The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-08
EpIronIAL coRREsPONDENCE.

MONDAY MORNING. MARCH s, 1850.
PICTORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Something OF Interest TO wheeling Cigar
Mnnufaeturers--we West virginia Pensions
where 10 Get Information ON the
subject OF Pensions.
WASHINGTON, March 0, 1880.
Correspondence Of the IntellIsencer.
In the course Of conversation recently
with Col. ]. H. Gilman Of the U. s. Com
missary office here, ! learn that the Gov
eminent now purchases cigars for the use
Of the army at the various posts where
detachments are stationed. lido not mean
that 1t furnishes cigars gratuitously 10 the
army, but that "a matter OF accommoda-
ton to the officers and men, and more par
ticularly to protect them against the ex'
tortions OF suffers, it purchases cigars at
the lowest wholesale rates and furnishes
them at an advance of 10 per cent on cost.
asked the Colonel II he had ever seen
any Wheeling cigars, stogies or tips, and
somewhat to my surprise he confessed
that he had never even heard OF them.
rave him some account OF them,
and Of their reputation at home and
abroad. and awakened In him considerable
curiosity to see some OF them. He IN
formed me that the price paid by the gov;
ernment for such cigars as they purchased
was about three dollars per hundred. i
told him that Wheelingtipscould be bought
torlittle more than halfthat price, and that
once introduced / thought they would be-
come very popular in the army. He in
formed me that the purchases were made
ner;odically by the army commissaries
al Baltimore and st. Louis, by inviting
nronosals from cigar dealers, both
1oelcbants and manufacturers. ] trust
that the Wheeling cigar manufactur.
ers will keep a look out for these advef-
tisements and II possible secure some con.
tracts. Meanwhile II they will write TO
Col. Gilman, at the United states Com,
missary Office here, doubt not ne VIII
furnish them all necessary information as
TO the kind OF cigar the commissaries at
the points named aim to purchase.
ABOUT PENSIONS.
Among the bills to grant pensions to
parties where the Court Of Pensions could
not allow relief under the law, are the fol-
lowing West Virginia cases, which have
been reported upon favorably by the
House Committee on Pensions:
Case Of William C. Parker.
The Committee on Invalid Pensions, to
whom was referred the bill granting a
pension to William @. Parker, having
had the same under consideration, re-
spectfully submit the following report:
On the night Of May 81, 1851, and dur
inp the prevalence OF storm, by COLI.
sion OF the cars on the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company, near Wheeling,
". Va, William O. Parker had one loot
torn Off and the other so crushed and
mangled as TO render Its amputation neces-
sary, and serious injuries inflicted In the
spine, leaving him most deplorable Grip
Die for life; that he has no means oil sup.
port, and that he is subject OF charity !;
that at that time the engines, cars and en-
ployes OF the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road were subject TO the orders OF the
military officers of the government; that
an emergency called for an immediate re-
moyaI OF the troops from Wheeling, to &C.
complish which General B. f. Kelley,
then in command Of the government
forces in that State, issued his peremptory
military order, about o'clock in the
morning, to have an engine and a sutti-
cient number OF cars in state OF imme.
diate preparation for the movement OF
troops; that Parker was directed to per-
form this duty, and in his performance
and during the prevalence Of the storm Q
collision occurred by which he sustained
the injuries aforesaid; that he was not in
the military service OF the United States,
but was acting under the immediate per-
emptory orders OF the military COM
mander, and that in the prompt discharge
ofhis duties in the execution OF these or
ders he sustained injuries that have made
his life one OF sorrow and suffering.
He made application for q pension, but
his application was rejected BY the PEN
sion Department for the technical reason
that he was not actually in the military
service Of the United States.
Whilst this technically controls the
Commissioner OF Pensions, who is acting
under and must conform TO the 'provisions
OF the pension laws, 1t does not estop Con-
gress from granting pensions in meritor-
fous cases to persons who served the Gov
eminent, but not in the Regular Army.
Congress has heretofore exercised this
power. 1t did so in the case OF John s.
Hall, OF West Virginia, who was employed
as teamster, and lost the sight Of both
ewes from the effects OF fever contracted
while in the faithful discharge OF his
duties.
A great war had Just been inaugurated.
It's limits had not then been well defined,
and the country was filled with conster-
nation and alarm. An extreme emergency
arose for the immediate use Of troops.
General Kelley Issued his peremptory or
der, in the execution OF which Parker, for
the time being, became servant OF the
United States. 1t was his duty TO execute
that order, and he would have been pun
ishable for q refusal TO do 80. General
Kelley, In his testimony in aid OF this
claim, uses the following language:
Although Parker was not in the service
OF the United States at the time oil the &C.
cident, yethe was executing peremptory
military order, and therefore think II
would be an act OF justice and humanity II
Congress would pass an act TO place him
on the pension-roll OF wounded soldiers.
Your committee fully concur in the hu.
name recommendation OF that gallant gen.
eral that the government should extend
relief to the unfortunate wounded man.
They deem II preferable, however, to fol.
low the precedent established in the case
OF Hall, above referred to, and allow him
some specific sum.
They therefore recommend that he be
allowed sos per month for the residue oil
his life. In the course OF human events
that cannot be long. The case Is one Of
such peculiar hardship and great suffer.
ing that in the opinion Of your committee
1t will be an act Of justice and charity to
extend relief.