The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
inc Nations Oldest Pensioners-Young
women Who Become Veterans Wild
ows-A Man of the New South.
Especial OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Especial Correspondence
commissioner Evans sat at his desk
the other day figuring on pensions as
lhcy concern generations yet unborn
Ihc Declaration of independence is 1871
years Old. The country is still discharg-
lhi' It's debt of gratitude in the material
form of pensions toward those who
1ought for it, Of course there are no
Surviving soldiers of the Revolution.
There are, however, surviving widows.
Inc commissioner was specializing on
what that fact has to do with the future
OF the present pension list He has now
upon his roll of monthly recipients
9o3, 62S names. Before the end of the
current year the grand army of pen
sloners will pass the 1000, 600 mark.
1t Is fair deduction that 90 years
henco the government of tho United
States will still be paying pensions for
the civil war of 1865.
Pensions and Matrimony.
Tho army of George Washington was
squad compared to the 1000. 600 and
more enrolled i'll the north to crush
secession. 1t suffered privations calcu-
lated to sap vitality, but the widows Of
those patriots of Valley Forge are still
drawing pensions. Unless the twentieth
century women differ much from the
nineteenth century women there will
be roll of honor in the year 1887 of
quite respectable proportions Pensions
conduce to matrimony. a fixed income
which can be transmitted after death
as an estate has its bearing OH tho ques-
ton of marriage.
Suppose, suggested tho commits
sioner, with his sheet of figures before
him, IA years to be tho lowest limit
Of age for Il soldier i'll the Revolution
of l77G. a soldier of that age would
have been 38 years old in 1900 Now the
youngest of our Revolutionary widows
on the pension list is SO. She was born
i'll 1914 At tho date of her birth the
youngest of the Revolutionary soldiers
was SO. If he married this woman when
She WAS IS, he was &C. There you have
age conditions of matrimony not at all
unreasonable or unusual.
Pensioners Yet Unborn
Reasoning from what has proved true
regarding pensioners, some writer has
suggested that during several years
w NOiilC gin DuDitS VIII Dc DOIn TO THO
destiny of becoming tho widows of the
veterans of 1863 and of drawing pen
sions. If there are ten Revolutionary
widows on tho roll now, there may be
1000 civil war widows in 1856 This is
possible without taking into account
the fact that the world is learning how
to live longer. The ranks of the old sol
dicrs arc thinning. Tho ranks of tho
old soldiers widows are not. Nearly
one fourth of the 9S3, 62S names now
on the roll are widows. To be exact,
the widows ut present receiving pen
siops number 22S, 022. Tho proportion is
increasing steadily. Soon one-third of
tho pensions will go to widows. A few
years later tho widows will outnumber
the veterans. The timo Will come when
the widows will exceed tho old soldiers
i'll such numerical relation as they do
for tho war of 1919. There are seven sur
vivors of 1912 on the roll, and there
arc 2, $40 pensioned widows of that war.
The Indian wars were fought from 1899
to 1912, from 55 to 60 years ago The
pensioned veterans of those Indian wars
number 2,373 and the widows 4,2SS.
The MexicaE war widows do not quito
equal tho veterans. They number S,072,
while the male pensioners of that war,
fought 80 years ago, are l0,022.
The Annual Death List
OfUnion soldiers who participated
III the civil war the number now pen
stoned is 741, al. Unless additional
laws arc passed this number of civil
war veterans will not grow much Tho
deaths are about 80, 900 n year. Tho
new applicants admitted to the roll.
with the greatest diligence tho pension
bureau can bestow, will not long main
tain the present strength of pensioncd
veterans. But tho widows will grow in
numbers for many years to come.
Secretary and Mrs. Gage arc domi-
ciled at their pretty country homo at
Chevy Chase, Westinghouse most popu-
lar suburb. 1t is new but picturesque
dwelling, situated on 1.-THE circle" and
past its broad and comfortable veranda
tho electric road carries daily thousands
to the pleasures of Chevy Chase lake, n
mile or two beyond.
A Man Of the New South
McLaurin, tho handsome and vigor-
Gus young senator whom the Democrats
of South Carolina are to return to the
senate, is a man of the new south and
is well able TO take care of himself He
has great courage, is n good tallicr and
does not 90 to sleep between his SEN
fences. Too young to have participated
III war, he is not bound by the memo
ries of that conflict, bnt has hewn out u