Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-05-23
One Billion Dollars on HAM
for Purpose Of Settling
Private Claims.
DIFFERENT FROM EUROPE
-here tho Government Hunts UP Per
sons Who Are Entitled to
Money-Wiid Goose
Chases

Washington. ID. c., Special: Cncl>
sam is notoriousiy the poorest paymas-
ter in the world, though it may ba
doubted whether he is SO bad as IS
often represented. 1t is "a widely ac-
cepted story that the government holds
funds representing the means of pay
ing private claims against the govern
ment amounting to about Il billion dol
lars. but if this is true no officer or de-
partment of the government is disposed
to admit ii.
Recently there has come to light an
illustration of the delays in settling
trusts OF which the government is eX-
ecutor. When the powers agreed on
the lndemnities they We're TO receive
for rescuillg Pekin from the boxers IN
1900. and China perforce accepted the
terms. the United States became the
trustee for various claims. and mas
since been getting money from China
by instal!ments. on the presumption
that it is to he turned over to the
American individual! ana interests That
We're injured during the uprising. 1t
is said that there is now in the con-
troll of the government. received from
China for this purpose. about ST.. O00.-
600. with nobody proving up claims
against it. and small prospect tina any
body will DO so. The question of what
to do with the money is beginning tG
give some concern, though according
to people who have been Interested IN
govelnnten claims in the past it is eX-
tremely unlikely that the concern will
ever become violcn enough to inducs
action.
Must Take Interest.
European governments. when they
come nto possession of funds of this
sort. have 4 way of setting diligently
about to find the people entitled to the
money. Uncle Sam doesn't bother his
l,4,l A-,,t .,,-1, lat.ttr I & p,nnTIn dnh'f
take enough interest to come along and
prove their claims they get no money.
There have been some famous old
claims. With. histories like romances
some of them vastly bigger than this
Chinese Indemnity. Thus there Is the
Durkee or Blaisdell claim against the
government. involving the charge that
IN connection with the construction of
some of the Pacific railroads an inn
mense block of bonds guaranteed by
the government as a bonus was turned
over to the wrong people, who realized
on them. While the people who We're
entitled to the value were defrauded.
This claim is said TO be the means of
uppor of various people in Washing
ton to the present day. Its amount is
stated all the way from $50. 900. 900 to
500. 900. 900 and the stories that are told
-and believed by some p~eople-about
it are marvellous. There is no class of
people on earth whose dispositions so
well illustrate the proverb that hope
springs eternal" as these claimants.
They never give up. Tear after year they
devote themselves to the effort to coll
lect from Uncle Sam, discouraged at
nothing. always confident they are get-
ting nearer the goal than ever. Take
the Durkee or Blaisdell claim. Recent
ly a woman who had been keeping her.
self poor for years in order to invest
her income in the efforts to get this
claim allowed. and who believed she
was about to come in for a million or
two. gave up the fight and told her
friends Of the unfortunate Investment
she had been secretly making. She was
disguised and highly exasperated, but
she did not doubt the sincerity OF the
people to whom she had been contribute
Ing in order that they might continue
the struggle for the big fund that they
claimed. and she believed. was actually
held in the treasury to meet this claim.
it has been alleged with great circum-
stance and detail that the matter had
been adjudicated. the fun set aside to
pay the claims. a-ggregating about $780,
DOC, 900. and that as soon as the proof
could be perfected there would be a.
grand melon cutting.
Leads to Inquiry.
Interest in the case of this woman.
led to an inquiry. 1t developed that the.
offices of the auditor of the treasury
and the treasurer of the United States.
knew nothing whatever of the claim.
They said the comptroller of the treas
urer might have information, and there
the inquirer went. Again assurance
was received that while the ancjenti
records might give some light. the pres
ent generation OF officials knew nothtnp
Of the matter. Maybe the court ~
claims could tell it.
Accordingly, investigation was mazda
at the OFFICES of the court of claims.
ana the first clew was secured. II was.
stated that the Durkee claim was
twenty years ago in it's prime. 1t i'm
Nolved transactions in connection with
the construction and substituting of the
southern Pacific. The people who
claimed to nave been defrauded in
some fashion when the Huntington in
terests got charge of the property, had
put their claims together and secured
their presentation in the court OF
claims. There the matter was tried
out and found to be about as sub
stantial as a Dream Sc far as any
governmental agency has known. there
have been no proceedings for many
years In connection with effort to
reopen the case. and 1t is said that such
proceedings would be utterly boot
less.
Yet. within very recent months, peo-
pie who might nave learned these facts
In a half hours inquiry. have seriously
believed themselves owners of shares
In this immense claim of $50, 900. 900 or,
more. have been perfectly confident
ithat 1t was about to be allowed by
the government. and nave devoted SER
ious consideration to the type of auto
mobiles they would buy when they en-.
tered into the enjoyment Of their
fortunes.
! PILL BOXES FoR BUTTONS.