Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-25
DEBTS OF UNCLE SAM.
Creditors Who Have Peculiar Claims
Upon the Government.
THE QUEER DEMANDS THEY MAKE.
Over Two Million Cases of This Sort on
File at the Capitol.
LIFE MADE A BURDEN TO LEGISLATORS

WASHINGTON, Jan. A-Never was any
body SO pestered by duns as Uncle Sam.
Claimants who say that he owes them money
are always swarming about the Capitol
when Congress is in session, while thou
sands are clamoring continually by letter
for payment Some OF them are cranks and
not few of them are frauds, but many are
honest creditors, hopeful or despairing of
settlement Unpaid victims haunt the
legislative lobbies, from Congress to Con-
cress, pursuing the delinquent debtor with
never-dving hope, while scores of others
are relegated to the poorhouses and the
'lunatic asylums. Some of the claims are
handed down by the creditors from genera
tion to generation, legacies usually produc-
ductive of misery and unhappiness.
Much of the labor incidental to the settle
ment of claims under existing laws iscaused
by claim agents Many of them are not
very reputable persons. They send cir
culars broadcast to the uniformed, suggest
ing that the latter are entitled to money
from the Treasury. Bv way of fee for look
ing into the matter, they demand 81 or
s. in advance with the assurance that moth
ing further will be demanded unless the
claim is allowed. Having got the fee, their
interest ceases in the claim, which is in due
course disallowed. Meanwhile they send
out more circulars soliciting victims. Con-
sequently, more than 60 per cent of all
claims are devoid of merit
Suits Brought for Value of Slaves
To this day suits are being instituted for
slaves killed and stolen by the Creek In
dians 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 Government for dogs taken BY
Indians, their worth being reckoned at
from IS to $50. A woman in Nebraska ap-
piled recently for repayment for property
destroyed by Indians, who, on August z,
1864 burned her house and carried her into
captivity for Is months. Not very dissimi-
lar is the case of a woman at Davenport.
Ia, who was captured in 1866 in
Southern Kansas and held for
two months, when she was bought by an In
dian trader for 81 600 and returned to civili-
zation. Now she is suing for $50, 900, which
was stolen on that occasion from her father,
who had brought the money from England
in the shape of gold and notes of the Bank
of England. Claims for Indian depreda-
tons against Uncle Sam aggregate S24, ,00o,-
600, ranging in amount all the way from
So 75 to 81, 2S1, $50.
There are many cranky claimants. One
man wants $3.50 for cutting the corns of
soldiers during the Rebellion. Another per-
son desires SIS in payment of pair of
trousers which were eaten off a clothesline |
IN 1876 by a Government goat In Brook |
lvn there is a citizen who petitions for $500 |
IN settlement for a calf killed by a cattle |
inspector, who put a tin tag through the |
animals nostrils and caused blood poison |
ing Another applicant wants SIS for the |
stealing and taking away of one sky-blue |
horse
Claims Pressed for Confederate Services.
Now and then persons file claims against |
the United States for service in the Confed- |
crate army. An old man named Taylor,
from Chicago, has asked several Congresses
for SO, 600 in payment for having suggested
TO President Lincoln the idea of issuing
greenbacks Colonel de Arnaud has made
repeated demands for $50, 900, which he con-
siders is due him for showing General Grant
how TO capture the town of Paducah, XIV.
Two years ago the famous Private Dalzeli
issued what he called Christmas Present
10 the Soldiers" 1t was in the shape of
circular announcing that S140, ,000, 900 was
in the Treasury at Washington, waiting to
be distributed among the veterans. All
that was necessary was that they should
write and ask for their share of the sum,
which had been discovered to be due them
for extra travel pay, allowance for rations,
etc. On that account more than TO- 600 let
tiers were received by the Second Auditor,
thus giving rise TO an immense amount of
trouble. Mr.. DalzeI has now reduced his
estimate of the claim to 81, ,000,00
Union soldiers who were never formally
mustered out come to Washington frequently
and obtain their discharge at the War De-
partment. AT the same time they ask for
pay from the close of the war to the date of
such formal release, and are surprised and
grieyed at not getting it. Others write
that having been paid for their services in
greenbacks, they now want the difference
between the value of the greenbacks they
received and gold, paper money having
since risen to par. One difficulty commonly
experienced in paying war claims out of the
Treasury, under existing laws, concerns the
widows. Not a few old soldiers seem to
have had as many as three or four widows,
while many of them had two each. Thus i:
Is very puzzing to find out which one to paw
IN every case. Some foreigners who en-
listed had families abroad and families in
this country also Naturally, the widows
on this side usually appeared first for money
due, and, after they were paid, claims would
come in from the real and previous widows
across the ocean.
Odd Claim of Survivor.
One Of the oldest claims was presented
not long ago by the sole survivor of mas
'o'lit OA llG pldlIlS IulEIy Years ago a |
family of emgrants 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 were
killed, but the youngest member of the ex-
Pedition, male infant, was carried into . .
captivity. Having grown up 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
a Quartermaster in the army, who had ap- !
Piled II to his own uses. The amount, $3.50, j
was paid by the Treasury and charged a
against the Quartermaster
To illustrate the difficulties which attend
claim may be mentioned the case of i
Colonel B, who raised regiment for
the Union Army in Pennsylvania He was r
made Colonel Of and was ordered to Wash \
lngton. While there he was kidnapped and
shut up Tor long time in the old Capitol
prison. The whole affair Is mystery :
which Will never be solved probably. At
all events, the unfortunate man having dis
another officer was appointed TO
his command and he led the regiment to 4
the field. Investigation made wears later \
showed that Colonel b expended s60 OO0 III
in raising and equipping the troops. His