Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-16
THEY USE THE STATES TYPE.
A Nice scheme By Which the Pocket
 books of Veterans are De?!e1ed.

 A Nice scheme By Which the Pocket
 books of Veterans are De2!eoed.
 Arrangements for realizing snug amount of pocket money out of the veterans of this state have come to light in connection with the catalogue of Connecticut's soldiers, which the state has published at an extravagant cost. For the compilation and publication of the work in question, together with a record of Connecticut men in the war of the revolution, the war of 1872, and the Mexican war, the sum of S52 ,OOO will be expended. The number of copies of the catalogue is limited to 2,60O. Of the record, only .5O0 copies will be issued. Three successive legislatures have dab bled in the enterprise, the members in
 each case appropriating to themselves the full quota of copies. Every town in the state, every probate district, and
 every Grand Army post will be provided the record, requiring not less than 25O volumes of each to go around. The bal ance of the catalogue edition is to be sold at $5 per volume.
 The pocket change disclosures begin in 1887. The legislature declined to order the work stereotyped for which it was paying thousands of dollars. As fast as the composition was used for the {, ,500 copies it was ordered distributed. Col White of New Haven, who com piled the work, says the idea was sug- gested to him by Gen Erastus Blakeslee, who was settled in Fair Haven pastor ate at the time, that extra copies of the regimental records composing the cat
 alogue should be published through pri- vate enterprise, using the composition which the state was to pay for in the work. Col White stated that his official connection with the adjutant generals office made such course impossible
 Not long afterward Gen Blakeslee re- moved from the state, accepting the charge of a Massachusetts congregation. The plan which he suggested, however, was inaugurated by Gen l.. A. Dickin- son of New Haven, who is now acting chairman of the executive committee of the soldiers hospital board, and Major
 John c. Kinney, ex-United States
 citizen of this city. These gentlemen
 obtained permission, Col White states, from Adjutant General Camp of Governor Lounsbury's staff to use the states type in their work. There is not the slightest authority in law or prece- dent, so far as known, for the adjutant generals course From 200 to 300 extra
 copies of the regimental records, cover-
 ing thirty or more different organiza-
 tions, were thus printed privately. At
 the veteran reunions this fall these re-
 cords have been placed on sale. The
 price for 100 copies is $50. In case 200 copies are taken the price is fixed at $65, Col White said this week that he had
 known single copy to be sold for $1.
 The actual cost to the syndicate control ing the issue could not exceed 20 cents a copy. The veterans cannot afford to
 to buy the catalogue at $5 a volume, even if the state had furnished the op-
 portunity. But it did not, as the edition
 was limited to 2,50O. In consequence l they have furnished the diminutive
 sheets giving the records of regi- ments with which they were con: nected in the service and
 have paid the exorbitant prices demand
 ed. The whole affair has been reprehen-
 sible and will be vigorously repudiated
 by the old soldiers when the facts are
 made public. It might be taken up by
 the Grand Army but for the ring that
 has governed that body for years in this state.