Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-30
VOICED THEIR ESTEEM
Action of Officers and Em-
ployes of Court Of Claims.
MEETING AT NOON
TESTIMONIAL TO CHIEF JUSTICE
CHARLES G. MOTT.
Acknowledgment Expressed of His
Courtesy and Kindness-The Lat :
ter's Appreciative Response.

The officers and employees of the Court
OF Claims assembled In the court room at
noon today and babe goodbye to Chief JUS
tice Charles G. Mott who retires today to
private life after over forty years service
on the Court of Claims bench. Besides the
officers. clerks and employees. all OF the
judges were present, including Judge Bar
ney OF Wisconsin. recently appointed to the
vacancy created by the retirement of the
chief justice
Col. Archibald Hopkins, chief clerk of the
court stated the object of the assembling
OF the Office force and presented the retir-
Ing chief justice with the following let
ter. handsomely engrossed and framed and
signed by each officer and employe:
A Unanimous Testimonial
AS officers and employees of the court of
claims we have for many years had the
honor and pleasure OF immediate personal
relations with you as the distinguished
head OF this court
I'VE have all heard with deep regret that
after your most noteworthy service during
which you have discharged the arduous
duties OF your Office with such fidelity and
honor you are about to sever your rela-
lions with US and take the rest you so
richly deserve.
I'VE cannot let the occasion pass without
presenting to you some permanent evt-
dence. not only Of the sentiment with which
this occasion inspires US. but also Of all
the esteem and admiration that men can
possibly have for a man, which we have
entertained for you since we have known
you
one of US has been marked by unfailing
courtesy and the most unvarytng kindness.
The dignity which BELTS the Judge has been
graced in your relations with those con-
nected with the court by the most thought
frI cQnSidera tinu those associated with
you which fifty marks the gentleman.
That you may be preserved for many
years of continued activity. usefulness and
health Is our sincere wish
The Chief Justices Reply.
The chief justice replied:
when I remember how prone men In
authority. men high in rank and office.
whether in the army, the navy or the civil
service are to fall into ways of severity,
and consciously or unconsciously to wound
the feelings of those beneath them; to visit
one mans offenses upon another, and as
time goes on to grow more severe and irra-
table rather than more kind and conciliat-
ing, when / remember all this l think
can truly say that this testimonial which
you have given of our relations. our
official relations and personal relations dur
ing these years, gives me more satisfaction
and more pleasure than any communication
that I have received or can recs'ye from
any person., not even SACepOtNS Tue resi-
dent himself. I thank you most heartily
for 1t.
'In bidding you farewell, l desire to say
that have lived a long time on tn . earth,
and relatively longer time In this court.
I came upon the bench an invalid, fresh
from confederate prison, much broken in
health, but 1t has been my fate to live
through two generations OF 3udg,ss. Every
Judge who was upon the bench when 1
came upon 1t has died, and his successor
has died
1.-THE clerk and assistant clerk of the
court have died. All of the employees have
died. with one exception, and that excep-
ton 1 need not name. He has been with
us. with me, and he will continue with you
And my advice to you in parting Is to
make the life you live as quiet and con-
tented as you can. If have learned any
thing from my life it is to live contentedly
and quietly, at peace with adj men, and
taking things as they come, without irrita-
ton or vexation, putting past the disap-
pointments of life as things that had bet
ter be endured, and still better be forgot
ten And with this parting word of advice.
and with my thanks to you for the good
will which you bear me, and with my testi-
mony of you to the good official life that
you have led, will now bid you goodbye,
and desire to take each of you by the
hand"
The Chief Justices Last Opinion.
The last opinion written and delivered by
Chief Justice Mott was that in the case of
the New York Indians against the United
States, being a claim OF those Indians who
were parties to the treaty of Buffalo Creek
growing out of alleged unexecuted stipula-
tons of the treaty on the part of the
United States, the amount of the Judgment.
with interest, in favor of the Indians being
nearly FIVE million dollars.