Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-29
At THE WHITE HOUSE
Charges Made BY Owners Of
the Lake Dredges.
WILL BE CONSIDERED
OF ARMY EN-
aINEERs TO BE TAKEN Up.
Old Controversy Over wilkes Booths
Death NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
Arizona Indians.

Owing to statements made to the Presi-
dent by the dredge owners Of the great Takes
that their investments, amounting to mil
lions of dollars, are being jeepardized by the
policy of the War Department In building
government dredges, Mr. Roosevelt will take
up for consideration the best thing to be
done. He has been going into the subject
carefully for some time and proposes 20 con-
tinue. until he ascertains what IL best for
the government to do. Then he will take
whatever action Is necessary.
Chase 8. Osborn, a Michigan newspaper
owner and prominent in the politics of that
state, talked with the President this morn
ing on the subject of the governmentss poll
cy as to lake dredges. Mr.. Osborn4is from
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich, where many men
at work on Lakes Superior and Huron make
their homes Mr.. Osborn told the President
that the dredge men Of the lakes believe
that the government has wronged them by
encouraging them to invest in dredging
companies and then reversing its policy and
beginning the building of lake dfedges. He
said that the dredge men have US, GEO. 900
invested. and that they feel that this is
practically being taken away from hem.
Engineers of the army several years ago
claimed that the dredge concerns on the
lakes combined for the purpose Of making
the government pay exorhitant prices for
dredging, and that there was little COM
petition among them, the governments hav
ing to pay about whatever figures were
agreed upon. 1t was recommended that the
government build dredges of its own and
operate them when necessary, ApprOpria-
tions were made for several dredges and
these were constructed by the War De-
partment in the face of great opposition.
The experiment is claimed to be successful,
and the army engineers continue to recon-
QQEernmant.
own dredges.
Allegations of the DredGe Men.
1t is charged by the lake dredgera how
ever. that the War Department n now
building ten new dredges without the War
rant of appropriation or authoEty from
Congress, the payments being ,nss4eai of
various appropriations not intendSa FOR this
purpose 1t is charged that ten new dredges
are being constructed at totsa cost of
100000, and that three or fel OF these
are intended for use on the lakes, the re-
mainder to be used in differert parts OF
the country. This action OF. the department
is being protested, and the President will
be called upon to decide whether money is
being spent without warrant Of law. asAt
least he will be asked to consider whether
the War Department is not proceeding in
an Illegal manner, and whether II Will not
be best for the government to discontinue
In the face of the statements of the lake
dredge concerns.
Up to this time the opposition of the lake
interests has not succeeded in accomplish
ing anything at the White House and War
Department. Many dredge men have been
in Washington for several days and have
made calls at the White HOUSE, pressing
their view of the case. The President will
ask the War Department for the other side
and will also confer with congressman fa-
mlliar with river and harbor work In vari-
Gus parts of the country.
Booth Controversy Revived.
Representative Dixon of Montana, who
was at the White House today, said that he
had received Il letter from man who
claims that Wilkes Booth was never killed
near Washington. Mr.. Dixon recently In
troduced bill in the House granting a
pension to Judge E. J. CoEger Of Dillon.
Mont, who, t is claimed, commanded the
detachment Of cavalry that overlook Booth
and killed him. Mr.. King correspondent
repeats an often-pubiished stary that Booth
escaped and lived In the west until January
4, 1903, when he committed suicide at Enid,
Oklahoma territory. The writer produces
what he claims to- be pictures of Booth at
twenty-seven years of age sthirty-eight
years, when he lived in Texas, and sixty
four years, just before he killed himself.
The writer wants to come to Washington to
appear before the pensions committee of
the House and give his story He proposes
that Mr.. Dixon offer a resoluti0n to have
committee appointed to take testimony as
to whether John Wilkes Booth vas killed
or escaped, and forever set OF rest the
question of what became OF him. The
writer claims to have ample proof that
produce it under proper circumstances.
Destitution Of Indianss
The condition of the Pima ana Papago
---n.xs -
the attention of the President and the De-
partment of the Interior by Rev. Thomas
C. Molfett OF Tuscon. Ariz. 1t is de-
clared that many of these Indians. who
number 7.50o are IN great destftution, and
the commissioner OF Indian affairs has been
for years endeavoring to solve the problem
of obtaining water for the ifffgation Of
their fertile lands. For $50 years the Pimas
lived In the same region they now occupy
on the Gila river. raising aaf8e crops OF
wheat, barley and melons. White 1nen set
Ting further up the river depfived them
years ago .of their water. supuay and for.
six years the Indians have been IN desti-
tute circumstances. Without relief by the
government they would have starved. The
annual rainfall rs only eight mc4ses and
with this and some spring water about one
tenth of crop has besn raised. This
spring has been the driest the Indfans have
ever experienced, and the. agent reports to
the Department of the Infefior that the
tribe will suffer unless a iark0 appropria-
tion is made for relief.
Presidential NominstionA
The President today sent the fsiIowing
nominations to the Senate: ~
To be collectors of customs, stephen E.
Church for the district OF Bristol and War
rem. state OF Rhode Island.
To be a lieutenant in the navy. Lieutenant
0unior grade) George L. Smith; ensigns to
be lieutenants Gunior grade). Joseph X.
Tussig, John w. Greenslado James H
Tomb. James r. Combs and Herbert c.
Sparrow.
Leaves for Street Rail1say Employss.
s In q report to the pepzrtment OF com-
merce and Labor B. H. Warner IN. consul
at Leipzig. Germany, saye that one of the
most Important s&reet ra51road Hnas In the
kingdOm OF 6aNquy has Decided ~ &fant all
employees annual leRve OF absenee with pay.
To tho1e employees who have been in the
SarYfca two year1 ard leN& thar 0xa ara