Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-27
la1lrastel fnteliqencer.
MONDAY EVENING, MARCH ~, 1881
Another Old PenslOner. /.

MONDAY EVENING, MARCH ~, 1852.
Another Old Pensloner.
A" Friend Of the Soldiers writes to
us brief communication, in which he
states that our complimentary notice OF
the military services and sufferings OF
Major Elwood Griest, published few
days ago, about covers the ground, SO
far as the major is concerned but sug-
gests that in our zeal to secure the major
a pension of thirteen cents per month,
we have overlooked some other equally
deserving veterans, among whom there
are few, if any, more worthy than Al
,derman J. X. Barr, who has recently
made application under the arrears of
pensions act. Squire Barr, before he was
out of his teens, entered the service Of
his country as private soldier of Com
pany B, 10Th Reg't. Pa. Volunteers.
True, he never carried musket, or rifle
or sword, or any other deadly weapon,
but as quill-driver and ink Singer he
was hard to beat. He was therefore de-
tailed to the responsible and dangerous
position of colonel's clerk-responsible
because he was in a manner the colonel's
private mouth-piece, as the adjutant was
his official mouth-piece and dangerous
because the colonel might have taken his
"ear off," punishment which was often
threatened to negligent or refractory
soldiers, in those days. The dismember-
ment, however, did not take place, and
Private Barr fulfilled his difficult func-
tions to the end of the war. He essayed
promotion on divers occasions, but his
claims were somehow overlooked.
SO we'll did soldering appear to agree
with him, that when the cruel war was
over he returned to civil life a broad
breasted man, instead of the puny boy he
was when he enlisted. He entered poll.
tics at once as " a Stalwart Of the Stall
warts,' never forgetting his party, but
at the same time keeping sharp look
out for No. l. (No allusion to the cotton
MILL. He was a boss in the G.. A. r.
on all festive occasions and parades,
marching with the tread Of a conqueror.
He was for years boss of the American
fire company. He was on more than one
occasion champion of the Republican
Prize Ring, and in many fierce contest
carried off the belt. At primary elec-
tion he was match for Levi Sensenig,
Hoggy Leonard, or Jake Price, and that
is saying great deal. His deserts have
been acknowledged and rewarded by
heaping upon him the highest honors
that his Post or his fire company can
bestow. He has been for many years,
and is now, clerk of select council and
Of the best paying committees, and after
a most vigorous campaign, few years
ago, he succeeded in securing the Office
of alderman of the Third ward. Here
his labor has been indefatigable, his gen
ius has shOne resplendent and his sue.
cess has been phenomenal. He has left
far behind him the best record of his
illustrious predecessor. In the single
matter of dismissed cases he stands
abreast the veterans of the new school
of aldermen. 1t is more than hinted
that his great achievements in this de-
partment of justice have reached the
ears of the county auditors, and that that
conservative body Of statisticians is con-
sidering the proprlety of giving him lift.
Many other instances of Alderman
Barr's moral, mental and physical stall
wartism might he mentioned, but the
above will suffice to show that to all out
ward appearance he is and has been
man among men. But, alas appear
ances are deceptive Behind his fine
physique, his martial tread and his
ready and rapid hand lurk the seeds of a
dreadful disease contracted by him
while in the service of his country.
He has discovered that he has the
rheumatism rumatiz," as some old
women spell it, and that he must
have caught it in the army and
unconsciously carried it about with him
ever since The whispered hints of
copperheads and McMellen Republicans
that the squire may be experiencing the
premonitory twinges of gout, produced
by too free indulgence of aldermanic
terrapin and other solid and fluid delica-
cies, are unmanly and should receive no
credence. He knew better, and very
properly applied for a pension on the
ground of rumatiz," a subtle ailment
difficult of diagnosis. The examining
physicians, we are told, didn't know
what to do about it, but finally concluded
that the disease might be ameliorated by
recommending pension of $500 per
month. The pension commissioner will
as is usual with him, rub out
a nully and grant pension of 40 cents.
This will be better than nothing, and
should the arrears of the past seventeen
years be secured, the amount will be
Ssl.6O-about half as much as the alder
man pulls in monthly for dismissed cases
alone.
"LEAvING aside few of the earlier |
verses that are popular rather for their |
sentiment than their poetry, and few
that are merely re echoes of the German"
the Philadelphia Times prints what seem
to it to represent very fairly Mr.. Long
fellows best achievements. In this cat
egory it includes The Village Black
smith, The Day is Done, ," Rain in |