Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-23

lSs4 9fo.u44
Study these figures, bearing in mind
that every year the war is one year
further of and that every year in in
creasing ratio death dep1etes the ranks
OF those persons entitled to a pension.
Pension Commissioner Green B. Raum,
in his report for the year ending June
80, 1891, computed the average deaths
per thousand of soldiers at Il, and the
average deaths per thousand OF widows
OF soldiers at 35. The rate, OF course,
is much higher now. By the law of
nature it increases annually.
WHO ARE ENTITLED TO PEN
SIONS.
Let us take up next the laws under
which pensions are granted. There are
two sets OF such laws relating TO the
pensioners OF the war of the rebellion.
The first are known as the general pen
sion laws and the second as the depend
ent pension act of 1899. Under the
general pension laws the following per-
sons are entitled to pensions for SER
vices in the war Of rebellion:
First-Any officer Of the army, in
GLIDING regulars, volunteers, and mil
itia, or any officer in the navy or
marine corps, or any enlisted man,
however employed, in the military or
naval service Of the United States, or
in its marine corps, whether regularly
mustered or not, disabled by reason
Of any wound or injury received, or
disease contracted, while in the service
Of the United States and in the line Of
duty.
Secondary master serving on q
eunboat, or any pilot, engineer, sailor,
or other person not regularly mustered,
serving upon any gunboat or war YES
sci Of the United States, disabled by
any wound or injury received or 9TH
erwise incapacitated, while in the line
OF duty, for procuring his subsistence
by manual labor.
Third-Any acting assistant or con-
tract surgeon disabled by any wound or
injury received or disease contracted
in the line Of duty while actually per-
forming the duties OF assistant sur
geon or acting assistant surgeon with
any military force in the field, or in
transitu, or in hospital.
Fourth-Any provost marshal, dep
uty provost marshal, or enrolling Off
Ger disabled, by reason OF any wound
or injury received in the discharge Of
his duty, to procure a subsistence by
manual labor.
No person shall be entitled to a pen
SIGN by reason Of wounds OF injury re-
ceived or disease contracted in the ger
vice Of the United States subsequent to
the twenty-seventh Day of July, eight
cen hundred and sixty-eight. If any
person has died since the fourth day Of
March, eighteen hundred and sixty-one,
or shall hereafter die, by reason OF any
wound, injury, casualty, or disease,
which, under the conditions and limita-
tons of such sections, would have emit
tad him to sn invalid pension, and has
not left or shall not leave a widow or
legitimate child, but has left or shall
leave other relative or relativ:c who
we're dependent upon him for support
in whole or in part at the date of his
death, such relative or relatives shall
be entitled, in the following cIder Of
precedence, to receive the same pension
as such person would have been enti-
It'd to had he beeen totally disabled, to
commence from the death OF such per-
son, namely: First, the mother; second
ly, the father; thirdly, orphan brothers
and sigters under Is years Of age. who
Sf8u be penSUucci jointly
n addition to getting a pension I'M
der these general laws, every soldier or
sailor who lost leg or an arm or a foot
is entitled to an artificial limb Of the
kind he lost every FIVE years, or, Il he
prefers cash he gets It at the rate Of s75
for a leg, $50 for an arm, and $50 fer a
foot. Alec the cost Of transportation
from his home to the nearest place
where artificial arms or legs OF feet are
made. Any soldier who is ruptured
gets truss. Under these general laws
it WIFI be seen that pensions are grant
ed only to soldiers who were injured in
the line OF their duty. Under the gen
eral laws 341 ,oS7 soldiers and sailors are
drawing pensions and 96,993 widows
and dependents Of soldiers. That is to
say, Of the 10000 surviving soldiers
341 900, or nearly one-half. are suffering
from wounds received in the service. or
disabilities traceable to the service. The
proportion, il will he noticed, is tre-
mendous. Nearly one-ba1f the soldiers
living thirty-two years after the w2r
are suffering from wounds or disabili-
ties Of thirty-two years standing.
THE DEPENDENT PENSION ACT.
The dependent pension act was passed
June Y, 1890. To get pension under
that act there are the following simple
requirements in case of a soldier:
a. An honorable discharge.
ca That he served at least ninety
days.
90 A permanent physical or mental
inability to earn a support, but not due
to vicious habits. ut need not have
originated in the service.s
In case of widow:
Cd That the soldier served at least
ninety days.
CD That he was honorably discharg-
ed
60 Proof of death, but it need not
have been the result of his army SER
vice.
"a That the widow is without 9th
er means Of support than her daily
labor"
90 That she married soldier prior
to June y, 1890, date of the act.
In dependent parents case:
% That the soldier died Of wound.
injury, or disease, which, under prior
laws, would have given him a pension.
(2) That he left no wife or minor
child.
CD That mother or father is at pres
ent dependent On her or on his own
manual labor, being without other
present means OF support than their
own manual labor Or the contributions
OF others not legally bound for their
SupDOrt'' The beDafifs af the frst sec