The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-30
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety OF Interesting
Subjects.

OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions Variety OF Interesting
Subjects.
L. e. " Elmo Mo-lst By the term manual
labor is meant the usual Observation-Disclosures all kinds
OF farm work, or the trades, any other active
labor. ID. If claimant i unable TO perform all the
labor incident to his trade cooper, he is dis
abed for mammal labor TO the extent that he is un-
able to follow such trade. Sd. The same rule viii
apply to labor on farm II unable to work more
than one-third of the time, claimant Is twO-tbiris
disabled, but the rating would depend upon the
report OF the examining surgeon. In great many
cases 1t is found that claimants only disabled
to sn1GE eFeRt by reason of the disabilities for
which pensions claimed. and vet they may &c
unable to perform any manual labor by reason Of
the lniTmlties of age some other disabilities not
claimed as due TO their service in such claims the
Government endeavorS 70 make equitable rat
ing IN each case for the disability claimed leaving
out entirely the other disabilities that due
old age, &c In this way many claimants who
are completely broken down and are but mere
physical wrecks. receive but small rating as It Is
held that their physical condition is due other or
ordinary causes, rather than to those alleged IN
claimants do not understand and the result is that
many dissatisfied with their allowances which
have been made IN strict conformity with equity
and law.
g. w. " Boston, Mzss-Under act Of March z
1885, it is necessary for the claimant TO send his
pension certificate TO the Pension Office and If claim
for increase IS allowed, certificate giving in
creased rate, Is sent him. If he does not apply for
! such increase he can continue to draw at the old
rate.
NO, Commerce.. Nich-If claim Is oEsgs0iss
complete il Is usually acted upon when the reported
the examining surgeon is received, providing said
report IS satisfactory The claim may appear to
the claimant to be complete when it is in that
condition. all testimony called for may have been
furnished and report of examining SURGEON for
warded. and yet the claim may not Be in a eondi-
ton to be finally acted upon. Reports from War
Department. verifying the presence absence OF
the army witnesses have to be called for, or the
witnesses written for further information or
their ereiibility is inquired into various other
matters may delay final action in the claim for
weeks or months after it IS apparently complete.
o. s. syocE5ridge, RIs-SpeeiaI examinations are
ordered IN cases where the proof Is not up to the
qufred standard where there may be adverse tes-
tmony, where there may be suspicion of fraud.
The object of such examination il TO arrive at a
correct understanding of the claim and tn de-
feminine its merits to do justice alike TO the clin-
ant and TO the Government Some claims al
lowed after special examination that never would
go through IN the ordinary way, and some
/ jeeted because the examination develops the tact
/ that they are devoid Of merit
C. 3. f., Laurence, XaSs.-You were informed
correctly soldiers widow is not entitled to PEN
/ sion unless she prove that her husband died
from csuses directly due TO bis service and line OF
duty therein
d. T. H. Bulls Ctr Eqn, wants 10 know how
many enlisted in the United States army dur
! ing the late war; also how many the rebel
army. The grand total of troops Of all periods
from three months three years furnished by the
States to the Federal army. ls6i65, $50 a.
/ We are unable to furnish you with any reliable
rebel army, the Government has statistics
covering the question We endesvored 10 get the
information from the Southern Historical Memo
rial ASSOCIATION, but IS We were Yanks car let
ter ignored and our stamps appropriated with
cut even the courtesy OF an acknowledgment.
II. p, HosreI M5ch.-The words No ease for
pension. which appear upon your discharge,
appear also the certificate Of disability upon
which you were discharged. This was probably
the grstu-toJls opinion OF the surgeon who exam
med you Tor discharge, end ne was responsible Tor
is appearance Whether OF not ne had right TO
do i depends upon whether nc justified in his
action He may have acted II The conscientious
discharge OF his duty as he understood il.
g. ". c.. Wsathsrty. Particle of Rules and
Regulations OF the CT. A. R. provides that soldiers
and sailors Of the United States army, navy
marine corps, who served between April u ls6i,
and April ., Io65, and Of such State regi-
ments as were called into active service and sub
Iect 20 the orders OF United States general officers
between the dates mentioned, shall be eligible To
membership IN the G. A. r. From the above YOU
should b able 10 decide whether the party a
eligible.
C. a 8, SnE,ia Bar5ara Cei.-Crr authority for
the data published was Lossing's History OF the
United states. page 5tS, which Is recognized au-
thority. A. r. SpohOrd, ESQ Librarian Of Con-
gress IN his volume Of st.tiSs furnishes the fol-
lowing; Number o. United Stltes troops captured
during the war, 2l2608: number OF Con.aslerafs
troops eaptared, f16l69; number OF United Statss
troops who died while prisoners, 29,72J: number
of Confederate troops who died while prisoners.
@6,z74 This, we believe, TO be reliG5is data. We
shall however rs soon Is we can SET the infoTiI1a-
ton compiled from the records Of the War Depart
We thinS yoa VIII ha5 -Aat gov are away OH IN
your estimate OF the number Of deaths in rebel
prisons.
IA H. Nstg PHILADELPHIA O.-Ist The testimony
mentioned viii sl,itiee il the absence OF nle-
cal testimony showing your condition when you
returned from the army. If the physician is dead.
you cannot furnish bis testimony that IS all there
is OF ~ II the doctors BOOKS snow the Mature OF
the disability for which he treated Yea during tho
period mentioned, then the testimony Of his adj
ministrator to that effect VIII &c valuable. bUt 4
I
Government does not doubt that the doctor treated
you but Il wants 70 know gaat re treated Voss for
and If the books Go not show 90 not think any
testimony will be accepted 70 prove the facts.
ID. No. Cd. In claim fer disease, If there is no
hospital record and claimant cannot furnish testi-
/ mony OF reeimental surgeon. or other Tsess'cat
testimony showing treatment during service.
Bscdicel testimony showing existence Of the alleged
disease Immediately after discharge the claim VIII
probably be rejected
T. G. ". Bo'1lirg Grcen O-As YOU neglected to
state for what Disability the pensioner rated
ratings ne entitled TO prior to said date. The
IS rate increased from June g. 1865. TO SIS also
20 ~ aeeordlnS 10 disaoiiity from June \ iSIs,
the SO rate was increased 20 SIS, also TO 81 and
the SD rate increased to S2A From June 4,
loI4, two OF the SIS rates were increased 20 S24
We VIII give you an illustration: A penss0ner t0G
loss of leg arm If discharged March %, IS65
would draw 5 per month from llls time 90 june S
lss5, thenccforwGrd SIS per month 20 June 4 lST2
and SIS per month to june T. 1874 when he would
be pensoEed at SsI and If pensiOued June "a 1874
he would receive IN ali about $500
r II c., 4slley TR.-Iss We do not know whcrs
a copy of the book can be purchased; we presume
I il is cut Of print now. %. Hon. John A. Logan,
Chicago, III, or U $. Senate Washington ID. G.
/ 3D. u would depend upon what the witness could
testify to- The Pension Ofce win accept any teSti-
mOny that IS satisfactory. 4th. The children would
draw their mothers pension ia addition to their
own rom her reI1arTiage mp 20 the date when each
/ became sixteen years of age
| 4. p, Cfothersvisis, hld-During the first part
OF the Hart.eo's tactics were IN USE and sub
seGuently Caseys tactics. UptCns tactics were in
trOduced in 1867. aad have since been used ex-
eInsively The latter published Oy D. Apple
/ ton < Co., New York City.
g. c. Nelr York; soldier pensioner dies from
causes incident to his service and line OF dIsty,
widow Is entitled to pension. but not otherwise.
III soldier died from originating since his
discharge. his pension would cease with his death.
r. IT., Taglorsrile. 0.-Neitker one is entitled.
| See preceding reply.
f., Pleasant 1foaat. Ho.-The appearance Of "sua
dogs" Tor mock suns in summed denotes rain and.
| it is said, wind. In winter they preeeds snow
storms. These phenomena are quite reliable sndk-
! Gators Of storms.