The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-10
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.
Replies to Questions on Variety OF Interesting
Subjects.

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naTiy be made within q week and If in this col
unln within three weeksf
Several Subscribers write % the cause of delay
In their pension claims. II not OF course possible
for TO give such specific information in each
without being familiar with the papers therein but
we think the following general statement will ex-
plain TO many why there appears 20 be neglect ia
their cases Some time after the passage OF the net
Of June 81 1890 the Pension Bureau established the
practice IA adJudleatng claims OF giving prefer
ence TO those claimants who We're not already on
the roll that their claims could be allowed more
rapidly than those OF the claimants who were a.
ready pensloned This rule Of action, which is on
the whole very just has been quite generally fol-
| lowed by the Pension Bureau, until a great
majority Of the original claims which have been
pending and complete 10 some time have been dis
posed Of and the balance will be- finally acted on
| in q short time. The Pension Bureau is now also
acting the latter class OF claims, in which the
claimants now receive pension under the old law
and have applied for increase under the new law
and those Of this class who have had claims pend
ing may expect official action within n reasonable
time IL j. not, of course possible for the delay in
ali cases to be explained ia general statement but
we think the above will apply TO nearly all cases
/ in which there Is apparent delay ON the part Of
/ the Pension Bureau.
| j. ~ Boston, kass-OR what terms can a soldier
/ holding honorable discharge from the 5th Regi-
OF Artillery obtain 100 acres OF land from the
Government, the soldier having rendered service
Of five years. Insurer. Unless the service Of the
soldier referred TO rendered during the war of
the rebellion he cannot receive the benefits Of the
laws giving special advantages TO soldiers Ia taking
out homestead entries. Where soldier has served
/ ia the Army or Navy during the war he can have
/ his homestead application filed by an agent who
/ lives near the land, and he will then have six
/ months within which to commence residences and
i improvements as required by law. Ordinarily, a
person must live on homestead entry five years,
but ia the Of soldier Of the late war the pc
/ Rod of his military service. not exceeding four
years. however, IN any case will be deducted from
Il the five years residence ordinarily required. AT
/ least one years residences must be had in every
Il case, Ii the soldier served more than four
| years. These are the only advantages the soldier
/ has over other homestead entrymeu.
1 j. Dr., Bloomington. Mo-. Is there a standing
/ offer by the UnHed States or any other Govern
/ ment to reward any person who may invent per-
/ pelua mOtionP 2. What constitutes perpetual
/ notion AItsVer. I. No. 2. Perpetual motion,
/ in mechanics, Is defined to be a machine which,
/ when set la motion, would continue 10 move per-
petuay or until IL parts became worn out tcithOAt
the aid Of ersrfIal force. IL is manifesty impossible
i To accomplish such thing without destroying
resistance 10 motion, which is as impossible as de-
/ stTOying the law OF gravity itself; but nOtwth-
standing this and the fact that the laws of motion
/ absolutely preclude the possibility Of such in
vention the United States Patent Office yearly re-
| ceives thousands Of communications from persons
/ who think they have invented perpetual motion.
/ The Patent Office has prepared circular which
it sends TO these experimentation inventors, who
i are regarded as eranks.
A. d. b., Schuyler, III I. To whom should I
/ apply for Communication la lien of artificial arm
/ which Is due me? 2 II the soldier gets a bill
/ passed by Congress- does that debar him from re-
/ esiving pension under any Of the general pension
/ laws? Insurer. l. Apply 10 the Surgeon General,
i u. :. Army, Washington, ID. q. The last appro-
pratOu for tins purpose IS now exhausted, butt is
i thought that Congress- which met on Monday Inst,
/ will sOOn make another apprOpriai ion. 2 No;
i although the soldier could not receive two pen
sions for the same period of time, the fact that he
| is pensioued by special act of Congress viii not
| debnr him from applying under the old or new
| law for n higher rating than now received, and II
found entitled 20 higher rating than that received
| by special act, the same would be allowed the sol
der providing the special act itself does specify
i the exact amount the pensiOuer is TO receive.
/ J. o. Moscotg LldhO.-A soldier enlisted June
1861, for five yenFs and was wounded in back head
/ and shoulder on July I, 1862 and left his company
| aud never returned, having been dcmsnied until
/ April 3, 1863, and partly from then until 1887
/ when lie applied to have his record amended and
| an honorable discharge granted In December,
/ 1889 he received honorable discharge dated
April 1869. Can he receive pay from the date when
| he was wounded TO the date OF his dischargeP In
slgsr No. The act OF March . 1889 under which the
soldier referred 10 was granted an honorable dis
| charge, expressly provides that la such u case 30
/ pay allowances can be paid for any period dur
/ ing which the soldier was absent from his command
| without leave. The soldier is it appears entitled
| to a pension
j. H. b. Green's FORK Ind-A soldier who was
/ peusiOned for rheumatism applied for increase IN
| June 1885, rheumatism and resulting heart dis
| ease. The application was rejected. Ia December,
1884,. the soldier again applied for increase alieg-
ing, before, rheumatism and resulting heart dis
/ ease. The application again rejected. In
january. 1850. the soldier again applied for in
\ ing heart disease. He was examined by "a Bourl
l Of surgeons on June 4, 1856. The application was