Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-27

men take 'helr checks near PREFERS MONEY TO
ly every time. When the law tFcs
was first passed nearly as many arms were
called Tor as legs, bat the cripples soon discoy-
ered Dy experiment that. while an artificial leg
Is most useful piece of mechanism and a very
iair substitute for the real article the best false
arm Is hardly more than thing for Ornamental
purposes. SO il came about that there have
peen a lew Applications for arms since 90 legs
arm. wy
OF course. the old soldiers are most of them
pour anu they count upon this payment OF S75
or $50 when the time for 1t comes around A
DELAY NAV be considerable misfortune to
them- Hence their anxiety aud indignation on
tne subject was not altogether unreasonable
Even those who desired real artificial limbs
doubtless wanted them badly. For, YOU see
tne average store leg Of the best quality lasts
ABOUT eight wears, and those Of the veterans
VINO use them are mostly accustomed to make
them 10 Tor ten years-though they NAV get
somewhat dllapidated and shaky in the Joints
toward the end-Deng thus enabled to draw
their Sd5 every other five years.
TRANSPORTATION For vErERASs
The government has a list of about forty ar
nficiai limb factories in all parts OF the United
States, from which the veterans may make
their own selection, so that any one may have
his leg or arm turned out by any OF these es-
tabishments that he prefers. All of the man
ufacturers the list are under bonds of
satisfactory goods. 1t is provided incidentally
by the law that the person needing the limb
and being provided with a certificate for if
snail be given free transportation from his
nome 10 any city he desires. where q factory is
situated. with sleeping-car accommodations
and return. Thus veteran In New York NAV
desire 70 be measured for leg in San Fran
cisco and II so, is entitled to g trip across the
continent and back once in five years in a
Pnllman palace car. free of expense He must
pa Y tor his meals en- route however which he
Is hkely TO consider an outrage To the re-
cent Grand Army convention at Boston old
soldiers went as deadheads from all parts of
.he United states for the purpose OF being
measured for arms and legs.
SOME TINE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
OF course this is the fifth distribution that
Is being made now of artificial limbs, and the
unavoidable delay has brought the whole busi-
ness IN one tremendous rush upon the Office OF
the surgeon general, who ever since the sum
dry civil bill passed has spent most of his time
signing certificates in duplicate. lie is doing
MS BEST but the old soldiers seriously object to
waiting. Last Monday he received a voucher
calling Tor the usual SIS from One-legged
veteran IN Pennsylvania. IL had reached Wash
inSton the morning before, but, business being
intermitted on the Sabbath, there was a delav
OF twenty-tour hours. Monday afternoon, how
ever the check was duly sent off BY post On
Tuesday. the day after a very choleric letter
arrived from the old soldier. Said he: .IIow
long is this damned ungrateful government CO.
ing to make me Wait for my money? | sent in
my voucher last week and Ihave not received it
YET III Is an outrage. sir. IL Your subordinasrs
were made to do then duty. instead OF Ioatinp
the veterans who fought and bled in the s,.rv
wee OF the country would not have 10 wait in
oehhi'eiy for their due. trust / may get my
ti0 some time before Christmas"
MAKISG ADMIRABLE scBsTIrurEs.
Since the war, which necessarily created an
Apla g.
been vast Improvement in their manufacture
Legs made so admirably now that one can
walk with two artificial ones well as to ex-
hlblt very little difficulty in the gait Willow
o. Eastwood Is the material used. The lumber
Is most carefully selected and cut into blocks
eight inches square and four feet long Holes
are drilled through these blocks len.thylse
with an auger and they are allowed to season
Ior three yeors. Then they ready tor use.
Inc DOCK IS carved and sand-papered into
shape as exactly like real leg as possible
Next IL is followed out to the desired thick.
ness, after which u Is covered with kid and the
surface rendered waterproof by a coating OF
peculiar varnish- The lower part of the limb
Is connected with the upper by an ingenious
Hnee JOINT, and the whole interior of the
reg Il hiIed with mechanism in which a
spiral spring plays an important part Rnbher
WIN wooden core that is Of the came piece
with the lower leg, is the material of the foot.
~ Is 'ueanized upon the wood LAYER after
%~ 800 spring to the len
The arrl Is made pretty much the same Wv
but with comparatively little mechanism. The
hand being OF rubber. with a wooden core n IA
ne1ioie wires extending through the fingers. so
Mat the latter can be bent In any desired posi-
non Tor graspinS or other purposes glove
covers the hand always. because il ia i,,1oss,
BILE TO make IL look life-Iike in tint Tbie wsy
TO learn how 10 walk with an urtifc,a, loo IA :.
accommodate the moih,rs OF the live member
TO those of the imitation, and no, the onnos,te
- Is commonly done.
cACsEs OF ANPUrArIox.
Aveteran is entitled by law TO one limb or n,
equivalent in money Cor each amputation spf
Tered, so that some old soldiers who have M
limbs left that are OF any use ge. four new one,
every five years or $3.50 il they prefer. ONT ol
all legs lest by meu 80 per cent are alnpu,ateS
because of war and only Is per cent on accounl
OF disease. 81 per cent OF the cases being ins
to railways, which are thus seen to occasion m,
loss OF almost as many battle. Women en-
rionsy enough, lose 81 per cent Of their am 10
Asso ssgs IN consequences OF disease and exhiDi