Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 6, 1882, Page 4

¥ o tassfor A e 2 The Omaha Bee Published every morning, except Sunday. The only Monday morning daily, TERMS BY MAIL —| One Taar. ....810,00 | Three Months. $3.00 Bix Months. 5.00 | One o 1.00 PHE WEEKLY BEE, published ev- BERMS POST PAID:— ThreeMonths.. 50 One “w 0 OQORRESPUNDENCE—AIl Communi. eations relating to News and Ediorial mat- ers should be addressed to the EniTor o¥ Tur Bee. BUSINESS_LETTERS—AIl Business Betters and Remittances should be ad- dreesed to Tee OMARA PusnisniNe Cou. PANY, OMAHA.. Drafta, Checks and Post- office Orders to be made payable to the order of the Company. (MAMAPUBLISHING 00., Prop'rs Ei ROSEWATER, Editor. Taue Towa legislature has decided to disband by the 16th. They are liable to have a rather lively debate over congreasional reapportionment before they adjourn. Sm—— Tur true inwardness of the Elkhorn Valley land ring is disclosed in the traosoript from Peter Schwenck's record, which we publish elsewhere, 1In the language of special agent Sib- bald, “‘it is & record of rasoality.” — Tae jobbers and traders who in- tend to earn a livelyhood at the ex- pense of our taxpayers are already on the still-hunt for the places that are to be vacant in April. Unlesss an organized effort is made tothwarl them they will succeed. Ir any bonds are asked for wooden pavements we shall advise our citizens to vote them down. The owners of property on any street that needs paving should not ask this city.to im- pose a general tax for wooden pave- ments, Tre Washington correspondent of the Omaha Republican who draws six dollars a day out of the national treasury as Valentines committee clerk, will discover upon reading the editorial correspondence of Tur Bre that Rosewater was not an idle spec- tator in Venice during his recent visit at the national capital, ———a Wira the appointment of Roscoe Conkling as associate justice of the supreme court THE Bee has no fault to find. In point of ability, Mr. Conkling is the peer of any member of the supreme bench; and his integ- rity is unassailahle, If he accepts we believe that he will fill the position as creditably as any man' that might have been named. 5 But when it is asserted that Roscoe Conkling's appointment and confirma- t.on as judge of the supreme court is " vindication of his course in vacating his seat in the senate during a great political crisis, or when it is asserted that Me. Conkling’s appointment vin- dicates the principles for which he was contending in opposition to President Garfield, we demur. The most ardent and intimate friends of Roscoe Conkling admit now that his withdrawal from the senate was a grave blunder. They see in the light of past events that under our system of government senators and congressmen cannot desert their post of duty by resignation for the purpose of obtaining vindication of a political principle at the hands of their consti- tuents at the ballot box or through the legislature, Such a course may safely be pursued in England or France but would be utterly impractical in the United States, The labored effort of the Omaha . Republican to show that Conkling’s appointment was in acoord with theso called principles for which Mr, Conk- ling was contending against Garfield is based on false logic. The appointment of Roscoe Conk- ling to the supreme bench was an ex- ercise of the prerogative of the execu- tive aud in direct opposition to the principles or rather the prerogative for which Conkling was contending Roscoe Conkling appointed as successor te Justice Hunt, who had boen appointed by President, Gra ¢ at the instance of Benator Conkling. Xt was & New York appointment and \ ®ccording to Mr. Gonkling's pringi- ples should only have been made upon the advioe of the senators from the state of New York, Did the senators from New York, Messrs. Lapham and Miller, advise Roscoe OConkling's appoint- ment! Were they consulted by Presi- dent Arthur before he -msde the ap- pointment! Did not rthur appoint Conkling mtum-l choice without reference to the wishes of the senators from New York! This he had & perfect right to do beeause he knew Conkling as well as they did - and did- their advice as to his position, but m 8o dcing President Arthur did not sustain Mr. Conkling’s principles of senatorial pre- ve, and the senate in voting to did not vindicate * ' bis previous conduct in deserting his post of duty in the senate. | the elements of novelty, It is simply MR. ADAMS' REMEDY. Mr. Charles Francis Adams, Jr., who s well known in railroad circles as the former railroad commissioner of Massachusetts, and later as one of the arbitrators for the trunk lines, has proposed what he claims to be a sim- ple plan for national railroad regula- tion. Briefly stated, Mr. Adams would have congress create a railroad commission composed of three mem- bers, to supervise interstate commerce and to collect facts and figures with such recommendations for future leg- islation as may seem adyisable. To this commission Mr. Adams would have given the fullest powers to send for persons and papers, to investigate all complaints of discrimination in charges and faulty service, to consider conflicting claims of localities, and generally to obtain such data as may be of service in the gradual enact- ment of a system of national raillway regulation. Mr. Adams’ plan contains none of a plea for more time in behalf of the monopoly managers and against the rapidly rising tide of public sentiment which demands immediate relief for the producers of this country. It is difficult to see why the people of the Wnited States should contribute $30,. 000 annually for the salaries of three commissioners who are powerless to apply any remedy for the evils which they may discover, and whose duties Ik OMAHA DAY BEE: MONDAY MARCH 6 1882, WESTERN RAILROAD PRO" GRESS, The completion of the Missouri Paclfic from Atchison to Omaha, and the several branch lines projegted in Nebraska, will signalize an active com- petition for eastern and central Ne- braska trade between Chicago and St. Louis. An official states that on com- pletion of the main line the force of graders will be put to work on an ex- tension north of Omaha, with a view of oceupying country not now belong- ing to any other system, A great many small branches will be run through the rich valiey contiguous to #ho main line, which will give the B. &M. coneiderable trouble in the south- east, Nothing definite has been devel- oped regarding the intention of the B. & M. west of Denver. The pa- pera filed by the company with the wecrotary of Colorado provide for branches in any direction the com- pany may choose. A stub foad to the coal mines near Golden has already been secured, and another to Boulder, northwest. The Chicago Tribune as- serts that this company has acquired a large interest in the Denver & Rio Grande railway, and that it will sooner or later control it. It seems to be quite certain that the Utah ex- tension of the Denver & Rio Grande will be used as a direct outlet for the Burlington from Denver to the Pa- cific coast by laying a third rail, thus making it possible for the Burlington will consist merely in the collection of statistios for congressional buncor bs. What attention, pray, does Mr. Adams believe congress would pay to their recommendations. Wouldn’t the very companies incriminated by the commission see to it that these recommendations were not incorpora- ted in any legislation which would be unfayorable to their interests? Mr. Adams refers to the success of the English railway commission which has been in operation for ten years and has given general satisfaction to the British public. But the powers of the English commission begin at the very point where Mr. Adams would have those of his Americnn railway commission end. The Eng- lish government hears complaiuts as to discrimination against shippers and localities and regarding faulty service to the patrons of railways and canals. Up to this point it performs the same functions as Mr. Adams’ commission. But having heard these complaints the English commission is vested with to run its trains over this line. The other branches of the Denver & Rio Grando are to be uvilized as feeders for the Burlington main line. Now that the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe has been virtually despoiled of an independent outlet to the Pacific coast via the Atlantic & Pacific rail- road, in consequenca of the Gould. Huntington combination, it isso much the more important that the Burling- ton should secure an independént out- let to the Pacific via the Denver & Rio Grande. Should the latter also fall in%o the hands of Jay Gould, the Burlington wovld be as much at the mercy of that manipulator as the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and it would be compelled to give its Pacific business to the Union Pacifio at Den- ver, and accept such rates and terms a8 Gould may see fit to impose upon t. Thomas Miller, recently appointed general freight agent of the Burling- ton system west of the Missouri, with headquarters at Omaha, stated to a reporter that on the completion of the full power to either dismiss the cases | Jine to Denver, the southern trains or to order immediate redress. It|and the Omuha and Lincoln trains torbids discrimination and orders the | will connect ut Red Oloud and pro- rectification of faults in the service, | ceed west as one, The arrangement and its commands have all the force | will be a permanent one, There was and authority of any court of law in|no likelihood that a southern line the realm. from Table Rock to Kansas Oity As stated by a recent writer, *It|would be built, as trains can be run to makes trains stop at stations at which | that place over the K. 0., 8t. J. & C. it thinks they ought to stop; compels | B- road as at present. companies to erect stations where it The mania for new _railroads in thinks it should have them, and to|Kansas has reached an amusing stage. provide proper accommodation &t them for passengers and traffic. I fact; 1t wees that the corporations form reasonable service under their charters, and for this purpose ‘it has the jurisdiction of a ccurt of equity, or, in other words, can compel spe- cific performance of what it assumes tobe the contract entered into by the the railroad and caual companies with the public. The three commissioners receive $16,000 a year each, enough to command the services of first rate men. The tribunal has now been in operation ten years, has given all but universal satisfaction, and is consid- ered, for all practical purposes, to have solved thé railroad problem for the British public.” Mr. Adams’ suggestion seems to ws only valuable in its admission that na- tional railway regulation has become a necessity. It is gratifying to know that the railroads are beginning to ap- preciate a fact which has been felt with grinding force by the people of the country for a number of years past. Inter-state commerce is beyond the regulating power of the states and is especially confined to the care of congress by the national constitution. State railroad commissions have their own field which cannot be invaded by any laws passed by congress for the regalation of inter-state traffic. But any laws which may be a'nngcd by congress on this important .subject must be in the nature of a remedy for existing eyils, and | must carry within themselves the powersof enforcement. Mr, Adams’ suggestion has neither of theso requisites.and on this acgount is useless, impracticable and will act only as a bar to other legislation com- petent to-afford an immediate and greatly needea relief, —— Tuk rural Nebraska editors of the democratic persuasion have changed their tune of late on the tariff issue, A fow weeks ago they were clamoring for absolute free trade; now they want o tarift for revenue only. There is a slight difference betweon these propo- | The chartering of new roads has be- como the favomte of ‘mmusement of u h This activity is a common occurrence before the bieennial sessions of the legislature. Thosé cities and sections of the, state that clamor must for a reduction of railway tariffs are deluded with the idea that they are soon to become railway centers. Preliminary sur- veys are made, stakes are stuck, and the illusion 1 kept up until after the legislature adjourns. It is the old trick, that always ruins the game. A has been elevated to the seventh heaven by the numerous paper roads that radiate from that uncommon conter. Tho latest is the Wichita & Northwestern. It will be ar aix line, subsisting on wind, Its line will ex- tend unorthwesterly from Wichita, crossing thirty-seven counties in Kansas, seventeen in Nebraska, and ending the Lord only knows where, Its western term nus is shrouded in impenetrable mystery. It will strongly compete with the great Gould system, and ruin the Sen Fe. The principal officea will of course be in Wichita, The progress of the Northern Pa- cific during the present year will over- shadow all previous records of rapid railroad construction, It is estimated that there are 6,000 men working on the line in Washington and Montana territories, On tho east side of Lake Pond d'Oreille grading has been dong to the extent of twenty miles. From there to Rfullan tunnel men are got- ting out ties and timber very rapidly, the wood being red fir ‘and pine, E. L. Bonner & Oo., of Missoula, have the contract, and are workirg 200 men, and have five sawmills in opera- tion, The stuff is taken from the country on portions of the lie, and points, The country is better for tim- ber and ties than anywhere on this side of the Rocky Mountains. Down the Deer Lodge Valley, Washington, Dunn & Co. have a contract for grading, and have completed about fifty out of eighty miles between Deer sitions, A tariff for rcvenue adjusted %0 us to encourage Ameroan manu- factures is all that any reasonable American asks for, bus free trade is a fallacy that cannot be practically car- ried out in this country, and if it could be, it would prove ruinous to American prosperity. Lodge and Missoula. They have 200 men at work, At the Mullan tunnel work is progressing at a lively rate, Two Ingorsoll drills are at work going through the solid rock, and have now penetrated about 350 feet into the rock. The engineers propose to sink a shaft from the summit of the correspondent writes that Wichita some has to be huuled from otker mountain and work each way east and west. They also intend to begin boring on the west side and work eastward. Thus there will be four borings at once. The caloulation is to complete the tunmel in eighteen months from the time of starting. Coming eastward a grade is struck eighty miles from Boreman. From there to the end of the track, at the Rosebud river, thirty-five miles west of Miles City, an army of 2,000 graders are at work. The winter thus far has been 80 favorable that an im- mense amount of work has been done. At present the iron s being laid at the rate of three. fourth of a mile a day. Track- Iaying will not be delayed by the graders, and with the opening of spring will progress at the rate of a mile and a quarter a day. The tim- ber for Big Horn bridge and the Yel- lowstone bridge at Coulson will be brought up the Yellowstone by boat in advance of the track, and these structures will be erected before the rails reach them. Afte. about Au- gust 1st the company intends to run through trains from Coulson to St. Panl without delays, as at present, at Glendine and Bismarck. One chan- nel pier of the Bismarck bridge is completed and the other two are above high water, The east approwch is completed and the west is well ad- vanced. Iron for the superstructure is arriving daily. Tt will be ready for use by October lst. The invasion of the greaser king- dom by American trains and eapital is transforming the phlegmatic resi- dents into active business men. At last acceunts Mexico had chavtered twenty-eight roads, and mostly on American schemes and capital, em- bracing about 13,000 miles, with a probability that about 10,000 will be ero long completed. Toward the construction of these roads Mexico has guaranteed a per cent. on her im- port duties to the extent of $84,000,- 000 as bonus. Probably more than 100,000 laborers are now at work building these roads. Our North is quite gleaned of civil engineers, topographers ‘and draughtsmen for this work. Mexico ceems roused from her Aztec slumbers of prehis- toric times and the days of Spanish rule. Since the advent of the Jaurez administration in 1867 she has passed more than one hundred acts i the interests of railroads. A boundary of 1,672 miles separates the United States from the ‘old dominion, and the Mexiean congress, with a United States lobby, is tempting us over. The Montana railway company, whose object is the construction of a narrow gauge railroad from some point on the Utah & Northern in Madison county to the National Park, as well as other branch lines of theé Union Pa- cific system in Montana, was finally organized at Butte on the 22d ult., by the choice of the:fpllowing. named directors and offickrs: Directors; Samuel Word, Robert Blickensderfer, E. T. Hulaniski, Georgg W. Irvin, O. 10 ans, ity g 1. W. Morris. Officers: Santuel Word, President; George W. Irvin, Secre- tary; J. W, Ganneft, Auditor and Treasurer. The stodk was fully rep- resented, and the sed operations of the company cauvassed but not fully determined upon, It is under- stood that the Union Pacific will shortly signify the work it desires to complete in Montana the present year. The Utah & Wyoming road will be laid with steel rails weighing fifty-six pounds peryard, This will reguire 88 tons of rails per mile, in which will 362 joints connected with fish plates, and 2,640 ties per 'mile ‘will be re- quired. J. D. Negas, manager of the has becoms a citizen of Ogden. He is pushing the completion of thé maps and drawings of the route as fast as possible, so that the work of construc- tion can begin'as soon as spring opens. Ex-GoverNror. Gear of Iowa, it appears, was tendered the assistant secretaryship off the United States treasury aftor it had been tendered to Mr. Paddock, and deslined, but he algo did not want to accept the posi- tion which is now filled by John 0. Now. ! . ity Beyond the Reach of Stairs, Albany Evening Journal. We are gravely told thatMr. Tilden ascends six tights of stairs every day. That is a respectable altitude, but it doesn’t begin to com with the el- evation reached ?Llngl the last time Feranforoffice,. Hewasthen ‘‘knogked higher than a kite."” Schuyler's creamery s an established fact, company with a capital of . 000 has been formed Afi the land purchased for im work, The contract for the buil been let to D. H. Van Aulwerp for tobe ¢ m- ploted by sprllst. The officers of the . Hood, wwmnx are wa follows; J, 5 resident; H. O, Russell, secretary; homas fi?m@ [t i 1., O. Smith, Erauk Folds Jacob X !!oog‘ Henry O ussell and Thowas Bryaut, directors, SE————— DO NOT BE DECEIVED, In these times of quack medicine advertisements everywhere, it is truly gratifying to find one hat 18 worthy of praise, and which really does as recommended, Eleotric Bit- ters, we can vouch for as being a true and reliable remedy, sad one that will do as recommended. Theyinvari- bly cures stomach and liver o«n‘?hiuh diseases of the Kidneys and Urinary difficulties, We know whereof we speak, and can readily u‘,.(ib;:u:;;‘:; @ trial, Sold at fifty cenf Ish & McMahon Utah & Wyoming railroad company, | i VAL AND HIS PALS. A Startling Record of Rascality Revealed in a Nebraska Land Office, Homesteadsrs and Pre-emp- tors Mercilessly Bled by ths Register ant His Clerks, Valentine’s Crooked Legacy Handed Down to Pets Swindler Schwenck Whose Disreputable Deeds Caused His Bounce From the Government Bervice, And Prevented His Appointment as Inspector of Internal Revenue. The Black-Eyed Billiardist Again in Mourning. Editorial Jorrespondence of The Bee. ‘WasniNgToN, D, C., Feb, 26, 1882, On a memorable Jccasion three years ago, I met the eminent con- gressional billiardist from Nebraska at the National hotel in a state of profound agitation. He was sur- rounded by a group of Nebraska politicians to whom he exhibited a black eye, which he said was caused by a foul blow Hayes had dealt him in appointing Lorenzo Crounse col- lector of internal revenue. I had scarcely set foot in the old National hotel last week when I beheld another group cf eminent Nebraskans discuss- ing the effect of another black eye Valentine had just received at the hands of another president in the appointment of Bruno Tzchuck. This time Val has received two black eyes exclaimed one of the group. ‘‘How so?"” asked the Hon. Pat O. Hawes, in a very sympathetic voice, ‘Did you know,” said the respon- dent, ‘“ that Valentine had Peter Schwenck appointed to a position in the internal revenue service and when Val called for the commission General Raum refused to issue 1t. Val is just furious oyer this and somebody will suffer for it. Upon further inquiry I learned that Valentine had arranged to have Schwenck appointed as gauger with a view of having him promoted in u few months to supervisor of in- ternal revenue, a position of great responsibility. When General Raum’s attention was called to Schwenck’s record as register of Norfolk land office he promptly declined to make the appointment. Armed with an order from Secretary Kirkwood I pro- cured access to the records in the gen- eral land office, from which I made a transcript that cannot fail to be of interest to the people of northern Ne- braska and especially settlers. in .the] Elkhorn valléy:” VALENTINE'S LEGACY. Extrest from the report of Special Agent John A. Sibbald to the com- missioner of the general land office, dated Oétober 31, 1879, There exists a widespread complaint among the people against this office, 1t is openly asserted here that a ring controlls the land office; that valuable tracts of public land in the more thickly settled portion of the district are ‘‘covered uY," and that persons whhinF to enter lands in suchlocalities can only find or discover the tracts by paying somebody for a description of the land. Four gentlemen recently applied at the rogister’s office for in- formation respecting vacant public lands, and Mr.' R. Reinhardt, the register’s clerk, took them to W. H. Lowe, cashier of a small bank adjoin- m& the register's office, and said, ‘‘What can you do for these men?’ Mr. Lowe replied that he could find public land, -ubd':wt to entry, such as they wanted, within eight miles of the land office for $100 per tract. Mr. ';‘oovn up” the lands and plrwvnt their eniry by an ordinary applicant. ;9% I?m informed tlntm:)no of the Jforemer registers of this office was offered per annum by the Dakota Oity parties who were hand- ling these lands to continue to keep these lands ‘‘covered up.” Whether he acoepted this offer or made it pos- sible for the ring to continue its op erations I do not know, but he ro- tained Mr. Lowe as clork, and when Register Scwenck was appointed he by request of the former register also rotained him as clerk. Mr., Lowe is suppesed to know all about the rec- ords of the office, and the register himself informed me that he had per- sonally taken parties applying to enter lands to Lowe for intormation as to vacant tracts. An office may justly have a reputa- tion for dishonesty and sharp prac- ices, and yet it is hard to find legal evidence of the fact. It is evident that there will be no limit to an offi- cer’s rascality, and no relief for the citizen if his removal must depend upon the sworn statement of two or three persons all cognizant of the same act or facts, The officers control the political ma- chinery of the district and with this support they have felt safe fereto- fore in ignoring complaints and con- tinuing the dishonest practices. I have prepared a statement Exhibit “B,” showing the record of this of- fice. IT I8 A STARTLING RECORD OF RASCAL- Iry! Under date of December 18th, 1879 Special Agent Sibbald reports that Register Schwenck gave a private number to relinquishments of timber, culture and homestead entries filed in his office and that he did not note such cancellations of part of the relinquish- ed entries in his record. The agent cites that only eight out of twenty cancellations were noted on the regis- ter. Agent Sibbald sums up four specific charges. 1st. Using violence against Patrick Hughes, the special agent, found Hughea' house deserted few hours before his arrival, ani he was reliably informed that Schwenck had paid H’ughea $400 to leave the country. 2d. In case of Corkle vs. Everson, it is shown that Alliand paid somebody in the Norfolk land offico $76 for information which enabled him to enter the tract in contest after the old entry was cancelled. 3d. It is shown that Alexander Bear in col- lusion with Schwenck had land claims which were on sale. This is proved by Schwenek’s letter in Exhibit *‘B.” 4th, Isaac W. King paid Schwenck 810 for the information about the cancellation of an entry. EXHIBIT “‘B. A concise summary from letters on file in the general land office which show the manner of conducting the public business and bad reputation of this office: First - C. F. Hughes, county judge of Stanton county, Neb., states in his letter dated September 3, 1878, that “‘for some time past there has been general dissatisfaction as regards bus- iness transacted at the United States land office at Norfolk and now one Wm. Bobb has employed me to ascer- tain whether or not the records of the general land office correspond with the records at Norfolk. Bobb made homestead entry No. 5,900 in June, 1878. W.J. Crows had a timber culture entry on the same land which he relinquished. Judge Hughes states that the registrar charged Bobb $756 to make the entry and 810 to notify Aim when Crows’ relinquished entry was cancelled by the commissioner. He filed a receipt for the $10 dated May 7, 1878, and signed by ‘W, -H. Towe. Lowe at the time was clerk of the register. Second — Abner G. Wright, of Whiting, Towa: Mr. Wright states under oath that April 5, 1878, he call- ed in person 4t the land office at Nor. folk to get a patent on his homestead- that Mr. Schwenck, the register, told him that his entry was suspendedand that he, Schwenck, thought that if T would make out a statement, under oath, of my identity, and give him $25, he would tend the statement and money to Hon. Mr. Welch, at Wash- ington, and he would procure the pat- ent forme, * %% * T told him to send on and when the patent came I would pay him the money, but he laughed at me and said that Welch did not de a credit business, Then 1 told him that I was not prepared to pay that amount at present, so he said that I could pay him fifty cents for making out the statement and then when I got home I could send the money to him, SoI paid him the fifty cents. When Register Schwenck found that his little scheme had been ex- Lowe was formerly clerk in the land office while it was located at Dakota City, and after its removal to West Point up to May, 1878. The register states that he discharged him then be- cause he could no longer trust him in the office. He was for a while in the employ of the receiver, who states for my in‘ormation that he discharged him some time ago, but this is not strictly true, for I'find the receiver's recvipts have been until recently is- sued by him. The receiver has here- tofore li%lned them in blank and left them in the bank where he keeps his records. Ttis generally understeod among the citizens here that Lowe is his clerk. This was corroborated by the Register in a conversation with me on Uotober 28th. On the following day 20th, he, probably after consulta- tion with the receiver wished to ex- plain to me that Mr, Matthewson, the owner of the bank in which Lowe is cashier was the receivers clerk—Mr, Lowe was Matthewson’s clerk and in that capacity attended to the re- ceivers business T gave both officers the benedr of this vxn! na oo Lar g does Lot ichove them lrom the 1o sponsibility of employing as a clerk a land nttomc{ who, while he was at- tending to the receiyers business, was flmtioing before the office, Mr, Lowe a land agent, attorney and specula- tor and has had unrestricted access to the records. 1t is notorious here that in the old Dakota City district several years ago & large amount*of land was “‘covered up” by making certain tracts on the records ‘‘state land” and ‘‘school land,” and that when distriot was divi- ded and this office was established an attempt was made to koep these lands in the same condition for spec- ulative purposes. I find tracts marked in the pfiou and tract books in pencil in this manner, and I cannot find any authority for such withdrawals which posed to the general land office he wrote to the commissioner, forward- ing Wright's affidavir, and stated that said statement is erroneous and eman- ates from the fact that Mr. Wright did not know who the officers of the land office were, and that he was re- quested to furnish a duly corroborated affidavit, which he was unable to do, whereupon a real estate agent tried to make a fee out of him by represent- ing that he would get ]V?; eleh to employ an attorney at Washington to see to this matter, and in order to shield him from any imposition, we took his own affidavit, telling him that we would explain the matter to the departmer $. Under the same date Schwenck, in a letter to Mr, Welch, explains: ‘‘Said party, T do not remember his name, called at this office for his patent, and after explaining to him the suspension of his entry Wm. Lowe, real estate sgent, called him te the dcor of the oftice and informed him that he wou'd fix matters for him for § Mr, Lowe was at this time (Arl 5. 1878.) Wk ihoon b r dehw. uek b this case us in others Sehweuck shows his superior ability for making ex- planations, Mr, Wright under oath states that his conversation was with Bchwenek, the register, and he does not refer to a third party at all. Bchwenck asserts that Wright's state- ment is erroneous and emanates from the fact that Wright did not know who the ofticers of the land office were, Schwenck admits that Wright was in conversation with him and it is evi- dent that Wright knew him to be the regieter, as he states under oath when be paid him 50 cents for his atfidavit (so kindly taken to shield him from umposition) and promised to send him ”go:. soon as he returned home, It is also evident that Wriiht knew the name of the person to whom he prom- ised to send the money.and Schwenck | _; i held that affidavit twenty-two days, from April bth, 1878, to May 7th, 1878, forwarding Wright's affidavit and explaining the transaction, shows that he did not forward said affi- davit to the commissioner until he found ;that his schone to roba homestead settler out of 826 had been exposed, Schwenck cannot shift the rosponsibility of the transaction upon Mr. Lowe, who was a clerk in the land office as well as a land attorney. This is one more reason for removing the officers and breaking up this ring. Third--F. M. Oleson. See letter of Schwenck. That letter reads as foljows: Norrolk, August 14, 1878, Mr. F. M, Olesdn, Swaburg, Neb.: DeAR Sir:—In answer to yours will inform you may obtan the east 2, 35, 25, 3, east, by buying the right of Dr- A. Bear, who has entered the said east half section. Upon inquiry T think that you can buy his right for from 8376 to $400, a very reasonable figure, as it is a good piece of land, well watered, about six miles from Wisner, adjoining school and specu- lators’ lands—a splendid opportunity for stock raising, At the above fig- ure, in cash, you may secure the same by referring to Dr. A. Bear. For further particulars refer to R. Reich- ardt at Norfolk, Upon agreement with the doctor you can enter them a8 you desire—one as a homestead, - the other as a timber claim, Respectfully, P. Scawenck, Register. Note R. Reinhardt, Norfolk, was at this time, August 14th, 1878, clerk in the land office, which ronition he still holds. J. A. Sibbald, January 8th, 1880. . Fourth - F. F. Rhyn, Battle Creek, Neb., February, 1878, he oempluineé that the land officers at Norfolk had charged him excessive fees on home- stead entry F. C. 2756, dated April 3d, 1878. The commissioner called upon said officer for an explanation, and Schwenck meptly responded, ‘‘Upon inquiry I fina that the man is deranged in mind and that he has been examined for lunacy several years ago, and in consequence is not accountable for what he says or does.” He then proceeds to say regarding these overcharges, ‘I find that on or about the 26th- of March, 1877, he (Rhyn) appeared at this place for the purpose of making final proof of his homestead, but found that myself the newly appointed register had not ar- rived yet and thatthe office was closed and no business transacted therein, but he went to an attorney and notary public, who made out his proof and final affidavit, which was presented to me on the 3d of April, 1877, one day after I had taken possession of the office, when the parties were sworn thereto, and that the excessive fees were paid said attorney. T have ex- amined the papers in this case in the general land office and find that Rhyn’s final affidavit and proof are in handwriting of Mr. Lowe, the clerk in the land office at that time (also attorney and notary), and Rhyn and his witnesses were sworn by the re- ceiver, McCleary, March 12th, 1877, though the office was closed and no businnss transacted therein during said month, according to Mr Schwenck. While Schwenck is not responsible for the illegal fees collect- ad in this one case, he is guilty of de- liberately making a report to this office which the records show to be false, This case showe readiness of Mr, Schwenck to invent explanations in the interest of the ring, Fifth- Olaf Satern, Wisner, Neb., complains November 28th that he in- quired at the Norfolk office about a certain tract of land and was unable to obtain any information. Bixth—C. 0. McNish, Wisner, Neb., Fobruary 20, 1879, asks the audition of the east § of sec. 35, T. 26, N. R. 3 east. This land was covered by the (now well known entries of Dr. A. Bear, of Norfolk, so promineat in this investigation, the relin- quishments of which were in the hands of the registerr for jsale, Mr. McNish wishes to know if a settler on the land can be kept from entering it after Dr. Bearhasreturned his duplicate receipts to the land office, as was done in this case, Sixth—R. H. Wilten, of Albion, was defrauded out of homestead; enrty n. e. } sec 20, T 22, R7; w. Seventh—Fraucis Corkle swears that he was defrauded out 8, west } of 89, T 22, R 3 west. January 6th, 1880. JonN A, SisBALD, Special Agent. In the face of this infamous record Valentine made a desperate but un- successful effort to have Schwenck re- tained in the Norfolk land office. And now he has again been foiled in his attempt to procure him an appoint- ment in another branch of the public service. ‘Wha#is the bond that binds Valen- tine to this swindler and blackmailer? How deep was Valentine involved in the corrupt transactions of the Elkhorn Valley land ring? Does Schwenck swing a club over Valen- tine’s head that compels him to act as he has done? In any event Nebraska stands dis- graced before the department chrough her reprosentative in congress who has the audacity to recommend men to office thut have been dismissed in disgrace from the public service, While Valentine is boiling over with indignation over his failure to foist Schwenck on the revenue service Valentines constituency cannot fail to experience a'sense of deep humilia- tiouin being ropresented by a man |dovoid of every instinct of public morals, E R. e — Ex-Assistant Postmaster. Crxciyyam, O, Sept. 2, 188, H, H. Warner, & Co.: Birs—I have used your Safe hidney and Liver Cure for chronic dysentery, contracted while in the army, with the most bappy results. fob 28-dlw Josern H. THORNTON. J.P. ENGLISH, ATTORNEY - AT - LAW 810 South Thirteenth Btreet, with 4 M. 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