The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-04-05
saying and the Implication in 1t Is
that the marines will believe anything

and there is also something, Of sheer
in the saying. This "ren -, of re-
proach" is not nearly one, = he sail.
ors who originated 1t only .useant to
intimate that the marines did not
know anything about sailing ship.
No sailor has ever contended that the
marine is not a good f1shtass and "a''
for the colors. /"
The American marines had the first
fight with the Spaniards in Cuba.
They were sent into China 1t the time
that the embassies were beleaguered
in 1900 and at the Battle Of Tientsin
the marines lost heavily. They have
been landed in Mexico before this and
in several of the South American
countries and always have they done
good service. Years ago over in
Korea the marines of this government
fought and fought we'll The record
of the marines is long one and an
honorable one.
General George F. Elliott Of the ma
rine corps years ago with q marines
and 20 sailors made hurry-up march
from 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 ia
pan. At that time Elliott was lieu.
tenant attached to the U. S. S. Balti'
more. News came to the ship that
the Koreans were raising the cry
Korea for the Koreans" and were
about to massacre all the foreigners
at the Korean capital. Admiral Nc.
Nair ordered Elliott and his little com.
mand to take up a double time"
across country to save the mission.
aries.
A Hazardous Trip.
1t is probable that few military bod.
les we're ever asked to engage in such
a trip as that turned out to be. 1t 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 IT, water
half the time. with their footsteps
ciogged by the plant roots and stems.
Under these conditions they made
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 q
northern point Of 80 degrees and 10
minutes, the record up to that time.
1t was Immediately upon his return
from the Arctic that Elliott was order.
e. 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.
Slutionists made an attempt to blow
Elliott and his command of the face
of the isthmus with dynamite. Elliott
and a private Of marines caught the
man hired to explode the stuff just as
he was about to light the fuse. N1gas
perhaps a narrower escape than any
which the general ever had, and his
narrow escapes besprinkle plentifully
his record.
Many Claims in Congress.
Readers of Mark Twain will
remember his story OF the grea,
beef claim and the course of the
proceedings before the lawmakers
in Washington. When a man does dig
gipg after truth in the records of con
gress he can find some things which
are stranger than the romances Of the
fiction writer's. 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 it 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 80 loan certificates alleged
to have been issued by Richard Ralph
Randall. May Is. 1878, which certifi
Gates were for $500, continental
money, specie value, Salts. Congress
was asked that these certificates
should be paid with interest to a very
remote descendant of Randall. who
died in 1890. He left son, William
who, when he was an old man, adver
tised for the lost certificates and me
morialized congress for their payment
The lawmakers refused to pay any at
tention to the matter Others have