The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-05-20
BIDDEFoRD, ME-, FRIDAY.

On or about the 10th day Of October, 1861.
John Wilson Maken-'
That Is sufficient sir. have heard OF
you. Go to the First Auditor Of fthe Treas
ury.'
did 80. He sent me to the Second Au-
ditnr. The Second Auditor sent me to tho
Third, and the Third sent mo to the First
Comptroller Of the Corn-beef Division.
This began to look like business. He ex-
amined his books and all his loose papers,
but found no minute of the beef contract.
| went to the Second Comptroller Of tho
Corn-beef Division. He examined his
books and his loose papers, but with no
success. was encouraged. During that
week l got rs far rs the Sixth Comptroller
in that division; the next week / got
through the Claims Department; the third
week began and completed the Mislaid
Contracts Department and got q foothold
in tho Dead Reckoning Department. /
finished that in three days. There was
only one place lcft for II now. laid siege
to the Commissioner of Odds and Ends.
To his clerk rather-he was not there
himself. There were sixteen beautiful
young ladies In the room writing In books,
and there were seven well-favored young
clerks showing them how. The young
women smiled up over their shoulders.
and the clerks smiled back nj them, and
all went merry rs marriage bell. Two
or three clerks that were reading looked
at me rather hard. hut went on reading.
and nobody said anything. However, /
had been used to this kind ofalacrity from
Fourth -Assistant-Juni Clerks all through
my eventful career, from the very day i
entered the first Office of the Corn-bcef
Bureau clear till passed out Of the last
one in the Dead Reckoning Division. !
had got SO accomplished by this time that
I could stand on ono foot from the mo-
mept entered an Office till clerk spoke
to me, without changing more than two,
or maybe three times.
So stood till had changed four diff
erent times. Then said to one of tho
clerkswho was reading. 4.
'Ilhstrious Yngrant where is the
Grand TurkH
What do you mean, sir? Whom do
you mean2 If you mean the Chief Of tho
Bureau he Is out
.Will he visit the harem to-day?'
The young man glared upon mo n
while. and then went on reading his pa
per. But knew the ways of those clerks.
knew was safe, If he got through be-
fore another New York mail arrived.
He only had two more papers left. After
while he finished them, and then he
yawned and asked mo what wanted.
Renowned and hOnored Imbecile: On
or about $500. .
You are the beef contract man. Give
me your papers
He took them. and for long timo he
ransacked his odds and ends. Finally no
found the North West Passage, rs regard
ed it-he found the long lost record of
that beef contract-he found the rock up
on which so many Of my ancestors had
split before they ever got to 1t. / was
deeply moved. And yet l rejoiced-for l
had survived said with emotion,
Give il to me. The Government will set
tle now.' He waved me back, and said
there was something yet to be done first.
Where Is this John Wilson Mac
kenzie? said he.
Dead
when did he dep
He didn't die ut all-he was killed.
.Howr
'Tomahawked.'
who tomahawkcd himp'
why, an Indian. Of course. You
didn't suppose 1t was the Superintendent
of a Sunday school, did you?'
NO. An Indian. was it?'
The same
.N,,,a ,f tho Indianp
His name! don't know his namc.'
Must have his name. Who saw the
tomahawking done"
Il don't know
You were not present yourself then"
(which you can see by my hair. Twas
absent
Then how do you know that Mac
kenzic is deadP
Because he certainly died Mt that time,
and have every reason to believe that
he has been dead ever since. / knoc he
has in fact
we must have proofs. Have you got
the Indian?'
OF course not
well. YOU must got him. Have you
got the tomahawk? You must produce
the Indian and the tomahawk. II Mack
enzios death can be proven by these, you
can then 90 before the commission APP
pointed to audit claims, with some show
of getting your bill under such headway
that your children may possibly live TO
receive the money and enjoy It. But that
mans death must be proven. However,
I may rs well tell you that the Govern.
ment never pay that transportation and
those travelling expenses of tho lartented
Mackenzie. It may possibly pay for the
barrel of beef that Sherman's soldiers cap
tured. IL you can get relief bill through
Congress making an appropriation for that
purpose; but 1t will not pay for tho twen-
ty-nine barrels the Indians ate.'
Then there Is only q hundred dollars
due me, and thdt isn't certain! After all
Mackenzie's travels In Europe. Asia and
America with that beef; amer all his tri-
ais and tribulations and transportation;
after the slaughter of all those innoconts
that tried to collect the bill Young
man. why didn't the First Comptroller OF
the Corn-bcef Division tell me this?
lie didn't know anything about the
genuineness of your claim.'' a..
why didn't the Second tell me? why
didn't tho Third' why didn't all those di-
visions and departments tell mel!
"Nono of them knew. We do things
hy routine here. You have followed the
routine and found out what you wanted
to know. 1t Is the best way. II Is the
only way. It Is very regular, and very
slow. but 1t Is very certain
Yes. certain death. 1t has been to the
most of our tribo. Ibegin TO feel that i.
too, am called. Young man, You love
the bright creature yonder with the gen
tie blue eyes and the steel pen behind her
ears-I SEQ II In your soft glanccs; You
wish TO marry hcr-but you are poor.
Here. hold out your hand here Is the beef
contract; 60, take her and be happy
Heaven bless you. my children!
This Is all that know about tho becf
contract, that has cycatcd 30 much talk In
al. ,,,,,r,,u,tv Tho clo..t IN vwhou, be-