The sun., 1897-11-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Those Indian Depreciation Claims-Ths
Case Of Simeon Kemp The Draft
Dogs Of Belgium.
n0pecial Correspondence.1

stories GnaC 10 uoC coAuAAn V"o oo'AoouAnS
of dollar mark are not considered stand
ard. il is small wonder that recent
case filed in the supreme court Of the
United States should have failed to at
tract notice. The case is that of Simeon
Kemp, q citizen of Texas, who in 1891
secured Judgment against the govern
ment in the court of claims for 81, 600
for the loss of certain property destroyed
by tho Comanche Indians. The amount
in itself is insignificant, but a legal
point that is involved in the decree of
the court of claims applies to some 4, 600
other cases or claims against the govern
ment, amounting $40, 900, 00O
The case has been appealed from the
court of claims and has been advanced
for hearing Oh the 9th day OF December,
when it will be presented and argued
before the supreme court
Four Thousand Similar Gases.
The statute of the United States
which guaranteed indemnity to persons
losing property at the hands of the H.
dams provided that person who lost
property should present his claim to the
proper Indian agent, together with his
proofs, and that such agent should make
demand upon tho tribe of Indians whose
members were charged with the depre-
dation for satisfaction. In this case and
in some 1000 other cases now pending
in the court of claims this demand was
never made The United States and the
defendant tribe of Indians claim this
should be done before the claimant
would have right to recover. Judge
John G. Thompson Of Danville, Ills,
assistant attorney general, who raised
this question, has perfected the appeal
and will present the matter and the ar
gument to the supreme court when the
case comes up for hearing.
A Washington Gift Horse.
"Probably there never was gift
horse so thoroughly and persistently
looked into the MOUTH said an official
at the capitol, "as was the iron safe
and it's contents which were presented to
the capitol during the centennial year
by Mrs. Deems of Brooklyn. The safe,
q few weeks after it's reception-and
congress has never yet formally received
twas pushed out on to the eastern
portico and remains there yet. Under
the law governing such matters the ar
chitect of the capitol has no authority
to give it honse room. He has, howev.
er, covered it with boards, and thus
keeps it safe from inclement weather.
In the carly part of the centennial year
Mrs. Deems conceived the idea that it
would be the proper thing to have all
persons holding high official places to
sign document setting forth the posi-
ton held by them, all to be dated July
4, 1876. In addition to this she request
ed all eiancrs to furnish copies of the
photographs which We're locked up in
the safe. Her desire was that the safe
should remain unopened until July 4,
1916. President Grant took kindly to
her intention and started out the list OF
signatures, as did the members Of his
cabinet aud the greet majority of the
senators and representatives, III congress
that day. Hundreds and hundreds OF
departmental aHl other officials, the
justices Of the United States supreme
and tho local courtsiaLd United States
Judges in all parts Of the country also
handed in their ;"::J,..22.2,t lures and photo
graphs.
Deaths Work IN Twenty-two Years.
cat the proper moment and without
much ceremony tho big ircn safe was
locked, the signatures and photographs
having previously been incased in air.
tight copper boxes. All who were about
the capitol that day were allowed to
put their autographs in the safe, and
with tho others mine went i'll. But ~
years have passed, and nearly every
man whose autograph went into tho
safe has passed away. Some one prom
ised to get congress to pass d resolution
accepting the gift, to which conditions
of no kind except that it be kept safely
were attached, for Mrs. Deems gave the
safe and all her labor in connection
Herewith free and out Of pure patriot.
ism, but tho somo one forgot to do so.
The architect Of the capitol could do
nothing else than to have it lifted out
side of the capitol for under the cir
cumstances it could not legally find a
home there. The law was construed that
it was all right if the safe and its con.
tents slept fer 100 years on the outside.
There it is today, and not one person IN
every 10000 persons who see it from
day to day knows or ever heard any
thing Of its history, for no sign or any
thing else indicating the contents OF the
safe will be allowed upon it. y
The Graft DoEs Of Belgium.
On March 10, 1897, an instruction
was sent to the consuls in Belgium,
France, Germany, tho Netherlands and
Switzerland directing them to report
upon the use IT dogs as draft animals III
their respective districts. Harvey john
son, consul at Antwerp, wri'cs that the
draft dogs arc nearly ill ownrd by peas
ant farmers who bi'irg their produce
"to town" il c;t::.,,,' drawn by their own
dogs, ard when there exists 4 surplus
of dogs they are Evovght to the city on
"market days and sold.
A young dog ready for work cost from
S1S to $40 The highest utility Is at
tanned where two, three four or five
dogs are harncssel abreast and placed