THE PERIOD FROM 1878 TO 1891 75 



from their counters and persuaded to allow their names to be used. 

 The lumber company's agents presented the applications to the reg- 

 ister and receiver in blocks of as many as twenty-five at one time, 

 paid the fees, had the proper notices published, hired men to make 

 the proofs, paid for the lands, and received the duplicate receipts. 

 The register and receiver seems to have been about the only person 

 in the vicinity who was ignorant of these frauds. 



This case indicated that the ramifications of fraud extended into 

 the General Land Office at Washington, and illustrated some of the 

 difficulties encountered by special agents when their discoveries im- 

 plicated wealthy and influential persons. In 1883, a special agent 

 reported that this company had procured a large number of fraudu- 

 lent entries, amounting to not less than 100,000 acres. The agent 

 disclosed the scheme in all of its details, indicating specific evidence 

 to support his allegations, with the further information that he had 

 been ofi'ered $5000 to suppress the facts and abandon the investiga- 

 tion. This agent was subsequently dismissed from the service because 

 of influence brought against him at Washington by men from the 

 Pacific coast. Although the report of this special agent was on file, 

 containing, among other proofs, the affidavit of a former agent of 

 the timber company in whose interest the entries had been made, dis- 

 closing the methods employed, and giving the names of thirty-six of 

 the entrymen hired by the company, with the amounts paid them for 

 their services — in spite of all this, the official in Washington having 

 charge of these cases addressed a letter to the commissioner recom- 

 mending the entries for approval; the commissioner, on receipt of 

 this letter, issued patents in 157 cases that had been reported as 

 fraudulent ; and 22,000 acres of timber land passed into the hands of 

 the timber company. Other agents sent out to this district were ham- 

 pered by representatives of the timber company in every way possible. 

 Some of the witnesses were spirited out of the country; others were 

 threatened and intimidated ; spies were employed to watch and follow 

 one of the agents and report the names of all persons who conversed 

 with him, and, on one occasion, two persons who were about to enter 

 his room for the purpose of conferring with him, were knocked down 

 and dragged away.*^ 



<i For another interesting account of the difSculties encountered by govern- 



