The National tribune., 1885-12-31
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety Of Interesting
Subjects,

ITO Correspondents.-Write questions on a sep
arate sheet of paper, give full name and address,
and mark it Correspondents Column" No atten-
ton will be paid to communications that not
accompanied with full name and address of writer.
Our readers are requested to nclose a stamp for
reply to their Inquiries. Postal cards will be
replied to by mail only. Replies by mail will ordi
nariiy be made within a week, and II IN this col
umn within three weeks.l
III. n. ~, CdnaGHUitte, O.-1. Has an attorney a
right TO take SO contract TO prosecute widows
claim of war OF 1872? 2 Soldier died in the army;
father and mother both dead. Can surviving sister
collect back pay and bounty? 3. Father applies
for pension; dies; mother applies claim is COM
pleted, and voucher comes the day she Is buried.
Can heirs collect the amount allowed up to that
time? 4nsWey. 1. Yes 2. Yes if she is the only
heir and the amount has not been paid. 3. No.
Father was not entitled to pension until the mother
died.
d. A. T., Monis=uud Io,ca-Has United States
banker any right to hold of money from pension
check while he pays out money in stock for his
own profit or Is cash forwarded to each State and
distributed by State Commissioners? Please an
swer, and accommodate several persons. AISICeT.
If you will be kind enough to tell III a letter
what the question is about will be glad to reply
to the extent OF our ability but as the question
stands give it up.
L. a., Fort Wayne, Ind.-I am a pensioner; have
wife and children. In case of my death will my
wife draw the same amount as | do now? If she
does not will the children? AnSCer Your widow
or children will not be entitled to any pension uu-
less your death is caused by the disability for which
you are pensioned some other disability equally
due To your service and line of duty. The rate that
you receiving cannot affect her their rates,
or less. The widow of an enlisted man draws So;
of Second Lieutenant Si5 etc. with S2 additional
for each child under l6 years of age until the child
arrives at that age.
". H. b., Wooster, O.-My brother took up claim
In Nebraska about year ago and held the same,
complied with the law for Ii months and then died
before proving up. He not married and had
been a soldier. Can hold said claim in any way;
ard if not; buy it, and at what price per acre?
Insurer. We presume you refer to homestead claim.
In case Oh the death of homestead party who had
complied with the law, and who LETT widow
minor children, the right to perfect title inures to
tile heirs or devlSee Any one of the heirS-ln case
of no devisee-can make proof or commute under
Sec. 250l, Revised Statutes, but the certificate
patent will issue to the legal heirs leaving the court
to determine who they are. Residence upon the
land by heirs or deylsee Is not expected 1t Is sut
cent If the improvement and cultivation kept
up for the required period, which may be done by
an agent. The claim can be cOmmuted for cash at
u. % per acre If the land was of that class when
entered.
j. p, Ogden Iu-I contracted some kind of a dis
ease while in the army, about Is months before L
was discharged, and it continued until about
years ago; then ceased. Now, am L entitled to
pension tor what time was troubled with the dis
ease? AnsUer. You could have proved up such
claim had you filed your claim therefor prior to
July i, 1880, but all claims filed since that date
can commence only from date of filing and as ac-
cordng to your statement, you are not entitled
to pension by reason of disability having ceased,
you cannot draw pension for the period mentioned.
Veteran, Ne,U Caste. DeL.-A widow applies for
pension her is referred to Special Examiner,
and he, while examining one of her witnesses,
makes use of the following: He don't think
she Is entitled to pension and that he will do all
III his power to keep her from getting it." The
witness and another person who were in an adjoin-
ing room both willing to make affidavit to the
above. Now, would like to know if, after the
claim has been rejected, it would be worth while to
try and reopen the case or If can do under the
circumstances? Ans,Cer. That depends upon the
cause of rejection stated by the Commissioner of
Pensions The statement OF the Special Examiner
above mentioned would tend to show that the
claim Is not mertoriouS. Whether il is or is not,
we do not know therefore we cannot advise you.
National Military Home, OhiO.-If pensioner
ceives pension of 81 per month for a disability
which he thinks should have been rated higher,
and he makes an appeal for re-rating, and it is
granted, Will 1t date back with the arrearage that
lie received at 81 per month to Oct. 10, 1860? Or,
to state more plainly, If he made his application
and it was placed on file in the Pension Office Jan.
1885, and he received his pension April Is 1885 81
per month with arrearage dating from Oct. TO- 1865,
If re-rating Is granted will he receive additional
arrears from 1865? IRStCer Yes, if allowed, and
the medical history of the case will justify re-
rating back to that time.
J. G. b., Truckee, Cal-What were the badges
used by the Fifth and Nineteenth Corps? If
crosses, what were their names? What corps used
the Maltese cross as badge? AhSI0er. The badge
of the Fifth Corps was Maltese cross, and that of
the Nineteenth Corps very much similar in shape,
fld may be designated fan-leayed cross, al
though some call it Maltese cross.
j. Z. ", st. 4ugUStiae IU.-I applied for pension
in 1888, and it was allowed in 1884. then applied
for increase new disability mot mentioned in
the first appcation) If allowed, will receive the
increase from 1883, from the time made the ap-
pication for increase? Also, would like to know,
after writing to Commissioner of Pensions in re-
gard to my claim for increase, and he said it was
waiting officers and Surgeons afiidavits, and
sent them testimony of two officers. how long will
it be before hear from it? Apstcer. You can get
increase for the disability only from date of
| filing the claim therefor. You do not appear to
have complied with the call for the Surgeons tes-
| timony. You will not probably hear from the
office until you do something regard to that call
| As not the Pension Office, we cannot say
when any claimant will hear from his claim.
Music, Cdysgd, N Y.-"COlumbia, the Gem of
| tha Oeaan - by aL-etf
English actor, who, IN 1879, was teacher of music
| in Philadelphia.
w. w., Denuerton, Cu-They have been survey
| ing the mountain land, and some persons who are
the owners of large tracts of land are taking up
homeseads. My question is: Can who is
, the owner OF so acres of land. take up home
stead by complying with the Jaw? 4RStCer. Yes !;
he can homestead, providing that he has not
! cised that right before, but Ae cannot pre-empt
Il. T., QereiaRd, O-Who was the first man who
| called Cincinnati the Queen City of the West?
| ARs,cer We do not know, but think it was q
man named Smith.
| S. A. Hetc York Cfty-We do not publish any book
on the pension laws. You can obtain a copy of the
! laws by writing to the Commissioner of Pensions.
The OF pension, if given in your case
will probably be allowed at 81 per month, the rate
first given YOU In April loS4 the rates for partial
deafness etc, increased. but such rates gov
erned only from and after that date. Our position
| the question OF repeating the Limitation of the
| Arrears Act ought to be known to our readers in
asmuch " our views have been quite freely and
| forcby expressed from time to time. We are for
repeating tile act ttGcondiiOnduy that all per-
| may draw pensions from the date when their
| title to pension commenced. Several bills have
| already been introduced, and they all good.
Some of them ought to go through this session.
j. r., IVest Netrton, Pa am an applicant for in
| crease of pension on account of amputation of
| thigh in upper third, hip Joint If increase
to S7 is allowed, will be entitled to arrearages
since the passage of the act OF 1879 allowing s7 80
| for amputaton at the hip joint? AaStcer. No. only
| from March 3, 1888.
! r. B. Siendai, Ind.-A man went into the army,
contracted disability which entitled him to PEN
| sion but the pension did not come until after he
| died, and his widow drew his pension and bought
| farm with the money. The deed was made to her
| This widow his second wife and he was her
! second husband Each one had child before they
| were married. by their former companions. Which
of the children is entitled to the farm the father
| child or the mothers child? The widow is also
dead. 4nStCer. 1t is simple question of heirship
to be settled by the courts if the widow left no will
The fact that the farm purchased with pension
money does not affect the case. 1t WAS her prop
| erty, to be disposed of by her she chose.
c. f.. b., HOpkiRton, ~ u. Is a soldier who Is
| drawing SIS per month for chronic diarrhea and
lung disease result entitled to increase if his
whatever? 2. If so, how much? AnSwsr. /. Yes
q $50 per month, if the facts stated and the
Examining Surgeon finds that degree of disability
| existing.
| T. g., Macon, W.-A person who served In the
Union army or navy during the war of the rebel
! lion and was honOraby discharged is entitled to
| homestead l60 acres of land, and no more. He can
| must within sir months thereafter make his entry
| in person, and establish his actual residence upon
| the land by building a house upon it, and must
reside upon and ctitipdte the land continuously in
| accordance with the law for period which, added
! to his military or naval service, will make five