Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-07-14
GUSHING CLAIMS IN v
CONGRESS y. zoaa6SoAw

p as the Omnibus Claims
- bill. All of the claims
which we're included in the bill had
been passed upon by the courts and
congress had been requested 70 APP
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 1t. but
eventually each claimant gets a hear
ing.
Not long ago Sonora Feliciana Men,
diola. a woman of the Philippines. laid
a claim before the United States gov
eminent and eventually as memory
has 1t she received $50, in full dis
charge Of the obligation as congress
looked at 1t.
The case OF Sonora Mendoza went
to the house COMMITTEES on war claims
with a mass of papers containing In
formation concerning 1t together with
the finding of 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 thirty-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 corporal.
Sonora Feliciana Mendiola's case
viii pass into history as having been
tangled up with more red tape than
1t hitherto was thought possible for
even government of Official factory
to turn out Sonora Feliciana lived at
Angeles. Pampanga. Philippine Isl
ands. and she rented 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 1t 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 $500 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 teamster's 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 1t. Them boards was
punk"
After Captain Valentine and Lieu
tenant Barnard OF the cavalry had tes-
titled at great length. .Teamster Will
liam Langworthy swore. that Fell
ciana's boards we're 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. II. in strict justice. any
money should be allowed. but consid.
cred 1t expedient to grant $50 In gold
The officers doubtless were led to this
charitable finding by receipt Of the
news while in session that Feliciana
was sick in Manila hospital because
of the loss Of her kitchen sidings.
This case of Sonora Feliciana Men.
diola takes up fourteen pages of a
house document II contains a long
letter from the secretary Of war on
the question Of kitchen sidings. an
other letter from the quartermaster
general Of the United States and fifty.
three communications from army Off.
GERS and civilians of various rank and
condition.
The committee on war claims Is
composed of members noted for their
gallantry. In due course Of time
much time-Senora Feliciana received
her $50 in gold and 1t might have been
some satisfaction to her oriental mind
TO know that Uncle Sam had spent
about $1,000 TO get authority to pay
for the sidings which went to destruc
ton either by way Of Transfers feet
or a red ants stomach.
Sonora Feliciana Mendiola's trou
bles in getting $50 from the United
States for damage done to her kitchen
walls by the feet Of Uncle Sans
lounging transfers have been record
ed. and her tribulations bring to mind
those Of Captain C. II. Conrad. Third
United States Cavalryman. who fol
Convictions sake" insisted that the
United States government pay him
$32.S5 which the captain knew was
due him.
This case of Captain Conrads huns
fire for years. but he finally secured
his money. though he probably earned
about a hundred times the sum In