The Nevada County picayune., 1912-04-05

hoIed the marines of this government
 fought and fought we'll The record
 of the marines is a long one and an honorable one.
 General George r. Elliott of the ma.
 rlhe corps years ago with 21 marines
 and 29 sailors made hurry-up march
 rom Chemulpo to Seoul in Korea in
 order to protect the American consu-
 late and the missionaries at that place
 during the war between China and Ja-
 pan. At that time Elliott was lieu.
 tenant attached to the U. $. S Balti.
 more. News came to the ship that
 tue koreans were raising the cry
 Korea for the Koreans" and were about to massacre all the foreigners at the Korean capital Admiral Mo Nair ordered Elliott and his little com mand to take up double time" across country to save the mission aries.
 A Hazardous Trip.
 It Is probable that few military bod les were ever asked to engage in such trip as that turned out to be. It was so hot that the marines turned the tables and told the sailors that their belt buckles melted in the sun. Near ly the whole line of the march was through submerged rice fields. the men being up to their knees f. water half the time, with their footsteps clogged by the plant roots and stems. ITn1nr thnCa conditions Ia pace at the rate of five miles an hour. and they reached their destination in time to perform the service for which the call for the march had been is sued
 General Elliott has seen service in all sorts of climatic conditions. He was assigned to the Alliance for her cruise to the Arctic years ago, and on the voyage the ships crew reached northern point of so degrees and 10 minutes. the record up to that time. It was immediately upon his return from the Arctic that Elliott was order. Q, to the tropics. and he saw fighting in Panama. which was then In the hands of the revolutionary forces.
 During this Panama service the rev 0lutionists made an attempt 10 blow Elliott and his command off the face of the isthmus with dynamite. Elliott and a private of marines caught the man hired to explode the stuff just as be was about to light the fuse. It was perhaps a narrower escape than any which the general ever had. and his narrow escapes besprinkle plentfully his record.
 Many Claims In Congress.
 Readers of Mark Twain will remember his story ot the great beef claim and the course of the proceedings before the lawmakers in Washington. When a man does dig. ging after truth in the records of con- gress he can find some things which are stranger than the romances Of the fiction writers. There are claims to- day before either congress or the court of claims which have their origin back in the Revolutionary days. The trac' ing of the right to recolApense from the government for sacrifices made by ancestors of present day people IS one of the hardest tasks known to law. yers. The trail gets confused after time, and so 1t Is that some people who may have legitimate claims against Uncle Sam are unable to collect them.
 Only the other day an adverse re- port on a Revolutionary claim was made by Senator Townsend of the sen ate committee which has charge of such matters. The claim was for the payment of 30 loan certificates alleged to have been issued by Richard Ralph Randall. May 15. 1779. which certif. cates were for $500. continental money. specie value. S47,73. Congress was asked that these certificates should be paid with interest to a very descendant of Randall. who lied In 1790. He left a son. William. who, when he was an old man, adver' tised for the lost certificates and me norialized congress for their payment. The lawmakers refused to pay any at tention to the matter. Others have presented the claim but without suc- cess.
 Claims growing out of the war be- tween the states are. of course. more numerous than those growing out of the war of the Revolution. because the one war Is nearer to us than the oth- er. and many of the active claimants are living. The senate has just given the Shawnee Indians of Kansas the right to go to the proper United States court to have their claims adjusted for indemnity for losses sustained by them during the Civil war. It is claim ad that these particular Shawnee h. Hans remained peaceful during the trouble between the states, did not commit depredations. and yet on the that they had done so. Union soldiers seized the Indians pro visions, household goods, cattle horses md hogs and used them without rem iering any payment therefor.
 It has been said that the Civil war s nearer to us than the Revolution- ary war. but the length of time that