Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-04-17

The Easter Frolio on The White
House Grounds.

German and colored nurses, wear.
ing the inevitable French caps,
marshalled an army of pretty in
fantry toward the White House
grounds, The adjacent streets
were thronged on the field Of
battle the struggle for eggs was
fierce and prolonged, and when
the.camp followers were left alone
with the spoils, thousands Of eggs
strewed the sward.
The children who come to tn e
egg breaking constitute an essen
TALLY democratic mob. No chill
dren are too dainty, none too hum
bic, and none too young, to enjoy
the sport. Between "Baby" Nc
Kec, who is Of course entitled to
the first place among society in
fants during the present admins.
tralion, down to the half clad coll
ored youngsters from unknown al.
leys, is a social distance as difficult.
Of adequate comprehension as the
distance from the most remote
planet to the earth, and yet for a
few hours they are parts Of the same
picture. In fact, the ebon youth
has the better. Of most of the
wealthier children, for he is
learned in the art Of breaking eggs,
and generally winds up with his
stomach and pockets alike full.
saw one colored boy being at
tended by a friendly policeman,
who stated that the lad claimed TO
have eaten forty eggs, and choked
on the forty first.
A history Of White House chill
dren would make an interesting
volume, there have been SO many
generations Of them in that build
ing. The most interesting one |
recall was little Tad Lincoln, who
had,a.full officers outfit and used to
make war all by himself in the
noisiest possible way and whose
death, in this same house was
sore sorrow to his lion-hearted
father. The Hayes children were
a peculiarly prim crew There
was only short season of spring
playing for tho Garfield ,youngs-
ters before their sorrow came,
bringing the longest season Of ST.
lence the White House ever
knew. There were no more chill
dren in the White House until the
present administration, when the
Harrison family brought enough
and to spare. And the one warm
spot in President Harrison's 9TH
erwise cold nature, SO aver his enc
mics, is his love for the babies Of
his household.
Mr.. Stone, Of Missouri, had the
uncomfortable ex perience on Fri
day of feeling the wrath Of both
friends and enemies. The ques-
ton before the house referred to
certain private pension bills fayora-
bly, reported, but Mr.. Stone spoke
on the pension problem in general.
He said he was in favor Of calling
a halt Gin this extravagant waste
of public funds" He thought the
government had done enough, and
that everything that was now done
was for mere political eHect-a
use Of the treasury for campaign
purposes.
His speech was vehemently de-
nouneed by republicans and demo-
Gratis alike-more especially by
democratic members representing
constituencies with a large soldier
element. The feeling against Mr..
Stone was so noticeable during his
remarks that he closed with only
a mild protest against further pen
sion legislation.
Whether Mr.. Stone be right or
wrong, congress owes it to deserv-
ing claimants to make provision
for the speedy adjudication Of pen
sion cases. The bureau as it ex-
lists, whether for want Of clerks, or
want Of management, is wofully
in arrears with work. A letter
written in a case is answered per-
haps in a year, perhaps never
Testimony is considered some
times only after years delay
In cases that have once been re-
jected, a rehearing on pertinent .
evidence is almost unobtainable. /
The appeal board in the interior
department is twenty-nine months 4
behind with its work. The claim /
ants are not all deserving, but the /
greatest number are certainly old i
and poor and it would be mercy I
to decide their claims as early I
as possible one way or the other. /
The man who doubts that adver- +
tising pays should see Chancey I
NJ. Depew. He had only a few
hours here on his way north, this
week, from two weeks Of southern
travelling, but in those few hours
he was interviewed fourteen times
and talked about everything, the
twelve pounds he had gained on