The National tribune., 1909-06-03
ANSWERS TO
CORRESPONDENTS.
A Word to Correspondents.

Please DO not Write on botn slues OF your
letter paper Sign your full name, mot neces,
proper names very distinctly. Do not ab.
breviate your words. Give your postonice ana
State. We get letters occasionally In which
either the name or postoftice address has
been overlooked. Do not mix business ques-
tions and correspondence. Use separate
sheets of paper. Ali letters will be given
prompt attention, ether by mail or In The
National Tribune.
A. F. B.. Springfield, ILL.,: The Chief
Engineer of the Panama Canal says the
canal will be finished in 1915. The
work of construction is the greatest
ever undertaken by man. There are
now about 10000 men on the pay rolls
of the Government in this mighty un-
dertaking.
]. X. B.. Poland, O.: Citizenship Is
acquired by nativity, naturalization, de-
scent and annexation of territory. There
are three methods of obtaining the
rights of American citizens: /. Children
born in the United States and subject
to the Jurisdiction thereof" 2. Chill
dren born of American parents whose
fathers have resided in the United
States. 8. Those embraced by the nat
uralization law, which would include
those naturalized and their children,
minors at the time of naturalization. II
within the jurisdiction of this country.
Concerning inhabitants of the acquired
territory, incident to the 3panish-Amer-
lean War, Porto Rico, Philippines. ETC.,
the inhabitants are not Citizens of the
United States, but are under the pro-
lection of the United States. Citizen
was a term much used at the end Of
the Revolutionary period, when a wave
of ultra-republicanism swept over the
country. 1t was in imitation of the
custom in France. The term fellow
citizens in its American application is
first found in the inaugural address Of
Patrick Henry, of Virginia, as first Gov
ernor under the Constitution.
S. c., Coulterville. ILL.,: The Govern
| ment does not pay the funeral expenses
of pensioners, except IN the District OF
Colunb bia.
B. M. Miles, Pawnee City, Neb.: The
pay of private soldiers of the United
States Army at different periods has
been as follows: 1890. SO a month;
1895. 81; 1898, IS; 1872: IS; 1siS' 80:
1888, Sc; 1898, 81; 1854, $11; 1851, SIS;
1864, SIG; 1871 and to date, $13.
c. P. T., Duluth, Mimi: The law is
| too often construed from hair-spli:-
| ting standpoint. Your case seems
just one, but the court does not look at
| it as you do. "A case in your state is
recalled wherein justice was denied the
Chaplain F. A. Conwell, OF the 1st
Mimi, secured power of attorney from
| a number of soldiers, and filed on
| honesteads in the Valley of the Minne-
sofa River Among them was Adam
Beatty, of the 1920 Ohio. The day be-
fore Conwell filed the claim at st. Peter
Beatty was killed at Petersburg. Beatty
had advanced the Land Office fees, and
the Government still has the money.
The heirs of Beatty were not allowed his
rights, for the reason that the Interior
| Department declared that under the
| law the power of attorney expired with
| the death of the principal. In his case
the opinion of Judge Sutlif, OF Ohio,
was presented, viz: ANY contract made
by the agent after the death OF his
| principal, without knowledge of the
event, in law can and in equity should
| be held binding. This is such a con-
tract" Beatty paid the price, and yet
| his family is denied the benefit NJ
right he fully earned. From common
sense view it would seem that the rul-
ing of the Department should have been
in favor of the Beatty family. If the
filing had been made an hour before
| the bullet performed its fatal mission
| Beatty would have been safely within
/ the strict letter of law.
S. j. G., Pottstown. Pa: The Great
Eastern, an English-built ship. from
1859 to 1901, was the largest ever tloat-
! ed. She was $50 feet long and had a
gross tonnage of 1S,915 and had capaci-
| ty to carry about 5000 people. Her
history was one of interest, having laid
| the first Atlantic cable and cables in
other oceans and seas. After serving
as commercial ship, then in troops
carrying service, 1884 found her coal
hulk at Gibraltar, and three years later
she was sold and broken up.
| P. C. F., Springfield, Mass: There
are several kinds of land scrips on the
market. The principal ones are: /.
Soldiers additional rights. These GER
| tificates are in 40 and 80-acre denomi-
nations, and are worth from IS TO IS
an acre. The homestead law gave every
citizen the right to take up 160 acres
of land of the value of $1.25 an acre.
Inside of railroad grants the Govern
| ment land was valued at $3.50 an acre,
| and homestead claims were limited to
80 acres on this account. The country,
feeling its appreciation of the veterans
of the civil war, gave them the privi-
lege in such cases of taking an addi-
tiOnal acreage, SO as to make their
claims the full 100 acres. The entry in
such cases must have been made before
June %, 1879. At first contiguous land
was given, but later the courts decided
that land in any State could be ac-
quired, and the beneficiary could use
the right in any way he chose. "It was
| an unfettered gift in the nature of COM
I
Sanborn. 2. Forest basis. This is land
that is within the limits of forest re-
serve that had been disposed o, by the
United States prior to the establish
ment of the forest reserve. When such
reserves were established under the act
of Congress of June 80, 1891, parties
owning such lands within the limits of
| the reserve could, if they desired, re-
linquish it to the United States, and
make selection of lands in lieu thereof
outside of the forest reserve. This law
was repealed March g, 1905, but was
not effective against lands III what is
known as the San Francisco Mountains
Forest Reserve, owned by the Atlantic
& Pacific Railroad. There is still a
considerable amount of this basis out
standing, and it is worth about $40 to
| $11 per acre in denominations of 40, 80
and 100 acres. 8. Northern Pacific ba-
sis. This scrip is founded on lands lost
| to that company thru tile Government
| having permitted homesteaders to enter
them, and is worth Sc to So per acre.
| It can only be used in the States touch
ed by the Northern Pacific Railway. 4.
| Alabama lieu selection rights These
are similar to the Northern Pacific, but
are not confined to any particular State
| may be located upon any lai.1 subject
| to homestead, non-mineral and not oc-
cupied, or which has not been with
drawn for reclamation purposes and
| for any other purposes. Worth So to
| So an acre. 5. Porterfield. This Cali
fornia Spanish grant scrip at one time
was supposed to have a larger purchas-