Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-05-21
zzTHE
1GZ4BASSSSE:Tsr[ !.
by CEAIHi
sstS assgg F. HENRYRELLl0T
Copyrighted by American Press Association
by American Press AssOciatiOn.l

eminent bartered the just claim of ouI
merchants on France to obtain relin.
quishmento of the French claim.
On this view of the case it would seem
that the merchants have an equitable
claim for indemnity from the United
States"
But, not to go into an argument, Capt.
Bassett took ''this view Of the case" at
any rate, and spent part of several win
tiers in Philadelphia and Washington try
ing to get his money; and at five years
difference in time he was instrumental
in securing two favorable statements of
fact-one by Mr. Giles in 1902, aud the
other by Mr.. Marion in 1907. But by
this time he was growing old and at
tached to his arborial stoop at home, so
that in that year he formally gave the
claim to his only son, Windward Bassett,
born aboard the unfortunate Sunbeam
on a cruise to the Windward Isles in 1863.
Windward Bassett was the shopkeeper
of the family, and was too busy and pros
porous to make a good claimant. More
over, for a number of reasons, the French
claims fell into disfavor at this time, and
between 1918 and 1924 met the only three
unfavorable reports they ever encounter
ed. Windward Bassett did not neglect
the claim, however, by any means, but
shortly after the old shippers death,
which occurred in 1915, he put the bill,
shOpkeeper fashion, into the hands of an
attorney for collection, and went prosper
ously on selling kegs of nails, big shoes
and rum to his neighbors.
Windward Bassett, second, his oldest
son, would naturally have inherited the
heirloom on his fathers death in 1887,
! but he had little more reverence for it
than his father had entertained, and so
had willingly assigned it to his younger
brother, Thomas Jefferson Bassett, who
loved politics and adventure, and wished
for nothing so much as a good excuse for
! a sojourn in Washington.
Thomas Jefferson Bassett, or old Tom
/ Bassett, as he was universally called for
the last forty years of his life, deserves
more than a passing notice. For the
greater part of two generations he was
an object of generation and mystery to
the Bassett family and to the townspeo-
pie generally. He was a man of great
decision of character and fOrtitude of
mind, but of a sunny disposition and the
hndest manners in the world. In his
leisure, and one of his pecuiarities was
that he never seemed to have any bust
ness, he was fond of telling stories, and
was in fact famous throughout the coun-
ty for his anecdotes and "reminiscences.
He had mixed with men, had travelled
widely, he observed keenly, had ready
and retentive memory, and, withal, the
gift of story telling. Ana, what was
rather strange in a story teller, old Tom
Bassett was not liar; all of his remin-
iscences were genuine and honest, as in
deed his life in all respects was simple,
sincere and blameless.
Tom Bassett went to Washington for
the first time in 1927, the hopes of claim
ants having been revived in that year by
favorable report made to the senate by
Mr.. Holmes, buttressed by new evidence
and cogent argument. From that time
on he took an active interest in the
claim and in the claims, and was con-
cerned in the legislation upon them until
shortly before his death at good old :
age in 1879. Would that he had written
his memoirs of Fifty Years Lobbyist
at Washington" As it was, he merely
talked in the easy chair to eagerly listen
ing friends, instead of to the world
through a stenographer; but that talk
was nevertheless an epitome of our po-
htical history, for he had known public
men, not conventionally through books
or by reputation, but from personal and
familiar intercourse.
During this half century, forty favor
able reports had been made on the claims
and they had passed both houses of con-
gress twice, only to encounter a presi-
Dental veto. 1t was reported that Tom
Bassett, like George Washington on great
occasions, broke over his habit of kind
and temperate language when the second
veto, that of Pierce, was transmitted TO
the house of representatives. 1t certainly
chilled his enthusiasm, for from that
time forth his visits to Washington were
less frequent and his association with
public men less intimate. Then the civil
war came on, and thoughts were turned
aside from petty grievances, though in
the thickest of the strife Charles Sumner
found time to write his mastery report
on the subject, q classic among our state
papers, and an argument upon which
the claimants can, and probably will,
rest their case for all time to come.
Meanwhile death had not been idle,
and at the appointed hour both Wind
ward Bassett, Toms elder brother, and
Charles Caleb BaSsett, Windward Bas-
sett's son, went to their account. How
well Summers irony applied to this fam
lily! "The great speculator," he wrote,
''has been death; for there are few of
these claims that have not passed through
his hands"
Charles Caleb Bassett, born in 1928,
never took much interest in the heir
loom, save as he was amused at his I'm
Gle Toms Washington anecdotes. He
was the scholar of the family, the pride
and hope of all; but he died at 30,
leaving a widow and one child of
years, bearing the family name of
Windward BaSsett. Four months later
aposthumous daughter, Florence, was
born.
CHAPTER II.