The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-04-13
[From the New York Start

letter and asks:
l. What's your real name
.. Are you sure you ain'tlying?
3. What was Your sons name
4. Are you sure he was boy
5. Where did he die?
6. How do you know2
Z. Was he married?
8. If yes, did he have children If
no, how can you swear he wasn't9
9. You say you are widow. Have
you any thought of remarrying, aud
are you prepared to say you don't oe-
casionally firt, or wouldn't if you had
q chance?
10. Remember the ninth command
ment and send your answer to this
Department.
II. Have your afidavits written in
red ink, and signed by q Notary Pub
lie, with evidences of moral character
and certificate of birth.
Well, all this is done as the depart
ment desires, and sent on.
Months pass on.
Grand Juries even come and go.
Occasionally men are convicted and
women hung.
Children are born and events crowd
the record.
Time succeeds time, and the widow
starves or begs, as best she can, when,
to her intense delight, a huge official
letter comes, and she opens it to find
money! Not much, but another
string of questions.
l. Are you sure you are the mother
of that man?
2. Couldn't he have been changed
by the nurse, and if SO, what guaran-
tee has this Department that after
you have spent the money the nurse
wouldn't divulge the facts, and the
real mother demand her dues?
3. Who saw him die? If his COM
rades, send on their afidavits with
certificates in triplicate of their bap
tisnl and first communion; if no one,
then with what cheek do you assert
that he ever died at ala
4. What ticket did your son, if he
was your son, vote9 If any, say
what; If not, say what he would have
voted had he voted.
5. What use can So a month be to
Won, anyhow If none, what do you
ask for it for if much, how can you
afford this correspondence and nota-
rial fees
6. Do you know any mother that
got pension, and if SO, did she put
You mp to this application 7 If yes
aren't you ashamed of yourselfs ifno,
how came you to think of it?
2. Was your son, if he was your son,
hopefully pious, and if so, how much
so
8. What do you think offemale suf-
1rage, aud are you prepared to stand
two per cent. on your pension-when
you get it?
Of course the proper answers were
sent to these, and letter after letter
followed them. In the meantime the
old lady grew older. Her goods and
chattels were sold for rent and gro
ceries, her only ring was pawned, he1
friends We're exhausted, and she hung
hopefully on to the delusion that
something would turn up, and it did.
Twas another big letter, and this is
what it said:
PENSION DEPARTMENT, }
Washington, d. c.
Madame: Your claim, No. COOL 003003o04
Navy Mothers, has been before this Depart
ment some eight or ten years. If you wers
81 years of age then, you must be 81 now
and 1t wtu!d be manifestly unfair, not to SAY
impracticable, for this Department to dc:i
with woman of 81 as if size was woman
"a. The information furnished this Depart
lnent is SO measre that We cannot even pro
coed TO consider your claim without fllrthel
proof. At present we simply know that YOU
son was killed in the service and yoa need :
pension. Obviously that's too thin. PERM
me to call your attention to the enclosed
queries, and to remind You that perjury i
one of the greatest of vices
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
j. II. BuNCOMBE, Commissioner
Well, the old lady put on her specs
and | did, too, and We read as fol
lows.
]. What was the name of -Four son
2. Who was he named after, ant
did he give him a silver cup7 Ifyes
let this Department have certified
copy, in duplicate, of the receipt bill
If not, why notf
3. How old was he's
q. How happened he to attain tha
age without being married?
5. Did he leave you any effects? n,
books, no jewels, no Etruscan vases
no costly silver service, no piano?
YES, where did he get EN-? If no
this Department is sorry.
s. Have you assigned this claim t,
any agent9 If yes, don't.you see yol
have broken the law; if not, how can
You expect to get claim though
without an AGENT
q. Please send this Department, il
triplicate, proof that you have bon,
Jtde interest in this claim, and that M
maiden sister is to share it with yoid