31 



of Kansas City — well known as a favorite contractor of the 

 Interior Department — and was signed by Commissioner Smith, 

 July 11, 1874. It contained the usual phrases "that the article 

 furnished should be subjected to a thorough inspection and care- 

 ful comparison with the samples thereof" ; and the usual bond was 

 required. The price paid was twenty-one dollars per barrel. 



VI. Flour issued at the Agency. 



My attention was called to the flour rations at this Agency by 

 Red Cloud himself, and this was one of the samples he gave me 

 to take to Washington. A few days afterward, I saw the issue 

 of provisions at the Agency, and my attention was again attracted 

 to the subject by seeing a sack of flour, which an Indian woman 

 had just received and was carrying away, burst open, and part of 

 its contents fall on the ground. This flour was dark in color, and 

 adhesive to the touch, although it had not been wet, and inferior 

 in quality. The flour was in a single sack, without any brand 

 whatever. 1 afterwards saw in the warehouse, apparently put up 

 in the same way, and entirely without brands, a considerable 

 number of sacks, although the contract especially stipulated that 

 the flour was to be, " fresh ground, of XX quality, to be made 

 wholly from good, sound wheat, and to be delivered in good, 

 strong, double sacks, each sack to be branded " Indian Depart- 

 ment Flour." On none of the flour that I saw in the warehouse, 

 did I observe any inspector's brands, although some of the sacks 

 may have had such marks without my noticing them. 



I afterwards saw flour in three different Indian lodges, and all 

 appeared to be of the same quality as that I saw issued at the 

 Agency, and essentially the same as the sample Red Cloud had 

 given me, although I made no direct comparison between the 

 two. As the fairness of the latter, as a sample of the flour 

 issued at the Agency, was subsequently questioned by Commis- 

 sioner Smith and others responsible for Indian management, I 

 have taken considerable pains to ascertain the quality of the flour 



