one, theso-called 'Oregon bunch.'
W. A. Richards, the assistant
commissioner, was the head of
■* the other, the 'Wyoming push.'
Richards wanted
Hermann's
place and his side was the stron
He had with him his clerk,
ger.
James T. Macey; the Assistant
• Attorney General assigned to the
Interior Department, Willis Van
Devanter; and, best of all, the
Secretary's private Secretary, W.
Scott Smith. Back of the Wyo
ming clique were Senators War
ren and Clark; hack of Oregon
were Senators Mitchell and Ful
ton. Not all the men on a side
were after the same thing, but
all were united against Binger
Hermann, the sly.
"Richards and Macey watched
the commissioner. They knew
what he was doing. They did
not expose him publicly. They
meant only to expose Hermann
to the Secretary. So they work
ed upon Mr. Hitchcock quietly.
They poisoned his mind with
doubts concerning his unctuous
Land Commissioner till in 1902,
when opportunity offered for a
bold play. Mr. Hitchcock was
ripe with suspicion.
"Richards' opportunity came
when a letter was received from
J. It. Schneider, a former confi
dential clerk of Benson and Hyde,
well known millionaire California
timber-grabbers, the former just
* having been convicted and sen
tenced to the penitentiary for
fraud. Schneider for revenge, as
he stated, told of glaring frauds
by these operators. Macey was
shown the letter and copied it
and he and Richards watched '
Hermann pigeon-hole it. Schnei- j
der and his attorney, J. A. Za
briskie, wrote again and their
letters were also pigeon-holed by
Hermann. Finally a lettercame
when Hermann was absent and
! Richards
' '
Acting Commis
as
, 8louer ' ordered S - J - Holsinger.a
special agent in Arizona, where
j Schneider was, to investigate,
Hermann, on his return, and be
fore the agent could receive Rich
ard's letter, wired Holsinger to
go to Montanaon other business,
which detained him several
i
months, but he later followed
out Richards' instructions. Hoi-Tee
singer's report deals with Schnei
der's story of how Benson and
Hyde located state school lands
by means of dummy locators and
forgeries and then had these
lands included in forest reserves,
thus getting lieu land script, with
which to locate the most valu
able compact bodies of lands be
longing to the government.
"As to the extent of these oper
ations in the good cause of pre
serving the forests, the report
says: 'Schneider alleges that
about three-fourths of the school
entries in the Cascade forest re
serve in Oregon were bogus. All
the school entries in the Lake
Tahoe forest reserve were bogus,
as were most of those in Zaca
Lake, Pine Mountain and the ad
dition to the San Jacinto forest
reserve.'
"This report Richardsand Ma
cey also saw Hermann pigeon
hole and reported to Van Le
vanter, who reported to Hitch
cock, and this led to Hermann's
dismissal and the elevation of
Richards, who promoted Macey.
The Secretary called his altered
cabinet about him and deciding
that he must turn Holsiuger's
report into evidence, he proceed
ed to act."
One Aid To Prosperity.
The immense acreage of arid land
in the west may be a large factor
in supporting the prosperity of the
country for years to come, accord
ing to some economists.
Much of the prosperity of the last
few years is said to be directly at
tributable to the development of
the west, to the reclamation of arid
lands. There are still about 74,
000,000 acres of unreclaimed land,
capable of supporting at least 50,
000,000 people. Hundreds of thou
sands of people will come west for
these lands and will become pros
perous.
To supply the wants of the set
tlers and growing communities
many of the industrial establish
ments will have to run full blast,
for the steady increase in the popu
lation of the west means an increase
in the demands to be made upon
eastern manufacturers.
a
Congressional Boomlcts.
Boomlcts have oeen launched for
Maj. Fred Reed, Col. Avery Moore,
and Col. Thomas Hamer for con
it
' her if the Republicans of Idaho
j were casting about for a candidate,
But such is not the case. From
every part of the state come well
gress, to succeed Congressman
French. No doubt they are all
worthy gentlemen. They might
make excellent congressional tim
timed suggestions that Mr. French
, be kept right where he is. Grant
that these men equal Mr. French
in ability and the fact remains that
it would take the ablest of them
years to attain his present position
upon the various committees. This
is a potent argument that these
men will have to overcome. Taw
ney, as chairman of the appropria
tiuns committee, is worth ten times
as much to the State of Minnesota
as any new man without a commit
assignment would be. Mondell
wields a larger influence on the
question of the irrigation of arid
lands than any ten men in congress
who are not holding important
committee assignments. The voice
of the man who has set in council
with his colleagues for years is
heard above that of the stranger in
the committee room. The people
of Idaho realize that Mr French
has been able to accomplish things
which no new man could have ac
complished. They know well that
each year makes his position strun
ger among his colleagues,
The fact that Mr. French was
elected to the 58th congress by a
majority of more than 24,000 votes,
the largest given to the representa
tive of any district in the United
States save one (Bingham of Penn.)
will furnish food for reflection as to
how ihe people of ihe state feel
aboutit. —Idaho Poet.
How a. Flea. Jumps.
It is Baid that a flea leaps 200
times its height, and while it usual
ly does land ou its feet, it often
fails, especially when it falls on a
perfectly smooth surface, where the
claws can get only a slight hold.
A flea has six legs, whose great
length and hulk make them 60
heavy that they must be a great
help in keeping their owner right
side up when it makes one of those
gigantic jumps, and when it lands
upside down or in some other way
its ability to kick is so great that
one wriggle is needed to set things
right. A flea's wings are mere
scales and of no use. But small
and worthless as they are, they tell
the ontomologist something about
the proper classidcation of the in
sect. To the flea itself they have
no value.—St. Nicholas.
10 Big Ba.rga.ins.
The house I represent has instructed
me to sell 10 $25 Melton or Kersey suits
for $15 each for the uex' 10 days. It is
their way of advertising. Now is the
time to get a big bargain
order before the number is sold out.
GEO. K. SWEENEY, The Tailor,
Silver City, Idaho.
Come in and
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SP
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■flag
««V» W-
The DEWEY DAIRY
Î3F" Pure Milk and Cream delivered
every morning to Silver City and
other camps.
A. W. Mc CLVNG, Prop
DEWEY. IDAHO.
Dr. Drake, the "Eye Man,'
Silver City, Saturday, Sept. 14th.
will be in
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PROFESSIONAL CARDS
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DAVIS & TETERS
REAL ESTATE, LOANS, INSURANCE
Rooms ô and G B. B. Building. Bell Rhone 181 \
NAMPA,
IDAHO.
ROBERT II. LEONARD, Jit.
1 Notary Public and Conveyancer
Agent for Title Guaranty and Surety Company
of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Silver City, Idaho
Phone 2>
CHAKLK8 M. HAYS
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Office at residence, second door North of bridge
on Jordan street.
Silver City, Idaho
W. It. HAMILTON, M. D.
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
Idaho
Silver Cr. 1 .
TIIOS. FAHRE It, M. J>.
PHYSICIAN & SURGEON
of the day
Dk Lamar. Idaho
uight.
1 wered any ho
Calls 1
DR. F. S. HEER
—dentist—
IDAHO
SILVER CITY,
P. E. CAVANEY
attorney.at.lAw
Office with Richards and Haga
Fitst National Bank Bldg.
IDAHO.
BOISE
JAMES DALY
Headquarters for
McDor\a.ld's
Famous
Chocolates
j
The Best Chocolates in Silver
Valia. ElSedelo and Majestic»
I
CIGARS
Souvenir Chinaware aud hand paint
ed chinaware in beautiful designs and
great variety at Rowett's Jewelry Store.
Black Silk Liquid Stove Polish and a
new supply of National Cook Stoves
just arrived at Philipp's.
BOONEV1LLE
ROAD HOUSE
!
Boarding, Livery and Feed Stables V
5|
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Good quarters and accomodations t
at Reasonable Rates.
I
TelepKorve No.
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i CHAS. F. SIMMONS,
Proprietor
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OWYHEE MEAT COMPANY
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joint 'Turmes mid Fred Ulmer
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Dealers in all Kinds of Fresh
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HNÆ IE
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All Kinds of
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SAUSAGES
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At The Same Old Stand
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SOCIETY CARDS
Simon Harris, Secretary.
f^YIULS CH \PTKK NO. 2, K. A. M.- Meets
^ ever y tourt h Wednesday of each month. So
Jon ruing companion* cordially invited to attend.
C. L. Knapp, Ex. H. P.
S ILVER CITY LODOE NO. 13. A. F. & A. M
Meets the Second Wednesday of each month
Soj • timing Drei hern cordially invited to attend.
John s. St Clair, W. M.
W. R. II
ilton, Secretary.
If NIGHTS OF PYTHIAS, DELAMAR LODGE
** No. 29. Meetings Tuesday evenings ai
7:00 i>. in. In Cast le Hall.
Oliver Bunt, C. C.
II. 8. Simmons K. of R. and 8.
QWYUKK LODGE No. 2, I. O. O. F.. Silver
City, I «ho, meets every secourt and fourth
Friday night. Sojourning Brethren always wel
come. Otto PrtkrsOn, N. G.
R. H. Leonard Jr., Secretary.
F lorida mountain lodge no. 42 k. of
P., meets 'very Wednesday at theii Castle
Hall, in Dewey, Idaho. Visiting brothe
cordially invited.
Geo. M. Jeffery, K of R. and ».
are
8. A. Fraser, C. C.
K nights of pythias,
lodge, No. 25, Meets ev
nfng Ht their hall.
John Grete, k. of It, and B.
SILVER CITY
ery Tuesday eve
R. Persiohel, C. C.
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Bibblrvs-Myei C°'s Bld'g.
SILVER CITY, - - - - IDAHO
Receives Deposits subject
to Cheek. Buysand sells
Exchange. Interest Paid
on time Deposits.
Frank Hall, Cashier
Livery Barn ;
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Feed Stables I
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P
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Good Horses and Rigs.
Job Teams to carry
freight to all surround
ing Camps. : :
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COAL. HAY AND <
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GRAIN L°lE!
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Wheat for Chicken Feed (
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Grsn'tlnei* Bros. (
Silver City
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Star Livery Stable
IDAHO
NAMPA
Board and Feed at
Reasonable Rates.
Good rigs, careful drivers.
BISSETT BROS., Proprietors
7
JOHN GRETE.
• Undertaker
and Embalmer
Silver City,
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