The National tribune., 1884-06-12
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety of IntsrestlH.
Subjects

hepifes 10 questions on variety OF Interesting
Subjects.
ITO Correspondents-writ questions on a sep
arate sheet of paper give full name and address,
and mark it " Correspondents Column" No atten-
ton viii! be paid to communications that are not
accompanied with full name and address of writer.
Our readers are reouested To inclose n staf,n fnr
reply to their lnquiries.I
s. L. c., ELLSWORTH, IFis.-The salary of the Com
missioner of Pensions is > 1900 per year The pres
ent Commissioner draws a pension of so per
month for loss of leg.
J. c., Elm, " J-Thereis no law OF decision that
provides bounty To persons enlissing in the naval
service prior 10 the act OF July lisa which says
that all persons hereafter enlisted in the naval
service during the war, shall be entitled To re-
eeiye the same bounty as If enlisted in the army.
Several SW6Scribers-InvisibIe inks for purposes
of secret correspondence. easily made. We
give few recipes, the materials comprising which
be obtained at first-class drug stores. l. SUI
phate of copper and mCTiate Of ammonia Ia equal
parts, dissolved IN water viii become yellow If
held before the fire. 2. Onion juice has the same
properties. 3. Lemon juice n very weak solution
OF aqua iorti5 common salt, saltpeter VIII turn
yellow or brown on exposure TO the ire 4. A
weak solution OF chloride OF cobalt or chloride of
nickel is turned beautiful green by heat. 5. A
solution of chloride nitro-muriate of cobalt turns
green when heated. 6. A dilute solution Of chic
ride OF copper becomes fine yellow when heated.
z. solution of acetate of cobalt with little nj
trate added TO it, turns rose-coored by heat. The
writing developed by holding to the fire the last
three preparations disappears again on cooling;
the others, while equally invisible when applied,
are more or less indei1be when once brought out
by the application of heat.
NeiU Subscriber Boston, Nuss-Tn case the ar
rears bill is extended ii Will give pensions back to
the date of discharge &c. and viii include all
claims filed since June so, 1850, when the bill
pred. No formal application Will probably be
necessary, except, perhaps to write letter TO the
Commissioner of Pensions to call up the case.
We Will give our readers all necessary information
and instructions in due time.
L. F. c., Hastings Neb wants to know If the PEN
Office has else why SOL
dieTs ordered TO be examined after their claims
have been rejected sometimes compelling them to
so many miles at the poor soldiers expemse2
4nstoer. The Pension Office is supposed to have
system" that would prevent errors, and we hope
there are few such. II may be that such examine
tons are ordered IN some cases of rejection Tor no
disability in order to give the claimant another
chance for his life"
o. B. h, HarerhH, Mass-1 The State of New
Hampshire sent out during the late war one regi-
ment each OF cavalry and heavy artillery and seven
| teen regiments of infantry. 2. There screen
primary coiorS, viz. red, orange yellow green
| blue, indigo and violet These are reduced by
some authorities to three, viz. red yellow and blue
Neither white black are eolors in the true
sense of the word Other questions will be answered
/ in due time.
H. J. IT.. Greene, Io'rc.-As you did not appear TO
be satisfied with our statement that i not neces
sary for soldier to move his family his home
| stead claim IN order TO prove 1t up, and as you
insisted that such was not the case, we referred
| your letter to the Hon. Commissioner of the
/ General Land Office, who states in reply:
Il have to advise you that it is not actually
necessary that the wife and family of homestead
/ or presumption settler should reside the land
! with him, but he himself must make the land
entered filed for his actual and bona-fide home
Tor the required period. Very respectfully.
/ l. HARRISON, Acting Commissioner
The required period is five years from which, in
| case of soldiers homestead, is deducted ali mill
/ tary or naval service from which honorabiy dis
charged, prOriding that no more than four years
service is credited in any case thus insuring at
least one years residence &C. on the claims You
/ want the law on the subject. Here it is. Help
| yourself.
! draw pension for loss of while the mother is
| living. His right to pension docs not accrue
| until the mother dies The mother can draw but
! one pension in any case Neither of the parents
can draw pension if they have adequate means Of
support without the pension. Our correspondent
! wants to know how the rebels marked the bodies
| of Union prisoners who died at Andersonvilie and
other prisons, that their identity afterwards
| known, they having been all thrown in a ditch
together when buried?" Insurer. The monument
/ inscribed Unknown" will answer the question.
Those that were in single graves about the
only ones that were identified
c. TB. r. GigroH CaI-SpeciaI examiners are
simply clerks of the Pension Office detailed for
| that duty by the Commissioner. Appointments Ia
the Pension Office are regulated by the Civil Service
I Commission. Some of the special examiners are
/ pensioners. That fact does not debar them from
such duty.
| il PerYlsviHe. Ohio. The Government ha.
no record of soldiers that have died since the war
The only record of deaths of those soldiers thai
are have been inferred in the various Ma.
tional Cemeries, hence, in applying to the Quar-
termaster-General for headstones for soldiers
graves in village private cemeteries it is neces
sary to give all the facts known see reply to Sew
eral Correspondents IN issue of May %, 81
and II, on investigation, with proper proof, the fact
are substantiated, the Quartermaster-G General vii
furnish headstonest to be erected expense
/ party appIying therefor 2 The highest nreuiI1Yr
paid on gold in the history of our country was il
July, 1864, when gold reached S2.S5. The rise anC
decline of the premium gold was caused by tn,
scarcity Of the article. large amount of golC
went abroad and was also boarded up; this made
scarcity of the article for in paying duties
hence, what remained IN circulation brought
premium. varying from time to time. as the de
mand exceeded the supply. 8. Special examiner
are clerks of the Pension Office detailed for tina
duty by the Commissioner of Persons See reply
to y. w, in our last issue. They distributed
around in various States according to the number
OF claims to be investigated in any particular 10
callty, with supervising examiners IN most large
cities; otherwise there particular rule relative
to their distribution 4. Our correspondent want
to know what day and in what month and yea
the great frost occurred which was universal anC
killed all the growing crops.
2 P. r., National Military Home Ohio-A sol
der who was in hospital and remained there ate
| his regiment was mustered out but who was pair
only to date of said muster-Out OF his regiment i
entitled to pension from the date of his last pay
| ment as soldier. He is not entitled to pay as
! soldier subsequent to the date when his dscharg,
took effeet-i. e, date OF muster out of regiment
| but pension is properly due him for that time
From your statements the date of commencement
of your pension appears TO be erroneous.
Alice Dr. G., East Sugina,C, Mich-Your father /
probably entitled to pension. Whether he can sc
/ one not, depends upon what proof he can fur
nish showing that his disability was contracted il
the service and in line of duty. We have referred
your letter to a reliable attorney who viii writ
| and ascertain what testimony your father has a
his command to support claim for pension.
HR B., Evergreen, Cola lost discharge from
the army cannot be duplicated, because the Gov
| eFF ERn OF 10 sol
| der can however, obtain certificate of HONORABLE
| service and discharge, which viii answer mos
purposes. See reply to Several Readers - in GU
issue of February %. 1854 where full information