Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-01-25
CHIPS FROM THE CAPITAL.
The Claim Agent at Work. New Story Of Lincoln
Carnival days That Come with q Chance
for Sleighing.
Special Correspondcnce.

E= - lEAN f.
Special Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, d. O., Jan. 10, 1855
There will never be an end to the agita-
ton Of the pension subject in Congress
SO long a. there are claim agents in
Washington to stir the matter up. II
cannot be disputed that the Government
has treated with liberality those who
suffered injuries through their services
in the late war. The justice and pro-
priety of this there are few to deny, even
though a large percentage of the money
thus paid by Uncle Sam has gone to
liquidate fraudulent claims and found
its way into the Golfers Of claim agents
some of whom have thereby grown
immensely rich in a few years. Since
the present session convened innumer-
able petitions asking an increase of the
pension rate and a change in existing
pension laws have been coming into
Congress.
1T APPEARS
from an examination of these documents
that the body of the petitions were print
ed here and distributed throughout the
country for signatures. The petitions
are alike in form and substance, and it
is intimated that they originated with
some of the more disreputable Wash
ington claim agencies, which sent them
broadcast over the land with the request
that they be filed up and forwarded to
members of Congress. The whole pur-
pose of this is to keep the pension bust
ness alive for the benefit of these claim
agents.
Another proposition is the bill for the
equalization of bounties lately introduced
by Representative Steele, of Indiana.
The proposition is that every non-com-
missioned officer, musician, artifcer,
WAGNER. and private soldier, sailor, or
marine, including those borne on the
rolls as slaves and Indians, who served
in
THE UNION ARMY
in the late war, and was honorably dis
charged shall receive $S, soy a month for
all the time he served between April II,
1861, and May 9, 1865, This is $500 to
each soldier who served four years and
received no bounty. There is doubt
about the passage of this bin, now or at
any other time.
But speaking of claims, one of the
most notorious pending before Congress
is that old one of Ben Holiday for mail
service in the West. 1t has been on the
docket for 10 these many years, and
it is a great injustice that Congress de-
lays action SO long. When Ben gets
his claim through he will be severely
missed in Washington. He is the hero
of the celebrated '~'stage-coach story"
which goes the rounds every winter
here. He was travelling in the North
west once when the coach was stopped
by robbers and the travellers ordered to
hold up their hands while the gentle
men of the road event through them.
Mr.. Holiday felt an intolerable
IRRITATION IN HIS EYE
as they stood up in a row. II want to
rub my eye," he said to the chief of the
gang, who covered them with . revolver
in each hand. I'm rub it for you," he
politely responded, and reaching over
he rubbed Mr.. Holidays eye vigorously
with the muzzle of his loaded pistol.
If any American doubts that this is a
republic let him come to Washington
and see u great men riding about in
the street cars. On Pennsylvania ave-
nue. a day or two since | saw three JUS
tee of the Supreme Court, Bradley,
Matthews and Harlem, hanging on to
the straps in a three-cent bob-tail car,
while every seat was occupied by negro
workman from the Navy Yard. The
Justices passed up tickets and played
conductors for the workmen with great
amiability. Judge Payson, OF Illinois,
tell a new story about Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln during the wal received news
of a severe reverse of our arms. He
was asked by a friend
now HE FELT.
He replied, II feel very much like a
great Stalwart Illinois neighbor of
mine who was out logging in his bare
feet. A log rolled over and crushed
one of his big toes before he could es-
cape. All drawn up with pain, he re-
piled to the question of how he a
with, We'll, am too big to cry. but it
hurts too damn bad to laugh"
We have just had the first real old
fashioned snow storm of the season
here, and as we seldom have more than
one rum of sleighing during the win
ter Washingtonians are making the
most of it. Those who have horses
have been extemporizing all sorts of
concerns on runners in order to indulge
in the luxury of a sleigh ride. Sleighs
and cutters are a rarity here and the
man who owns one at such q time as
this is bigger than a lord. For several
days past the Capital has been in a
STATE OF CARNIVAL.
Those who could not do better had lots
of fun coasting on the sidewalks, in
being drawn up and down, with an oc-
casional pitch into the snow banks of
the gutter. The merry laughter of
these pleasure seekers, mingled with the
cheerful jingle of the sleigh bells filled
the night air with the music of fun and
jollity that fell pleasantly upon the ear.
The greatest animation prevailed on the
Avenue, which seemed to be the favorite
drive OF the sleigh riders, and the fun