St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-23
QUEER PENSION CLAIMS.
Samples of Peculiar and Laugha-
bic Reasons GiveA IN Applica
tfonS.

Samples of Peculiar and Laugha-
BILE Reasons GiveL in AplIica-
tfons.
The oddly of human nature las
found an apt illustration in some of the
many claims for pension that have been
received under the new law. Many
men have stretched their imaginations,
as we'll as their conscienceS, in their eff
forts to be placed on Uncle Sans great
and rapidly growing pension roll. They
allege every disease and aiIment known
to the science of medicine. and then
urge the claims with energetic persist
ency. Some of the causes alleged are as
odd as they are interesting, says the
Washington Post. An eX-Soldier in
Ohio wrote:
Il don't exactly know what disease l
am suffering from, but | do know that
l deserve a pension, as | am suffering
the pains of death all over my body"
Another veteran in West Virginia
thinks he should receive pension be-
cause, as he states it, during the war he
fell Off thirty-foot bridge, which re-
suited in "a general breaking up of the
system" A veteran of the Fourth
Wisconsin Infantry was salivated by
reason of all excessive use of salt port
during his army career, and now he APP
plies for pension because he '.got sal
vatiOn in the army" as he puts it.
Under the provisions of the recently
passed dependent pension law it is only
necessary for a claimant to snow that he
is incapacitated from manual labor,
whether the causes are due to army
service or not, in order to have his
name placed on the rolls. To show his
inability to perform manual labor the
affidavitS of neighbors are necessary re-
citing that fact.
A veteran in Howard county, Mary-
land, sent the testimony of a neignbor,
who, TO doubt, meant well enough, but
did not know how TO express himself
The latter swOre to the statement that
he had known the claimant for ten
years, and that "he would not work I'M
less he was compelled to-" The wit
ness, of course, meant to say that claim
ant, while really unable to work by
reason of his physical infirmitieS, was
frequently compelled to attempt labor
in order TO sustain himself.
The widow of a man who shouldered
a muSket i'll the Pennsylvania reserves
wanted pension and was asked if her
husband was ever wounded.
30, yes" she replied, The received an
AK wound of the right foot.'
Being asked to explain the circum-
stances surrounding the wounding of
her better half, she said he cut his foot
while splitting wood. 1t was not during
the war that this occurred, but in 1879,
at their home in PENNSYLVANIA. The
pension attorney wanted to know what
bearing such an occurrence could posi-
bly, have upon the pension law, and the
widow answered CURLY:
''Well, sir, the ak he cut his foot with
is the same one he brought home with
him from the war. 1t was an army
aX.'
A rather remarkable declaration was
made by Michigan veteran. He stated
under oath that he picked up shell on
the battlefield of the Wilderness and
took il into his tent. While holding the
missile between his knees examining it
the shell exploded. BADLY SCATTERING
his nervous SYSTEM" but miracuouSly
causing no other injury.
An eX-cannoneer of one of the regular
batteries claims that he stopped cam
non ball with his abdomen and has since
been greatly troubled with stomachic
disorders. The ball, he says was
spent one, and came bounding along.
striking him squarely on the exterior of
the inner man, and nearly knocking
him into the middle of the following
week.
One Gioranna, member of the we'll
known GarIbaldi guards, reciteS in his
application for pension, that he was
''probed'' by rebel bayonet at the Bull
Run fight, and a Jersey cavalryman
says lie was severed" by rebel saber
at Spottysvania court house. These are
only few of the queer causes for pen
sion that are daily received at the de-
partment. There are thousands of others
equally queer.