Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1911-07-14

Ol11 IA "a NNO
which were included in the bill had
been passed upon by the courts n
congress had been requested to ap-
propriate money to pay them, but 1t Is
one thing to ask the legislators to DO
something and another to get them TO
do it. There are thousands OF claims
filed against the government every
year. Many of them are Unstable and
some of them are far from it, but
eventually each claimant gets a hear
ing.
Not long e Sonora Feliciana Men
diola, a woman of the Philippines, aid
a claim before the United States gov
eminent and eventually as memory
has it she received $50, in full dis
charge of the obligation as congress
looked at it.
The case of Sonora Mendoza went
to the house committee on war claims
with a mass of papers containing in
formation concerning it together with
the finding of a board of army officers
specially convened to consider the
lady's case against the government.
On the papers in this case in which
the claimant received $50 as compen-
sation, there were the endorsements
of t~hirty-five army officers, major gen.
erals, brigadier generals, colonies,
lieutenant colonies and SO on down
to the end of the list which ends with
the name of a corporal.
Sonora Feliciana Mendiola's case
will pass into history as having been
tangled up with more red tape than
1t hitherto was thought possible for
even a government of official factory
to turn out. Sonora Feliciana lived at
Angeles, Pampanga, Philippine ISL
ands, and she rented a house to Uncle
Sam for the use of some of his team
sters. The mule driving contingent
lived in it for a short time, and when
the sonora moved into it again she
found, so she declared under oath,
that some of the siding boards were
missing from the wall of the kitchen
She asked for 5000 in gold to repay
her for the damage to her property.
A board of officers were convened
to pass on the validity of Feliciana's
claim. The board was In session for
days. Teamster Picgle was a witness.
He swore that when he and his COM
rades took possession of Feliciana's
house for quarters the kitchen siding
boards were rotten, and that when
the men put their feet ON the wall, as
is a Transfers wont after dinner when
he wishes to smoke, their boots went
through the wall to the open air with
no force behind them except the
weight of the man who was tipping
back in his chair. AS Pickle express
sively put it, Them boards was
punk"
After Captain Valentine and Lieu
tenant Barnard of the cavalry had tes'
titled at great length. Teamster viii
liam Langworthy swore that Fell
ciana's boards were chewed up and
eaten by red ants. Teamster Sum
merfield made affidavit that the boards
dropped out of place of their own
weight.
The board thought 1t was very
doubtful, if, in strict justice, any
money should be allowed. but consid
cred it %expedient to grant $50 in gold
The officers doubtless were led to this
charitable finding by receipt of the
news while in session that Felicians
was sick in a Manila hospital because
of the loss of her kitchen sidings.
This case of Sonora Feliciana Men
diola takes up fourteen pages of
house document. 1t contains a lons
letter from the secretary of war OF
the question of kitchen sidings, ar
other letter from the quartermaste
general of the United States and fifty
three communications from army off
GERS and civilians of various rank an,
condition.
The committee on war claims l
composed of members noted for thei
> %gallantry. In due course of time
much time-Senora Feliciana receives
her $50 in gold and it might have bee
some satisfaction to her oriental min
! to know that Uncle Sam had spen
about S 1000 to get authority to pa,
) for the sidings which went to destrus
ton either by way of a Transfers fee
or a red ants stomach.
Sonora Feliciana Mendiola's tro,
i bles In getting $50 from the Unite
States for damage done to her kitche
3 walls by the feet Of Uncle Sam
lounging teamsters have been recort
ed, and her tribulations bring to min
those of Captain G. H. Conrad. Thir
United States Cavalryman, who fo
Convictions sake" insisted that tn
United States government pay hil
$32.85 which the captain knew wa
/ due him.
This case Of Captain Conrad's hun
fire for years. but he finally secure
his money. though he probably earne
nNnrt n nndred times the sun u