The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-24

ing for extra travel pay, allowance for
ratlons. etc. On this account more than
1000 letters were received by the second
au1itor alone. thus giving rise to an I'M
mense amount of trouble. Mr.. Dalzell
mas now reduced his estimate of the claim
TO 81 C 0,0G0.
frequently Union soldiers, who were
never formally mustered out, come 10
Washington City and obtain their dis
charge at the war department. At the
same time they ask for nay from the close
OF the war to the date of such formal re-
lease, and are both surprised and grieved
at not getting II. Others write that, hav-
Ing been paid for their services in green
backs, they now want the difference be-
tween the value of the greenbacks they
received and gold. paper money having
commonly experienced in paying war
Claims out of the treasury, under
existing laws, concerns the widows.
Not few old soldiers seem to have had
as many as three or four widows. while
numbers of them had two each. Thus it
is very pulling to find out which one to
pay in every case. Some foreigners who
enlisted had families abroad and families
In this country also. Naturally. the Wild
ows on this side usually applied first for
money due, and after they were paid
claims would come in from the real and
previous widows across the ocean.
One Of the oldest claims was brought
not long ago by the sole survivor of mas
saere on the plains. Thirty years ago
family OF emigrants was travelling through
Idaho on its way to Oregon, when it was
set upon by Indians. The father and
mother, four sons and three daughters
We're, killed, but the youngest
member of the expedition. a
male infant, was carried into captivity.
Having grown TO manhood, he demanded
from Uncle Sam the value of the wagon in
which the emigrant party was travelling
when attacked by the savages, the vehicle
having been subsequently found by
qnartermaster in the army, who had ap-
pied 1t TO his own uses. So the amount,
$3.50, was paid by the treasury and charged
against the quartermaster.
70 illustrate the difficulties which COM
monty attend getting the most just claim
through congress the case may be men,
toned of Colonel B, who raised regi-
ment for the Union army in Peunsyl-
vania. He was made colonel of it and was
ordered to Washington City. While here
he was kidnapped and shut up for long
time in the old Capitol prison. The whole
affair is mystery, which will probably
never be solved. At all events, the unfor-
tunate man having disappeared, another
officer was appointed to his command and
led the regiment to the field. Investiga-
ton, made years later, showed that Col
onel B expended $50, 900 in raising and
equipping these troops. His petition for
reimbursement has never been granted,
and he Is now pauper.
There is an old lady in West Washing
ton City named kearney. Her husband
was union soldier. During the rebellion
the federal troops encamped about her
place and took all her live stock and other
movable property, valued at 1900. She
has been asking congress for repayment
ever since, but she will never get it, though
no dispute is made of her right to the
money!
DR.. Mary Walker did good service as
surgeon in the army during the late war.
She was paid for the first twelve months,
but at the end of that time the war depart
ment discovered that it had no right to
employ woman in such a capacity.
Nevertheless she kept on without pay for
three years longer, and for this she has
asked the government 10 grant her $1,000.
Her claim has been favorably reported in
many congresses, but has never been
reached on the calendar.
The celebrated Meade claim is one of
the most remarkable known. More money
has been spent by the government in
printing documents relating to the case
than the entire sum demanded, which is
100000. This amount was lent to Spain
by Mr.. Meade, father of the hero of
#heyn Ss United ddeps ta Duy pu r4Faa
Florida from Spain, this country
agreed, as. part of the bargain, to
assume all debts outstanding on
Florida's account. OF such debts.
that owed to Mr.. Meade was the principal
one. 1t has never been paid, and never
will be paid, because. as one congressman
G. y ~ sz 49, oh
over in a lump. No question has ever
been made as to the justice of the claim.
Spain is willing to liquidate it if congress
will declare formally that the United
States refuses to pay; but congress cannot
DENY the Indebtedness and will not appro-
pirate the money, so that the heirs remain
defrauded of their dues.
Immediately after every change of ad-
ministration claims which were dis
allowed by the outgoing power come pour
ing in by the thousands, to be once more
considered and again rejected. Appli-
cants evidently imagine that what one
party will not grant may perhaps be OBJ
tanned from the other. Their per-
sistence in many cases is astonish-
ing. One citizen of Indiana, who
has not the shadow of right
to back him up, has written more than
1000 letters to the treasury respecting his
demand, and has expended more money
in postage than the government IS alleged
to owe him. He has addressed his com-
munications on the subject to every pub
lie official in Washington City from the
president down, and even to the Chinese
and other foreign ministers.
Letters received by the treasury in rela-
ton to claims are frequently abusive. One
applicant, being denied q rehearing, in
forms the second auditor that he can ego
to hi with his red tape" and that he
will get a private bill through congress.
He closes by assuring him that 'the ras-
Gals will soon be out, and he can just put
that bit of information in his pipe
and smoke it," One letter from
soldiers daughter begins: There
is legend in our family that
a claim was filed in your office by one of
my ancestors" Communications to the
second auditor come addressed sometimes
to the Second oratorio," while one was
received the other day which bore the
superscription, ''Sekun Odor of the
Treaser" Two million CLAIMS have been
entered 1T this Office alone since the war.
RENE BAcHE.