Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-14
The French SpoiIation Claims.


Sioux City, Ia, DEC. ii.-From reia-
tiyes of Madame Nordica, the singer,
whom she visited while in this city
few days ago. il is learned that she
has placed with oX-SDeaker Thomas t.
Reed and another prominent attorney,
:. claim for between three ana Tour
million dollars which she says Is due
her as direct descendant of lchabcd
Norton. Norton was q wealthy New
England ship owner during the ReVo-
lltionary war. and had several ships
ard their cargoes coniiScate0 Dy
French vessels. The government Is
sail 10 have secured indemnity for
the loss, but Nordica claims the
amount was never paid 10 Norton or
his heirs She SAYS she has established
n complete genealogy showing herself
10 be Il direct descendant and heir TO
Norton.
Sometimes cen has TO go far 20 g.t
home news. and the New England
news in the above Iowa dispatch,
which has appeared IN several papel :
of late. is doubtless more interesting
than accurate. All Maine would re-
ioice to see 4 few millions fall into
The hands OF this talented daughter of
Franklin county, and surely ar Rec /
could win her case il anybody coGld,
but-wnll. there are lot Of butts in
the way In many a New t.nsianu
home, perhaps tisherman's cottage
on the shore or perhaps an elm shaded
farmhouse back among the hills. there
have been grand and extensive air
castles built out Of the money TO be oh
taiDed from some French spoilatio
lalms
These claims grew out OF damages
inflicted upon our commerce by French
privateers in the closing years Of the
18th century during the trouble be-
tween the United States and France
which vas regarded as pretty serious
business al the time and resulted in Il
fcw naval encounters, but which is
scarcely TecEoned as one of our wars.
above dispatch the claims have moth
ing to do NTH the Revolutionary War
nor was any actual indemnity ever
paid by France. When Louisiana was
purchased Of Napoleon. few years
later. ii MAS understood that this gov
ernnlent assumed all claims by its citi-
zene against France. and Congress
passed Il law. authorizing their pay
mtnt The total amount OF the claims
was only 3@,1-o,Oo0. representing the
loss of many vessels and their cargoes
owned 10y various Americans. mainly
New Engiandors, so it is very much
Q. an cxaggeration to put the Norton
share at ''bctwcan three and four
million dollars"
y icw OF the claims have been set
tied. but most Of them have not been
and probably never will be- There
was never Il better Illustration OF the
laws delays. Many Of the proofs Of
loss wore based on most ha:y testi-
mony, and SO many heirs nave been in
voivcu n the years have rolled on that
all sorts of confusion have resulted.
Judge T.. *. Sewell of Wiscasset. the
well known historian and the Well-be-
loved Nestor of The Lincoln bar, can
tell some tales Of these claims. Sew
eral Of them he has been working on
FOR over half 4 century, and in some
IA -, l,;c al hN
ting tor N I'm the long-awaited money,
within the past year or two, and in
others the end seems as far off as ever
The claim has to be adjudica:ed by the
court Of claims in Washington and
then comes the struggle to get the ap-
proDriation through Congress. After
struggling on for awhile the lawyers
and the h,irs directly interested die,
and the matte drops for generation
or tWo.
About everybody in this section VINO
can figure out an ancestor '.ho Went -
sea or vas interested IL ..hippics, 4
century ago, il 4 pot"r'i Il millionair,,
tut the asset il hardly "n" tha. viii
serve as security Cor a loan 1T u con-
.tr>atiVe banking Institution. And -
nile We hope Madam" ! idi,a VII
get her millions. we f"-i that one ic,e
Of her Wonderful vor"a j. solth far
mere to her than all <nc j. likely II
realize on the lost ships of Icha hcd
Norton.