then County Clerk of Malheur County, hut now a resident of Seattle, Washington. In August, 1901. King visited Portland for the express purpose of consulting with Mays upon the subject of taking steps towards creating the reserve, and in October of that year called upon him again with a similar object in view. During this latter conference, it was arranged between Mays and Smith to pay King $4 per day and all expenses, besides giving him a half-section of school land for his services in circulating a petition for the creation of the reserve, and in working up community sentiment in its favor, as there had to be some show of legality in the proceedings in order to avert suspicion.
In December, 1901, Mays wrote to King at Vale, informing him of his intention to send Forest Superintendent Salmon B. Ormsby up there to investigate and report upon the feasibility of creating the reserve, and for King to meet him in a buggy and show him around. The humor of the situation can be properly understood when it is known that Ormsby had long been a tool of Mays, who was aware that he was "reachable" upon almost any kind of graft proposition. To send the Forest Superintendent upon such a mission is capable of but one interpretation—to pull the wool over the eyes of the public, and make it appear that the scheme of creating the reserve was in the nature of an official recommendation. It will be observed that Mr. Mays was a distinguished diplomat when measures of this character were involved, and that he possessed a wise conception of the proprieties in almost every crooked transaction undertaken by him.
Through the confessions of King during the trial of the Blue Mountain case, it was learned that the County Clerk had sublet his $4 a day contract to a local barkeeper named O. E. Pollock, who was allowed $2.50 a day and expenses for circulating the petitions, and that quite a number of the signatures thereto were very considerately written by this man, as the conspirators were crowded for time, and it was necessary to make as good a showing as possible. It was proved also that Senator Mitchell took a hand in the game by exercising his influence with the Interior Department and General Land Office to expedite the creation of the reserve, and for his part in the proceedings, the Senator was indicted with the other defendants. He died, however, before the case came to trial.
Presumably on the strength of the different petitions and representations, Binger Hermann, who was then Commissioner of the General Land Office, on March 19, 1902, instructed Forest Superintendent Ormsby to examine the land and report upon the advisability of creating the reserve. On April 14, 1902, Ormsby went to Mays' office, and was informed that Smith would accompany him on his tour of inspection, but instead a guide named William Henry Harrison went with the forest superintendent on his tour.
Ormsby returned from his trip May 24, 1902, and reported to Mays. W. N. Jones was also present, and after Ormsby had told what had been accomplished, Mays suggested to Jones that Ormsby should be given two school sections as a reward for his fidelity. At this Ormsby edged towards the door, and upon being followed by Mays, told the latter that he did not wish to talk before Jones, who was a stranger to him, but referred Mays to a Portland attorney named W. M. LaForce, who later went to Mays' office and secured an envelope containing deeds for two sections of school lands, which were to be held in escrow until the reserve was established.
While all these arrangements were being made, the association of get-rich-quick operators received a hard jolt in the shape of direct information that there was a leak somewhere, and that they were likely to experience serious competition in their scheme to corral all the school lands in the proposed reserve. It seems that Dan W. Tarpley was on the most friendly terms with Merritt Ormsby, the son of the Forest Superintendent, and as has been shown frequently heretofore, found a great deal of profit as well as pleasure, in this acquaintanceship. One day in a burst of confidence, young Ormsby told Tarpley that his
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