The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-01-26

government now penang IN WASH
ington. Some of them are obvious
ly faxed, and the best are very stale.
The following are cited as fair IL
Illustrations:
PoSTOFFICE CLAIMS.
One is a claim by various post
masters, in many of the States, for
extra compensation for their SER
vices between 1864 and 1874. This
is handled by a lobby of claim
agents.
A WAR CLAIM.
Another is a suit brought against
the Government in the Court of
Claims, for the loss of the coaling
schooner T. p. Leined, with her
cargo. both valued at $4,000. She
was commanded by Capt. Frambes,
of Atlantic City, during the Civil
war. and. it is alleged, was SUM-
off Cane Hatteras while under char
ter with the government to supply
fuel to the warships. She was
caught in gale and was driven
under the guns of the Confederate
: warships. In endeavoring to escape
capture, she ran on the shoals, and
Captain Frambes and crew stuck to
the vessel until she pounded to
pieces" This is a picturesque de-
scription of an affair that has but a
scanty foundation of fact. First,
all the coal used in the navy was
purchased by the government, and
the owners of the vessels in which
it was shipped had no interest in the
cargoes. Next, the government
assumed no responsibility for the
vessels; the contract price for carry
ing covered all risks of loss or cap
ture. Next, there were no Con
federate warships' near Cape Hat
teras. There were some Confeder-
ate gunboats, and the iron clad
/ ram "Albemarle,' in Pamlico
/ Sound, and the principal streams
emptying into it; but they were in
tended for the defense of the river
| lines, and never ventured outside
the Sound. Most of the gun-boats
were destroyed by the Union YES
sells, and the "Albemarle" was blown
up by Lieut.. Cushing, in Roanoke
/ river, on Oct. 81, 1864. And if the
! captain of the coaling schooner SO
! handed his vessel that she pounded
on the sand bars along the coast, his
| owners have been an unconscionable
time in finding out that the govern
ment was to blame for it.
A LITTLE HATCHET" CLAIM.
But the most remarkable case in
the collection of antiques is a claim
by Col. Robert e. Lee, Jr., admin
! istrator de bonis non of George
Washington, for 100000. This
claim, as stated by Col. Lee, has the
following foundation:
In 1853, Lord Dunmore, Cover
nor of Virginia, issued a land war
rant to John Rootes, which was
| bought from him by George Wash
| ington. Later the Legislature of
/ Virginia passed a joint resolution
which provided that all persons who
| served in the army and held land
warrants might exchange them for
warrants which would permit them
| to locate on the vacant lands re-
| served on the western side of the
Ohio River for officers and soldiers
/ of the Continental army. General
/ Washington is said to have obtained
/ 3,051 acres in this manner, located
/ in what are now Hamilton and
| Clermont counties, Ohio. Accord
/ ing to Colonel Lee, the surveys were
confirmed by Congress, but later a
/ deputy surveyor from Virginia
made three entries completely COW
/ ering the Washington locations
/ Other persons bought the land, and
Colonel Lee now comes to Congress
for recompense."
Even if these are facts, it is diff
/ ficult to understand the ground OF
government responsibility. The
purchaser of land is charged with the
duty of preserving and defending
his title, and if he loses it through
negligence, no obligation to reim-
burse him rests on his vendor
whether a private person or gov
/ ernment The fact is, Washington
was a careful, thorough-going man
of business, and if he had any in
| terest in the land referred to, it is
not too much to assume that he
took the necessary measures to pro-
| tect it,
mnra seriOus difficultV how.