Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-02-17

hazard guess as to the number of vet
Grams Of the civil war now living whose
names are not upon the pension rolls and
who have not applied for a pension Va
rious estimates have been made and the
accuracy of the calculations may be said
to depend almost entirely upon the allow
ance made for deaths among soldiers
since the close of the war. There were,
the commissioner says, about 100000
separate and distinct enlistments, that is, .
there were about that number of soldiers
in the Union army. OF this number about
100000 have obtained pensions out of
total of ], 349, 1873 applications filed, and
100000 were killed in battle, died from
wounds received or while in prison. This
estimate would leave about 343, 900 vet
Grams to be accounted for. How many
may now be living can be estimated by
one person almost as accurately as anoth-
er. The exposure, privations and hard
ships of the battlefield undermine the con-
stitution to such an extent as to render
valueless the best established life tables.
At the last reports there were 975,014
pensioners on the rolls, including widows,
minors and other dependent relations. The
last report from the Commissioner of Pen
sions shows that there have been allowed
962, 900 invalid and 462,940 widows
claims, ETC., growing out of the civil war,
or total of ,424, $40 out of total of
1852. 1876 applications filed. At that time
there were pending in the office $50, 513
claims to be disposed of.
Being first lady of the land has proven
exceedingly beneficial to the health o!
Mrs Mckinley. In fact, she has improv-
oI ,l-o ii Al ~ e, +bo ~
general comment. When she first came
to Washington she never thought of NOV
ing about without clutches. AT one of
the recent receptions she walked down
stairs and into the assembly room per-
fectly erect and without even a cane. At
the large receptions she usually receives
sitting, but the physical labor of such
functions does not appear to affect her as
much as it does some of the cabinet la
dies who are supposed to be perfectly
strong One reason for this appears in
the fact that Mrs. Mckinley enjoys thor
oughly performing the social duties which
deyolve upon her. Although naturally
domestic and Unfortunately fond of chill
dren. she has taken an unexpected liking
to the glitter and whirl of White House
gayeties. In her face Mrs. Mckinley
bears none of the marks of the invalid.
She is singularly young looking and her
expression is one of great and constant
happiness.
Director of the Mint Preston's estimate
of the amount of gold taken from the
Klondike is, in round numbers, $6,OOO,O00.
1t is at present, however, exceedingly
difficult to obtain anything like authentic
figures on the output of gold, as the Treas
ury Department only has quarterly re-
turns from the mint at San Francisco,
and what is received there by no means
covers the amount brought into this coun-
try. Some is deposited at Helena, Seattle,
and quite a quantity has come as far
east as Chicago. A great deal also goes
to private refneries, and reports from
them are only received annually; so it is
plain to see that anything like accurate
figures will not be had for some time.
X X
There are few men who get more
amusement out of life than Speaker Reed,
and yet he is a man of few diversions. He
loves to read newspapers, spending sew
eral hours a day in that occupation, and
political cartoons are to him a delight
especially those in which his own counter
felt presentment figures. This last may
be because such cartoons invariably depict
him in a flattering way from one point Of
view or another; even those of the oppo-
stion represent him as a cZar and a per-
sonage holding the reins over Congress.
And power is the breath of the mans nos
trils-no human being ever enjoyed it's
possession more.
DR.. Mary Walker is in Washington for
the ostensible purpose of having her PEN
sion increased. She now draws pension
Of $12 a month for disability incurred
while serving as a nurse during the war.
She is moreover one of the few women
Cor men, eitherO on the ''roll of honor"
who have been recognized by the Govern
ment for unusual meritorious service and
voted medals.
The President particularly deplores the
late Dupuy incident. He had great re-
spect for Mr.. Dupuy de Lone, and treated
him with unusual kindness. He never
failed to go out of his way when oppor-
tunity offered to show the Spanish min
lister personal attentions, and he supposed
that the confidence and respect were re-
ciprocated.
Representative Dlngley IS not an orator.
His voice is too nasal to be pleasant and
too weak to be heard. This is true even
when he speaks with extemporaneous
freedom, but when he reads speech, the
members have to gather close around him
to hear his words.
Congressman Bailey of Texas has
bought him silk hat. When the news
reaches Texas Mr.. Bailey may be given
an opportunity to explain or his constitu-
ents may demand his resignation at once.
Some idea of the immense amount of
work involved in the production of the
Congressional Record may be had from
the fact that forty-four muscles are called