Show J I AT OLD FORT THOKNBUR6 An Official Who Has Exceeded His Duty On the old Fort Thornbnrg Reservation Reserva-tion near Ashleys Fork Uintah County a person by the name of Michael Gallagher has been quite officious offi-cious and offensive during the past summer ordering settlers off the ground and directing them not to improve im-prove or in any way possess the same This reservation having been aban doned by the government has been surveyed and will soon be thrown open I to settlers to this end persons have commenced to improve and build on I the tract which persons have been pestered i pes-tered by this Gallagher claiming that > he was placed there by the government j for this purpose The matter culminated culmin-ated about a month since when he 1 posted notices on certain property that unless the folks there left the old reservation reser-vation by November 10th he would destroy I de-stroy by fire or otherwise every vestige of improvement made by them on this land Messrs S W Darke Co of this city were informed of the situation I situa-tion and upon their advice affidavits were obtained which were forwarded by them to Commissioner Sparks on the 4th of the present month Yesterday Yester-day the followrng copy of a letter was received by them from Washington which will set the people at rest in that part of Utah DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENEBAL LAND OFFICE WASHINGTON BC October 151887 Michael Gallagher Esq Custodian Fort Thornburg Militaiy Reservation Ashley Fork Uintah County Utah I Sir This office has been advised under date of October 4 1887 that you have threatened the settlers on the Fort Thorn burgh Military Reservation that Unless I they leave before November 10 1857 you will destroy by fire or otherwise every vestige of improvements made by teem on I this land and that you claim to be acting in this matter under instructions from this officethIs In this you are certainly mistaken I was not In Washington when you were appointed ap-pointed bat am ad vised that no instructions were given you either verbal or written in regard to the settlers on this reservation Yoa were simply informed that your duty as custodian was to protect whatever government I gov-ernment buildings were on the reservation reserva-tion and see that they were not destroyed or injured by anybody You certainly have no authority to injure in any way he improvements on this land and furthermore further-more no instructions were given you to compel settlers to vacate the land BO long as they did not interfere with or injure the government buildings thereon Htnasmuch as you have siucejreported that Were are no buildings on this land belonging I be-longing to the government and as this re I serration has been abandoned by the military I mili-tary authorities I see no good reason why tiie settlers should not be allowed to remain on the land at least until anv claims they may have thereto under the provisos to second section act of July 5 184 shall have been adjudicated You wi 1 govern yourself accordingly ac-cordingly and acknowledge receipt of this letter 1 have broughtthe mater to the attention at-tention of the Hon Secretary of the Interior In-terior and if there are as you say no government govern-ment buildings to guard I do not see any need of a custodian Respectfully YY A J SPARKS rf J Commissioner |