The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-07-04
Read "Bottor than Pension +" on page S.
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety OF Interesting
Subjects.


To OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES questions on a sep
arate sheet of paper give full name and address,
andmark it Correspondents Column" EoAtten-
lion will be paid to communications that are not
accompanied with full name and address of writer.
Our readers are requested to inclose a stamp for
reply TO their inquiries. Postal cards will be
replied TO by mail only Replies by mail will Ordl-
narily be made within q week and II in this COLI
umn within three weeks.l
H. $. b., Harrisburg, Pain n claim for pension,
Will Il wife's evidence be accepted? ANSWER. Such
evidence would not he rejected Whether it would
be considered ms valuable or not depends entirely
upon the character OF the evidence; how pertinent
1t IS to the question Mt issue and whether IL Is cor
roborated. The wife must necessarily be consid-
cred partner in interest," and 1t is generally held
that she is more less BIASED in favor of her
husband, and the same viii apply to other reia-
tiyes and close friends of the applicant.
j. u. j.. OStVeOo ". WAS there ever n law
passed TO pay the Missouri State militia? Anst1er
No, there has been no general legislation to pay
the Missouri State militia. Any claim of that class
Is against the State Of Missouri.
o. ID. O., Springfield MA soldier died March IS,
1889 pension certificate having been issued in his
favor on the 9Th. Who Is entitled to his pensiOn3
4nstcer. First, the widow; second, the minor
children, il any under the law of the Stale wherein
they reside; third, the legal representative, sub
jet TO the approval Of the Hon. Secretary of the
Interior. The law in this respect has recently been
changed by act Of March 1, 1882 Heretofore pay
Rent in such claims could be made only to the
widow, or children under l6 years of age or to the
person who incurred the expenses OF the soldier 8
last sick ness and burial. in he did not leave
pension certificate should be forwarded to the
Commissioner of Pensions with statement TO
the surviving heirs or legal representatives in order
to secure q new issue OF the certificate payment
to the proper parties.
j. b., Jackson, Ainn.-Are papers sent the PEN
sion Bureau evidence in claim preserved in that
office. or should they be returned to the claimant?
AnsseeT. All papers, excepting discharge or marri-
age certificates etc, which are sent to the Pension
Office in relation to a claim are retained by that
Department and carefully preserved. They are
not returned to the applicant.
u. ID. L., CnHarToH, Kan.-I understand the rate
fixed by the Commissioner OF Pensions for we'll
marked yaricocele Is 81 per month, which Is the
rate for private. Would 1t also be the same for
Captain p AHsiUer. No. For the same disability
Captain would receive $40 per month.
Q. HcM, Genera. Pd.-Who do societies apply to
for charter, and how much does one cost? An
steer. IL depends upon what the society Is and
who are the officers authorized to issue charters.
r. H. r., LuceTHe, Pd.-How long will il be before
my pension claim Is decided after Il has passed
through the hands OF a Special Examiner and been
returned TO the Pension Object Assuer. As no two
cases are alike. and we do not have access TO the
papers In any claim 10 Is impossible for us to say
when a case will be acted upon. In such claim
as yours appears to be, we should say, ordinarily,
couple OF months would be sufficient time TO dis
pose Of the case
a. H. IT, Middletotgn, Pa-Can a man who de-.
serted his regiment and never returned TO duty
aud whose charge of desertion has never been re-
moved, be appointed to che position OF Postmaster?
VEG, Romeo, Mieh.-where are the Soldiers
Homes, and whom are they under4 Aaslosr The
National Military Soldiers Homes are situated near
TOgus, Me-; Hampton, Va; Dayton, o.; MiIwau-
kee Wis; Leavenworth, Kan. They are under the
supervision and control of Congress. Communica-
tons should be addressed TO the Governors of the
Homes.
J. b., National Home, YTs-Please give an ac-
count Of the LIST New Orleans regiment How did
u happen that n regiment WIS named from n city ?
What caused such singular deviation from the
usual CUSTOM AnssUer. IL was a matter of taste or
pride. There were arbitrary rules or custom
governing such matters There were quite num-
If in ~
designations were peculiar; for instance, Les En-
sfanis Perdu, New York Vols; Baltimore Light
Infantry, Maryland Vols; Milwaukee Cav. Wis
consin Vols; Curtis Horse, Iowa Vols, Cincinnati
Rifles, Ohio Vols and many others.
f. r., Decatur. M.-The widow Of q soldier re-
marries and Is aterwRTd divorced because her sec
ond husband already had legal wife living She
proves up pension on her first husband. Is she
entitled to draw u after divorce the ground that
she never was the legal wife of her second hus-
band2 AnSireT Yes
FHM ". Leesburg. VA comrade served three
years during the rebellion, honorably dis
charged, and died in 1888 from rupture of blood
vessel. leaving wife and three children, aged re-
spectiyey three five and nine years old. He left
no property. tan the children draw pension
until they become l6 years Of age? AHSt5er. Ifthe
rupture Of blood vessel of which the soldier died
due to his service and line OF duty therein his
month for herself and 81 per month for each child.
from the date OF the soldiers death. The children
cannot be pensioned so long their mother re-
mains the legal widow OF the soldier.
J.E.S., Clayton. MinR.-Was there any extra pay
allowed for extra duty sounding on the Japan exc
petition under Commodore Perry, Capt 3 g. Lea,
United States steam frgate Mississippi. from the
Chinese port TO Japan7 AnStrer No.
J. r., Highlands, n. Can you explain why
some Pension Agencies should be so much behind
others In paying of pension claims? There arc
some pensioners who receive their checks from the
Washington and Topeka Agencies from six to 10
days sooner than they received from other
agencies. Ans,rer. We can only explain the differ
enee by eonceding to some Pension Agents n bet
ter discipline in their own offices than exists In
others. In some of the Agencies however, the
force is inadequate TO perform the necessary work
with promptilude The Pension Agency In Wash
ingion, under the supervision of Col. ). L. Will
son, has achieved reputation for prompt payment
and for general satisfactory management. The
same admirable system which is employed here
could be adopted by some of the other Agents with
advantage.