The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-02-26
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions On Variety OF Interesting
Subjects.

| anu mark IL correspondents Column" NO atten-
ton will be paid to-eCmmunieations that are not
accompanied wislifuii name and address of writer.
| Our readers are requested to incose q stamp for
| reply to their inquiriesfl
X. f. B., Oferie, Ean-Unt}er recent law repeal
| ing presumption, timber claim, desert land and
amending homestead law-1. How are Indian
trust lands disposed, of? 2. Are they subject to
homestead, the same as other public lands? An
s,rer. /. You are in too'ihuch of hurry. The bill
providing for the repeal of the presumption. tim
Der culture and desert land acts, and amending the
homestead act, has not yet become law nor is it
sure that it will he passed by Congress. By the
| terms of the treaty with the Usage Indians. the
Usage trust and diminished reserve lands in Kan
sas can be disposed of for cash only, and not
subject to entry under the homestead law. The
ever be accomplished, will affect the disposal of
the public lands only, not the Indian lands which
are sold under a special act of Congress.
| e. p, Simpsons Creek, ". Vd.-In case appli-
cant for pension dies after completing his claim and
before the pension is paid to him, the widow
should notify the Pension Office of the fact and
! submit proof of her marriage to him. The pen
sion due him will then be paid by check TO her
order. The children do not share in this accrued
pension if the widow be living
| J. {. d., BlairSrafe, Pal was granted an in
crease of pension in application filed prior TO
July, 1880 and received the from date of APP
plication. Am entitled to the increase from date
of my discharge? dns,Uer. You slightly in
error as to the date of commencement of your in
crease of pension. 1t did not commence from date
of application, but from the date of the examine
ton by the Examining Surgeon, made after your
application for increase was filed. In claim for
increase based upon different disability from that
for which pension was originally granted, and if
such increase claim filed prior to July, 1889,
the pension therefor, if allowed, would date from
discharge; but when claim is based upon in
crease of the disability for which already pen
stoned, such increase, if granted, can commence,
under the law, only from the date of the Examin-
ing Surgeons certificate tmade under the claim for
increased, which shows entitled to the increased
rate.
| H. J. L., ST. Louis, Mo.-Any attorney or other
person who contracts for, demands or receives any
! money in advance for his services in a pension
claim since July 4, 1884 is liable to fine of 500,
imprisonment at hard labor for two years. or both.
| for postage, say 81. This they are permitted to
hold. it is reimbursement for expenses in
Cured, to be incurred, that account. For
law in regard to fees. see act of July A. 1884.
| c. A. T., Hdistedd, EGn-A soldier drawing a
pension from the Government has willfully de
serted his umi!y, which consists of wife and three
children under Is years of age. Is there any way
TO compel said pensioner, through the Pension
Office Department ut Washington, to help main
tain these children Ans,cer. No.
". II. r., Ena. " Y.-If soldier loses the of
| his arm below the elbow by reason of gunshot
above the elbow. must the Examining Board be
notified; and will he draw the same as before the
amputation, or will he be dropped from the rolls
entirely? 1nsscer In such case the soldier would
he entitled to pension of $50 per month, the same
as if the arm was amputated during the war. 1t
would he proper to submit the facts to the Pension
Office with written opinion of surgeon that A.
| putation is necessary This would prevent delay
III the subsequent calm for increase account OF
ampntation since the war The soldier could not
lie dropped from the roll in any event. Even if he
should lose the same arm by accident he could
! tiHuc to draw at the old rate.
". f. r., Hastings pjnp.-In 1865 order was
| issued from War Department to discharge all men
| in hospital and stop recruiting. Among those in
| hospital there were large number of veterans who
were to receive Si02 bounty and many that enlisted
under the 1900 bounty act. payable in nstaliments
These men were discharged from hospital by reason
of disease contracted In line of duty in accordance
with said order. l. Did they receive unaccrued in
saments of bounty tile Same if discharged for
wounds, or for having served full term? .. If so,
would not a soldier discharged few weeks subse-
| quent to this order from regmental hospital on
Surgeons certificate odsability be entitled to I'M
accrued instalimets OF bounty the same as If mus
tered out with his regiment? Anstoer. l. No 9. No
There is case where soldier discharged for
disability other than rounds entitled TO receive
unaccrued instalGionts of bounty No bounty can
be paid in the cases above mentioned.
a C., Lathrop, Ao.-l: Is S. the highest pension
allowed for a tieshwotfhd? 2 Is there any law toI
issuing land warrants TO soldiers of the late war
1HStcer. no to both questions.
J. IT, H., Richrieto, Ills soldiers widow enti-
tied to bounty who served one year and was killed
| in line of battle? Enlisted about Oct l, 1861
killed about Sept. l. 1862. AnsWer. We presume
you mean that the soldier killed not the widow
1t depends upon how much bounty she has already
received, which you fail to slate. See reply to II.
| H. i. last week.
g. s. H.,Fa,coursr~ Wash Tsr-Suppose a sol
der had taken IL homestead OF 40 acres, and soon
after decided it back TO The Government without
deriving any profit from the transaction has he
lost his right to hopEstead? If not he sell oil
locate the balance OF LEO acres? AaSwer. If the
soldier made his homestead entry of 80 prior
10 JtRe %, 1874 he is entitled to additional entry
of 40 acres. If the original entry was made sub
sequent to said date, lie is not entitled to addi-
| tonal entry. The soldier cannot sell his right
w. ". L., FittSblug, OIL. If attorney agrees
in writing TO undertake the prosecution of an in
claim for $40. payable only in of success
and the claim is allowed, will not the Pension
Agent pay the attorney So instead OF SO, agreed
upon? 2. Would it not be proper to state in the
application for increase the amount of fee agreed
AaSaroT. No, TO both questions Unless contracts,
signed by claimant and attorney, allowing g larger
sum than SO, are filed in the claim in the Pension
Office, the attorney receive but $40 in any case
H. f. s., AHeRtoWn, Pa.-Where n guardian OF
minors draws arrears of pension from date of dis
charge of soldier TO date OF death Of soldier (the
soldier having applied during his lifctime) by one
check, and by another check pension from the date
of the death of the soldier for the surviving minors
at - per month, Is such arrears OF pension now in
the hands of the guardian to he regarded assets
part of the soldiers estate, to which all the
chiidrcn-those over 81 years of age as well rs
those undcr-are entitled, and would il likewise
be subject for the payment OF the debts of the de-
ceased soldier? Amswcr. No Such pension cannot
be considered part of the assets Of the deceased
nor Liable to be applied 10 the payment of the debts
! of the estate of the soldier III any whatever
Eu; inurcs to the sole and exclusive use of the
minor children i'll whose favor the pension was
Mrs p s., Chdljeotte O--The dcte of marriage o.
the widow TO the soldier has no bearing upon the
claim for pension. II makes difference when
since the war
j. 4. Beck'S Groce Ind. Is n soldier that is
totally disabled from The performance of manual
| labor by gunshot wound of thigh, and who only
requires crucl,es part of the time entitled to this
$50 communication? .. Is JEFF Davis II voter i'm the
state of Mississippi? s. Or is he totally disfran-
chiscd? AnS,ccr. 1. Yes, in our opinion. =. No
| 3. Yes.
b. T.. ", Fort Ann " u Can widows of sol.
dicrs who married after his discharge receive
| pensions? 9. Can widows receive the same pen
sioHs rs their husbands did in where they
| lave died of wounds received iii war? 3. What
rate of pension do minor children receive? 4. Is q
| soldier who has gunShot wound III tine leg en-
titled strengthened for the leg. $50 every five
titled. See reply to Mrs 7. $. 2. The pension il
fixed by law at IS for n soldiers widow 1t can be
neither more nor less The amount of pension Inc
may have been receiving does not affect her rate
| 3. So A. No. He may be entitled to communication
if he has no of the leg.
| j. C. C., alliance, O.--Can any person who wa.
nevera soldieTin the late war; by filling out the
plcation for certificate of honorable service procure
certificate of honorable discharge if soldier
who had enlisted, but never discharged, ear
he procure said certificate? Insurer. No. The Ger.
tificatcs are issued by the Adiutant-Gener Il. 8
A.. and contain transcript from the official records
of the War Department, and only soldiers who
were honorably discharged can obtain them, as the
records show the facts in each case.
". s. H., Boston, Mass.-is a widow who married
n soldier after he was discharged from the army
ease contracted i'll the army, entitled to pension
Please let know what course to pursue
ARStUer. Yes, If she can prove the facts She
should correspond with. some reliable attorney
who will instruct her what TO do If the claim is
susceptible ofproof the sooner it is filed the sooner
-. 4.