The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-01-14
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety Of Interesting
Subjects.

ITO OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES questions a sep
arate sheet OF paper, give full name and address,
ana mark 1t Correspondents Column" Noatten-
ton will be paid to communications that not
accompanied with full name and address of writer.
Our readers are requested to inelose a stamp for
reply to their inquiries. Postal cards will be
replied to by mail only. Replies by mail will ordi-
Darily be made within week, and if in this col
umn within three weeks.l
j. j. y, VermiUion, IH.-1. When soldier en-
listed for one year and promised 500 bounty,
then after serving five months discharged and
given only onethird of the bounty, is he not enti
tied to the remaining S6623? 2. What is the rating
for injury to hipjoint where the soldier is not
able for manual mental labor? 3. How long
must soldier wait after returning voucher until
he receives n check? Ans,cer. l. No. unless he
discharged for a0oundS 2. The rating depends upon
the report OF the Examining Surgeon If he should
find that claimant unable for any manual labor,
and he should report, and the medical history of
the case would slbstantiate such report, the PEN
sioner would probably be rated at $50 per month.
g. a few days.
a. b, Viola, DeI-I applied for pension in 1882.
which was granted in 1885 at s24 per month. If the
Arrears Act is repealed this Congress, will be en-
titled to S2i per month from date of discharge up to
the filing of my claim? AJStUer. No. Arrears could
not be paid at any such rate.
b. H. WiJanip0iH,, COnn.-The recent decision
of the Acting Second Controller in regard to bounty
for soldiers discharged to accept promotion does
not affect any where the soldier enlisted on
after July % 1861 or was mustered in after Aug: 6,
1851 1t provides for those only who enlisted under
the Presidents proclamation of May 3, 1851
g. w. d., ArningtOn, IH--If n pensioner applies
for pension too late to entitle him to arrears, If
claim is allowed and Congress shall repeal the limi-
tation of the Arrears Act will he then be allowed
pension from the time he received his injuries in
service? AliStCer. No. He would be allowed arrears
from date of discharge from the service in which
the disability originated. He could not be pen
stoned for any part OF the time during which he
was soldier.
L. p, South Windhanl, Conn-See reply to B. S.
X, above The Act of April % 1872, reads as fol-
lows: BE ID enacted, etc., That every volunteer,
non-commissioned officer, private, musician, and
artcer who enlisted in the military service of the
to m he
nation of the President of the United States of
May 3 1861, and the orders of the War Department
issued in pursuance thereof and WAS actually mus
tered before Aug. 6, 1861, into any regiment, COM
pany, battery, which accepted by the War
Department under such proclamation and orders,
shall be paid the full bounty OF SiOO under and by
virtue of said proclamation and orders of the War
Department, in force at the time of such enlistment
and prior to July % 1861: Ir0rided, That the
has not already been paid Approved April D. 1872.
This reply inadvertently omitted from last
edition. ant was not discovered Iii time to INSERT
Ed
G.. l.. b., Dustin Neb--Please inform if Gen.
U. 5. Grant vetoed bill to pension soldiers who
served in the late war. AsS1Uer. He did not.
j. H., Independence, Kan.-I was drawing PEN
sion of 81 per month. l made application for an
increase and received 81 more per month, beginning
June 4, 1850 If Congress should pass the Arrears
Bill will he entitled to the arrears the increase?
AnSwer. That depends upon the disability for
which the increase was given. If it was for the
same disability for which you were originally PEN
stoned, then you can get no arrears, because such
increase can commence under the law only from
the Gute oil the Examining surgeons certlfeate
which establishes his right to an increase. The
peal of the limitations of the Arrears Act would not
affect such a case.
H. H., Edinboro, Pat is impossible to state
what causes delay in any particular claim, nor
how long period must necessarily elapSe before
any particular action is taken in any case. Delays
due to various causes; each case is peculiar to
itself and there is rule or line of action by which
all claims can be gauged. If an unusual delay ap-
pears to exist is apparent in your case the claim
ant should write to the Commissioner of Pensions
and ask him the cause of delay. We do not have
access to the papers in the therefore we can
not exp lain the delay which may ensue III any pen
sion claim.
G. ". b., Seymour, Conn.-THE NATIONAL TRIB-
UNE is not printed in German.
4. III. H., Pan Vert, O.-Why is 1t that much
larger pensionis granted to so many who were and
are III good circumstances, while the poor veteran
IS put of with IS per month, or nothing? AnstOer.
1t may happen IN some cases. All invalid pen
sons are rated in accordance with the degree of
pensioner has nothing to do with the amount of
pension granted i'll any case. Hthe degree of disa-
bi!ity proved under the pension laws in case is
greater than the degree existing in another case.
the one will get larger pension than the other,
whether he be poor rich. There is no distinction
under the law as to grades of pensions except for
1frs II. Tt. My husband went out in June, 61,
and was discharged in June, '62. Am entitled to
any bounty? 2. He then joined the Home Guards
and was ordered out, and was killed by theears. Am
entitled to pension? 4ns,Uer. l. If he enlisted for
three years prior TO July % 1861 and was mustered
In Tor three years prior to Aug 3, 1861 there was
500 bounty due under the act of April % 1872, pro-
viding he was honorably discharged. 2. No.
". ". c., Co7np Douglas, Wis.-Please state when,
where and by whom the first railroad was built?
AnSUer. The first railroad was built with wooden
rails IL was short road constructed in 1872 by Mr..
Beaumont mt the colleries near New Castle upon
Tyne. Iron rails first used in England in 1873.
Another iron railway was laid down by John Curr
near Sheffield in l776 The first railroad constructed
for carrying passengers was the Stockton q OAR
linstou Road, built by Edward Pease and George
Stephenson Sept. y, 1925.
C. c. b., Brazil, Iad.-l. How much isa attorney
allowed Pension Office a
sion where there is agreement between the a
parties for Increase on new disability? 2 was
sick with measles and was in hospital two and a
half months, and can only get one oomrde's atfi
dayit to the fact that contracted measles. VIII
my claim stand any show in that shape by proving
medical treatment since the war; for each year for
heart disease results from measles? 4nSacer. So
2. Yes, If the case is straight
A Soldiers Widow, Bearer, Mnn.-b1y husbands
pension claim was rejected, and he has since died
of the disease for which pension was claimed. His
attorney has not returned his discharge papers
although have written to him for them /. Has
the attorney any right to hold the discharge papers
after the claim has been rejected? 2. What must
do i'll order to get them? B. Can take an appeal?
Anslcer. l. The attorney is bound to surrender the
discharge upon request of the rightful owner
thereof In case the refusal of the attorney to
return the discharge notify the L. s. District Ator
ney of the fact, and invite his attention to the act
| of Congress, approved May 81, 1872. 8. Yes.
w. " p, Kenpton, I'LL applied for pension
two injuries received a pension one of them;
am now prosecuting the other l. Is it necessary
to produce the evidence again III order to have my
an attorney keep case back so that it will not
have hearing in its regular turn? If So what is
my remedy to get the case through g. Has an
attorney any right under the law to keep dunning
his client for large amounts of postage stamps after
the client has furnished enough stamps to cover all
correspondence? 1ns,cer. No to all the above.
One dollars worth of postage stamps is all that
any claimant ought to contribute in any case and
so cents will suffice in ordinary cases.
c. p, Winamac Iad.-A claimant had claim for
pension in the hands Of Special Examiner, and
the claim met with opposition at home and was
difficult the claimants attorney OF record living in
another State far off, claimant employed resi-
dent attorney to appear for him, giving him his
note for S25, due when pension was paid. The law
yer l admit performed his part of the business
fairly and successfully. l. Can he collect the note
as other notes are collected, claimant being SOL
vent? .. Did they violate the pension laws by such
contract? AnS,Oer. !. Yes. . No.
CdPt.S H., Perryton, OIL. Has soldiers widow,
who, being married after said soldier was dis
charged, and he having contracted disease while
i'll line of duty and having it continuously, and dy
ing with the same disease i'll charitable insttu-
n right to a pension? 2 How must she proceed to
get it? 3. How much is she entitled to- and from
what date? 4. Docs the arrearage act deprive her
of anything, not? 5. If the husband draws a
pension and dies why cannot the widow be placed
ON the penson-rolls without going through the
same process the husband did to procure his? An
SlCer |. Yes 2 Make regular claim and file it
in the Pension Office. 3. IS per month, to COM
menee from date of death of her husband, if her
claim filed prior to July l. 1886. If her claim
was not filed prior to said date, then she draw
pension only from date of filing her claim. A. That
depends upon when her claim filed. 5. She
Vouid not have q oO through the same process "a