574 



advancing one dollar in the business, except what he advanced for 

 wageB, and those advances would be for short times, because, under 

 his contract, he would draw out money on his saw bill enough to pay 

 as he went. It was a great contract — a great temptation to this man. 

 The organization of this Beaver River Land Company was going on 

 .at the same time as the negotiation for the exchange of these lands, 

 from the spring of 1890 down to August and September. In fact, 

 the application was put in the seventh for the exchange, and consum- 

 mated on the twenty- eighth, and between, on the fourteenth, this 

 lumber company was organized and this contract made, probably 

 before September, when this exchange was recommended and sent to 

 the Comptroller's office, and the parties to these two negotiations 

 passing along together at the same time, were Mr. Fatton and Mr. 

 Basselin. Cox and Knevals both testify that they knew nothing of 

 this lumber company until after it was organized. They both thought 

 when G-armon went to see the lands officially, that he examined them 

 as he was ordered. What other inference or conclusion can be drawn 

 ' by fair and honest men from these facts and circumstances, except 

 that Basselin and Garmon were in collusion to impose on the other 

 commissioners and to secure a most advantageous arrangement for 

 Basselin, the consideration of which was the betrayal of the State, 

 and I add a fact, which I have not mentioned before, Mr. Garmon 

 owed his place as warden in this commission to Mr. Basselin. He 

 made him. 



^ow, Basselin having got his company organized and himself taken 

 care Of, his friend Patton must be taken care of because the appraisal 

 had not been made, and this exchange had not been consummated, and 

 so he sent Garmon to attend the appraisal and to take charge of it, 

 and I inquired of Mr. Basselin how Garmon came to go, and he said 

 he sent him. What was done by the board of appraisers ? 



Why, Garmon says they went up into Franklin county to examine 

 these 13,000 acres of land, and they were there two days. What 

 mortal man could examine 13,000 acres of land in two days and know 

 anything abiut it? How many square miles, 640 acres to the square 

 mile, in that tract ? Two days, Garmon swore, he was there with them. 

 I say for you to consider that that day fixed the commission. To see 

 the report was correct, to carry out the designs of his creator, 

 Basselin, to take care of Basselin's friend, Patton. And a very signifi- 

 cant thing is found in the report itself, because when it comes to be 

 drawn these appraisers put this in, and I read as I have extracted 

 from the report, " The watchfulness and vigor with which Warden 

 Garmon has conducted his duties, has had a salutary effect upon 



