Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-23


hopeful or despairing of settlement. Numcr-
Gus are the bad debts recorded agains. the
government, which has often been accused OF
never paying anything when it can help doing
81.
1rue stories of lives ruined. fortunes wrecked
and homes destroyed in the prosec ution Of just
claims against this government would fill a
library of volumes. Unpaid victims haunt the
legislative lobbies from Congress to Congress.
pursuing the delinquent debtor with mover
dying hope, while scores OF others are relocated
to the poor houses aud the lunatic asylums
Some such debts due from the nation arc
handed down by the creditors from generation
to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES usually productive only
% misery ard unhappiness.
Nothing is more difficult than to get the most
just claim against Uncle Sam through Congress
However favorably recommended BIZ commit
tee, the chances arc enormously against its ever
reaching consideration by the House, Suppos-
ing that IT passes the House. miracle must in
terpose to secure its approval by the Senate
and the Presidents signature. Ii only this last
be lacking the claimant must begin at the be-
ginning again in the next Congress. as if he had
never taken step before. Tho labor OF
Sisyphus. whose stone always rolled down 10
the foo. of the hill before he could get it quite
to the top. was nothing to this.
COURSE OF SOME CLAIM AGENTS.
Much Of the labor incidental to tho settle
men. of claims under existing laws is caused by
claim agents. Many of them arc not very rep
utable persons. They send circulars broadcast
10 the unintormed suggesting that the latter
are entitled to moneys from the treasury. by
way of fec for looking into the matter they de-
manu 81 or 80 In advance, with the assurance
that nothing further will be demanded unless
the Calm is allowed. Having got the fee. their
interest ceases In the claim, which is in due
course Isallowed. Meanwhile they send out
more circulars soliciting victims. Conse-
quently more than 90 per cent of all claims are
found devoid of merit
Suits to this day being brought for
slaves killed and stolen by the Greek Indians
during hostilities with that nation in 1886 in
Alabama the value of the human chattels
being estimated at $1,000 each. There are
numerous claims outstanding against the gov
ernment for dogs taken by Indians. their
worth being reckuned at from 50 to $50. A
woman i'll Nebraska has recently applied for
repayment for property destroyed by Indians,
who, on August Z. 1874. burned her house and
carried her into captivity tor eighteen months.
Not very dissmilar is the of a lady at
davenport, Iowa. who was captured in 1865 in
southern Kansas by Cheyenne Dog Soldiers and
kept by them for two months. At the end of
this time she was bought by an Indian trader
for 5l.6JO and returned to civilization. Now
she is suing for $4,000. which WAS stolen on
that occasion from her father. who had brought
the money from England In the shape of gold
and nctcs OF the Bank of England Claims for
Indinn Expectations against Uncle Sam aggre-
gate S2i. 1000. ranging i'll amount all the
way from Sl9.75 to IL, ISL. $50.
Gen. L. w. Colby, assistant attorney gen.
eral in charge of Indian depreciation claims,
1t was who picked up the little Indian baby on
the battlefield of Wounded Knee. The fight
occurred Oh December 80, 1890, fifteen lays
after Sitting Bull was slain. Two hundred of
the redskins were killed, and the conlict was
severe that both sides retired from the
ground on which it was contested the savages
hot even returning for their wounded. Wit
hes5es were not wanting who declared that the
affair was a sheer massacre by the soldiers.
who shot down the Indians merely because the
latter refused to give up their weapons At all
events, four days afterward Gen. Colby. who
commanded the Nebraska state troops, went
over the field of battle and found living in
FAINT strapped to the back of squaw. The
child was somewhat frozen. but it actually re-
covered, and is now a remarkably pretty little
girl OF eighteen months. She has been given
an Indian name siSnifying Lost Bird" and is
to be brought up in every respect as a white
young lady would be, having been regularly
adopted by the general.
COL. CuIvISGToN's CLAIM
Col. John NJ. Chivington wants the govern
ment to pay him big sum for damage done to
his property by Indians A bit OF ancient HIS
tory is to BIO set up against his claim. For
merly he WAS a Methodist preacher in Nebraska
Aftcrward he went to Colorado and raised
regiment. which he commanded. In June.
1854. the governor of Colorado, by prociama-
ton, invited all tho friendly Indians OF Colo
RADIO. Dakota. Nebraska and Wyoming to come
into the neighborhood Of the FORTS saying that
it was desired to protect and take care OF them
during hostilities which were in progress.
Twelve hundred Of these friendly indians, re-
spending to the invitation, encamped at Sand
Creek, Col, and gave up their ar,ns. On No
vembcr "a. 1sG4, Col. Chivington led his
regiment 20 their camp, over which huttered
the United States flag and also u white dag. He
fell upon the deienseless savages and massa-
cred nearly all OF them, killing the women and
children scalping the dead cutting off their
noses and ears, numbering the squaws and
Draining tho infants torn from their mothers
arms. Now he complains OF Indian depreda-
tons to the amount of So, 900, and this record
is to be brought up against him. lie was not
punished in any way for the outrage, because
Colorado was then only territory. and he was
not an officer of the regular army
There are plenty of crank claimants, One
man wants $3.50 tor emitting the corns of SOL
diers during the rebellion. Another person
desires S25 in payment for q pair OF trousers
which were eaten OIL q clothes line in 1876 by a
government goat. In Brooklyn there is a citi-
zen who petitions for $500 i'll settlement for
calf killed by cattle inspector. who put tin
tug through the animals nostrils and so caused
blood poisoning. Another applicant wants SIS
for the stealing and taking away Of ono sky
blue horse.
SOME CURIOUS WAR CLAIMS.
Now and then persons file Chains against the
United States for service in the confederate
army. An old gentleman named Taylor, from
Chicago, has asked several Congresses for
$4,000 in payment for his having suggested
to President Lincoln tho idea of issuing green
backs. Col de Arnaud has made repeated de-
mands for so, COO, which he considers to be
due him for showing Gen. Grant how to can
ture tbs town Of Paducah, Ky. Two years ago
tho famous Private Dalzeli issued what he
called christmas present to the soldiers"
IL was in the shape OF q circular announcing
that Si43, 200. 900 was in the treasury at WASH
ington waiting to DO distributed among the
veterans. All that was necessary was that they
should write and ask for their share of this
sum, which had been discovered to be owing
for extra travel pay, allowance for rations, &c
On this account more than 10000 letters were
received by the second auditor alone, thus Civ
ing rise to an immense amount of trouble. Mr..
Dalzel las now reduced his estimate Of the
claim to 81 ,0O0, 0c0.
Frequently Union soldiers who were never
formally mustered out come to Washington and
obtain their discharge ut the War Department.
AT the same time they ask for pay from the
close OF the war to tho date Of such formal re-
lease and are both surp rised and grieved at not
getting it. Others write that having been paid
for their services in greenbacks they now want
the difference betwean the vntua of thu ureeu-