National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-08
ON THE AVENUE.
sn,a1l Tslk Ahout Msn nnd Men.ure,.

face woars2 That is the result of his expert
ence as a congressman. Watterson has not
always been simply the advocate of free trade
aud the rejuvenator Of senile democratic
candidates for the presidency. His district
once consented, almost unanimously that be
should come to congress. Watterson had not
fairly settled himself in Washington before,
an old lady down in Tennessee, who had
known him when he was boy, wrote to
him for some seeds. He asked o friendly old
member from New York as to the formula to
be used in getting seeds, and was informed
that he must write to tho commissioner of
agriculture, telling what he wanted and
giving tho address to which no wanted the
seeds sent. Ho did write, and either through
his own careless wording OF the note or
through somebody's mistake at the agricul-
tural department, Watterson's entire supply
OF seeds went to the old lady in Tennessee.
There were several sacks full Of them. In
few days letters began to como by the score
from Watterson's own constituents, each one
demanding seeds. When he wrote to the
commissioner of agriculture he was informed
that his supply was exhausted. He again
sought the advice OF his friend, tho New
York member, aud explained the situation.
The New York man told him that there was
but ono course TO pursue, and that was to
borrow seed from members who represented
only commercial and manufacturing districts.
From that time on until congress adjourned
sine die, during all business hours, Watterson
devoted himself exclusively to borrowing
seeds. That is the reason so many people
never knew that he was in congress. He had
no time for congressional work. He had to
borrow seed. That is the reason, also, why
Watterson's face wears q cast Of gloom. Ho
used to smile as we'll as any other man before
he became n congressman, and ho has smiled
since, but not in Washington. The sight of
tho city always affects him unpleasantly, aud
they say that occasionally when he is just
about to convince some Pennsylvania con-
gresham that nothing but FREQ trade will
now save this wretched country he stops
short in his argument, and, with far-away
look in his eye, asks the loan of sack Of
seed"
so
Representative Holton, of Maryland, intro
duoed in the house yesterday a bill for the
relief of the legal representatives Of Rinaldo
johnson and Anne G. johnson. In 1914
Rinaldo and Anne G. lived at Magruder's
warehouse, Prince George county, Maryland
The people up in that country had been
warned that the British were coming and
that they must secure their yaluables. Ac-
cordingly Rinaldo and Anne G. put tho las
hogsheads of tobacco which constituted their
principal possessions in warehouse. Up the
river came the British, driving Commodore
Barney flying before them. They burned
both warehouse and tobacco, without
ever stopping to ask tho johnson family
If tobacco smoke were disagreeable
This is how the Johnson's lost their tobacco,
and they have been trying ever since to get
the United States to pay them for it. Every
year, for more than sixty years, there has
been a bill in congress to pay for that
tobacco. Frequently committees have re-
ported favorably upon it, and more than once
it has passed one or tho other house, but
somehow never has the legislative work of
relief been completed. In 1856 Ben Wade
made favorable report upon the Johnson
4 claim, and the names of other noted states
men appear in connection with 1t. Some of
i these old reports have been worn to dust by
long handling in committee rooms and have
disappeared, others are in small pieces, and the
reading of them is very difficult, but SO long as
bit of report is large enough TO be handled
the claimants preserve it and file it with their
petition. The papers come this year in a
strong, new, brown pasteboard box. No man
knows how many such boxes have been worn
out by the occupancy of those papers since
first they started on their weary round Of
travel. Rinaldo and Anne G. were long since
gathered to their fathers. Their children
inherited and pressed the claim, but they, too
have now all been dead for a long time. O
tho present legal representatives of Rinaldc
and Anne G. johnson but one is a grand
child of the original claimants. Whether tn
government ever pays the claim or not |
certainly would have been cheaper to hav
paid it when first presented, az least, IL tn
time of statesmen who have been examining
it for several generations is reckoned to b
of any value,
1.-THE perennial and everlasting nature o
these claims against the United States wa
very forcibly impressed upon my mind las
year." said the ex-congressman from Mary
land. "One Of my constituents, very old
old man, happened to be in Washington on
, day when the house was in session and h
asked me what was going on. 1 told him W
were considering the Meade claim
Good God said he, are 20
{ working at that Meade claim still p ii
looked very thoughtful and u little bit be
wildered. urged him to tell me the caus
, of his astonishment. This is the secon
$ time in my liie,' he said, that have viste
| Washington, The first time was more tina
f seventy years ago, when ! was small boy
+ One Of my uncles brought me to Washing
1 ton to SEQ the United States congress
, in session. What do you suppos
congress was doing then? 1t was consider
o ing the Meade claim. Twenty years ago tn
) union soldiers were passing through Mary
, land. Tho camp Of great general was nea
my farm. I sent boy to invite him over I
my house, where l thought he could hay
: something better to eat and n mol
comfortable place to sleep than in his ton
He came to my house and
/. said his name was Gen. Mead
v Then told him that l had new
i heard the name but once before, aud that WI
} fifty years ago, when heard congress di
a cussing the Meade claim. The general tol
me that the original claimant was his fathe
That was queer enough, but now you tell n
=, congress is considering the Meade claim.
= thought for an instant that the considerable
;. had been given right along for seventy year
1 l. = 4.