Washington sentinel., 1898-12-24

Secretary Of the Interior to reverse thu
ruling Of his immediate predecessor
He did not succeed.
a LARGE FRE.
Ofcourse, a SGo, 600 lee is a big tempta
tion to any man. But 1t is a small one
compared to many which have beer
received for the successful prosecution
of claims. There are records of fee:
running up into hundreds oi thousand:
Of dollars for successful management o.
land claims, and last year two men who
had been more or less instrumental in
getting through Congress the claim oi
the Southern Methodist Book Concern
far damages to its property by reason OF
the military occupation Of Nashville
became entitled to receive a fee of
| S236. o5o. They may not receive it,
though, FIR the Southern Methodists are
deeply exercised over the immortality of
lobbying the claim through Congress.
| There has been much censure of the
Book agents who made the arrangement
| and action has been taken in several OF
the conferences looking to a refusal to
accept the money from the Government.
FAMOUS CLAIMS,
To merely enumerate the famous
claims that have been made in the 1913
years OF our National history would fill
large volume. The new government
began in 1857 with an almost crushing
burden Of claims. Under the charters
granted by the English Kings the New
England Company and the Virginia
Company had been granted strips Of
territory extending across the continent
to the Pacific, given under the gen raj
belief at that time that the continent
was about as wide as Mexico. The
ghosts ofthese hovered around 40 plague
the Fathers OF the Republic. The
squatters IN Vermont claimed their land
there against the "proprietors" OF New
York. Virginia had enhanced her
claims to the country west OF the Allega-
MES by the conquest Of her General
George Rodgers Clarke-ot nearly all
OF what is now Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
North Carolina had claims up. n a large
portion Of what is now Tennessee.
Georgia had claims againstthe Cherokee
Indians TO the northwest and the Span.
iards to The south; Lafayette, Baron
Steuben, Lord Sterling and other foreign
officers who had assisted us had exten-
sive claims; the needy and broken down
officers and soldiers of the Revolution
wanted pay, pensions andland warrants;
the men who had furnished money and
supplies to the struggling Continentals
wanted pay; the Northern States, which
had made extensive expenditures for
the purpose Of carrying on the war for
National independence, wanted reim-
bursement; and altogether Uncle Sam
had very "hard Shedding upon entering
his business career. But he managed
to pull through, as he always does.
Connecticut was given a large slice OF
land in Ohio, in satisfaction of her
claims, and Virginia received the
fertile valley Of the Scioto River. La.
fayette was given a Township OF land
and S2oo 900; Steuben got a pension of
$4,000 and 10000 acres Of land near
Utica, N. Y; Lord Sterling received
a Township Of land and pension. and
the lesser officers and soldiers received
pensions and grants; the Southern States
were bribed to accept the debts of the
Northern by the location Of the National
Capital at Washington, and so on.
The trOubIous times OF the Napole.
onic wars, eliminating in our own war
with France, and second war with Great
Britain brought fresh patches of claims.
There was visible reminder OF one OF
the most notable Of these to be seen on
the streets of Washington until very
recent year. He was Col. Sam c. Reid
whose father, Captain of the privateer
General Armstrong. made such heroic |
in the port Of Fayal in NOvem.
ber,ISG4, against the British fleet sailing
to attack New Orleans, as to disable the
feet, and give time which General
Jackson made the most Of in preparing
the defense of that city Most of his
long lne, except the four years he spent
fighting for che Southern Coniederacy,
Col Reid passed in Washington, trying
to get Congress to pass a bill granting
him a large sum in compensation for
his fathers services and losses, ana his
personality and story became very
familiar to the residents Of Washington. |