The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-02-20
REJECTED.
pose ,


we consented, after mature delibera-
ton, to accept pension from a CRATE
full government as slight recompense
for serious moral disabilities incurred
as private soldier in the service of
our country. In accordance with the
prescribed custom in such cases, and
to be sure that none Of the red-tape re-
quirements of the government should
be omitted, we looked about for an
honest pension attorney. Honest at
torneys are scarce, but we found one in
the person Of Capt. w. H. H. Taylor,
late of the United States infantry, who
consented to make out the necessary
papers, ETC., and push our claim to a
speedy and satisfactory conclusion.
AS preliminary step we made affida-
Wit that, to the best of our knowledge
and belief, we were the person we rep
resented ourself to be. Following this
host of witnesses were called to prove
that we were the original Richard Roe
duly described in the document above
mentioned. Then doctors of the vari-
Gus schools of medicine-whose knowl.
edge of the human anatomy is far in
excess of a pension commissioners
knowledge of the moral law-brought
instruments of divers shape and quaint
device to bear upon our defenseless
person, said instruments recording
with mathematical exactness the work
ings of our internal solar system, all
of which was duly written in Greek
and forwarded to Washington. After
subscribing to various other allegations
we were told that nothing more was
required-the pension was assured.
We were glad to have it all over, for
we had sworn to the truth of so many
documents pertaining to the case that
we had contracted the bad habit of
making affidavits at our office devil,
and at the siowness of the pension de-
partment in sending ON our pension.
We have no particular use for the pen
sion money, but we had promised, i'm
mediateIy on receipt Of the pension, to
lend thousand dollars each to several
friends who were financially embar-
raised, and we were anxious to relieve
their pressing needs. Last week, after
years of anxious waiting, we received
an official document from the bureau
of pensions cody informing us that we
| were not disabled for manual labor in
pensionable degree. Of all the queer,
illogical, irrational decisions ever rem
dered, this is the worst! Our claim was
based on moral, not physical disabili-
ties. Anyone who can perform the
duties of chore boy extraordinary to
the entire prison and edit THE MIRROR
during the hours usually allotted to
sleep must have the physical stamina
Of fhroo mon b,t
Memory carries us back to the dark
days of nations crisis when the clash
of cOntending armies, the rattle of
musketry and the roar of cannon
echoed over hill and valley. Again we
hear the cheers of charging columns
and the answering shout of defiance
from stubborn enemy on that day in
early May when Resaca was wrested
from brave foe. New Hope Church.
Kenesaw Mountain and Peach Tree
Creek are only memories, but the friend
ship of those gallant comrades with
whom we shared the hardships and
dangers of internecine strife has stood
the test of time, and the messages of
sympathy and good will from those
friends of our early manhood are worth
more to us than paltry pittance
grudgingly doled out by the pension
department.
Power of the Criminal Classes.
One circumstance greatly impreSSeS