rOET TJXIOX AXD nOESE-THIEYES. 



123 



fact; wc view tlie economic aspect of affairs, even a traveller 

 cannot help being amazed at the enormons expenditnre of 



money necessary to maintain so large an 



establishment in 



nch a locality. The millions of dollars which are yearly 

 bsorbed by such a place as Fort Union mnst be something 

 arvellons ; and the opportunities for peculation and growing 

 fat by the misappliancc of public moneySj by exorbitant 

 harges if not by actual fraud, are probably greater here than 

 n any other branch of the public service. 



We pitched our camp a few hundred yards from the fort, 

 nd remained here a week for repairs. Before da^n, on the 

 hird morning after our arrival, my chestnut mare, Kitty, was 



'^ run off from the centre of our encampment, where she had 

 been picketed the evening before. Neither a large reward, 

 or a long day spent in scom^ing the country round, gave us 

 he slightest clue to the direction taken by the thief. 



The post commander had become resigned to the state of 

 hings, which enabled gangs of horse-thieves to carry on their 

 lepredations almost with impunity. Scarcely a week passed 

 ithout some one or more horses being successfully stolen 

 rom the govemment coralles, and carried off into the wild 

 country, where it was impossible to trace them. And, in 

 act, the very week after I had applied in vain for assistance 

 t the Fort to track the tliief who had robbed me of a mare 

 — I was very much attached to my brave old Kitty— no less 

 than five horses were actually taken out of the very stables of 

 the officers, and successfully made away with. 



About six miles south of Fort Union is situated what even 

 in a civilized country might be called a model farm, which 



the 



more conclusively than volumes of argument 



proves 



worth of these regions 



for 



ricultui' 



Mr. Eroni 



o 



the 



owner 



came to the conclusion from his own 



