The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-12-21
GOT IT At LAST.
The United States Nay BIO Slow, But IL Gets
There Finally.

The writer il in receipt of 500, less attor-
neys fees Of $l0-net cash, $50, from tho Wal
Department of the United States-just in
time for Christmas. The directions on the
envelope to the postmaster were that he
would "under no circumstances deliver the
letter to any one but the person addressed,
and If DEAD, note fact on envelope and re-
turn at once" How glad we are it was not
returned!
This Christmas gift, to use . common ex'
preston, is picked up in the road" but II
serves to show, if the o.. s. is q little slow, il
don't repudiate its obligations under limita.
ton, and we recite the circumstances On
the 9th of April, 1861, the writer entered
into an agreement with q relative to help
him save his bacon, or words to that effect, a
part Of the agreement being that we were to
receive $13 . month for . pedestrian trip,
''along the Potomac" or elsewhere, carrying
q variable amount of food, clothing and
impedimenta, and to be on hand when wanted,
for three years or SO. If we remained with
our employer one year, under these condi-
lions, then we were to receive 800 bounty.
All the employees were so hired. Besides our
sins and q very limited amount of flesh, one
of the burdens we had to carry was an old
sm%ooth-bore buck and ball musket and . lot
of traps belonging to 1.-THE same as can now
be bought for 81 cents up at any junk shop
in the country, but which in those days was
considered so tony that nearly everybody
wore one habitually on his right shoulder.
It was even customary, that If any person
came around who the owner thought well or
III Of, to get it down and show it to him,
perpendicular, horizontal or "slantways," as
the case might be /; warm 1t up, polish it,
feed it with rations he carried in little paper
sacks (the End of which had to be bitten off,
sleep with it, and even get up in the night
and rush off somewhere to show it to q lot
of other fellows who thought theirs the best,
and perhaps even quarrel over the question
of superiority for from q week to nearly a
month at a time, as they did before Rich
mond or in the Wilderness. Well. just
about eleven months after entering into this
agreement, Uncle Sam run short of muskets
or something, and of his own motion gave
tina of the writer to another man, mustered
us out as an enlisted man, and gave us an
other duty to perform with the same COM
rades. He also held for about twenty years
after, that not having carried the gun twelve
months, as agreed upon, we had forfeitedthe
800. Several thousand persons were SINH
larry situated. Some four or five years ago,
after half or more of the fellows who were
like situated had died, Uncle Sam thought
the matter owe again and concluded as he
was the one who arbitrarily terminated the
agreement, and that as he had only mustered
these persons out to promote them to more
responsible duties, and his act was intended
as a reward rather than a punishment, he
had made a mistake in Withholding from
those who remained in service the 500 he
had paid to every other enlisted man who
had served = year. So he forthwith directed
they should be looked up and paid. 1t has
taken a few years to get the business in
shape, but finally, under date of December
II, 1888, nearly q years after it was due, he
puneled. Bless your old soul, Uncle Sam.
you don't intend to be dishonest, but you are
powerful slow sometimes. Our thanks, how
ever, old fellow. "May you live long and
prosper" We never bothered you about
this matter, or any other, and was glad
enough to help you cut of the scrape you
were in without any dicker about pay; and
now ii we didn't need your money worse
than you do, we would like to frame your
draft and put it away 'for keeps" with some
other relics and reminders Of ''the days
when we we're young" AS it is, "the war
debt" is paid as far as we are concerned, and
if the NEW NORTH WEST boys get their pay
this week, they can credit the occurrence to
the fact that Uncle Sam has q long memory
and will finally pay every dollar he owes if
he thinks Of it, barring the interest.