Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-02-17

Commissioner Evans Is not prepared "
hazard q 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 2,1OO,OO0
| separate and distinct enlistments, that Ii,
there were about that number of soldiers
| In the Union army. or this number about
100000 have obtained pensions out OF q
total of 1,349, 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-
err. 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
2,052, 126 applications fled At that time
there were pending in the office 5S2, 513
claims to be disposed Of.
~
Being first lady Of the land has proven
exceedingly beneficial to the health OF
Mrs. Mckinley. In fact, she has improv-
ed so remarkably that it is the subject OF
general comment. When she first came
to Washington she never thought of NOV
ing about without crutches. At one OF
the recent receptions she walked down
stairs and into the assembly room per-
fcctly 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
devolve upon her. Although naturally
domestic and nordinately fond Of chill
drcn, she has taken an unexpected liking
to the glitter and whirl Of White House
gayeties. In her face Mrs. Mckinley
| DcuIS nOHc VI the uuTkS VI Tie iuNdil0s
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, So, OOO, 900.
1t is ut present, however, exceedingly
difficult to obtain anything like authentic
1 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 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.
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 day in that occupation, and
political cartoons are to him a delight
Iespecially those in which his own counter
felt presentment figures. This last may
4 w DcCuuSe SUCH CdTlOO0S INV uFtuDl5 QpDlcL
him in a flattering way from one point OF
view or another; even those of the oppo-
sition represent him as a car and per-
sonage holding the reins over Congress.
Ard power is the breath of the mans nos
itrils-no human being ever enjoyed its
| possession more.
| DIR. Mary Walker is i'm Washington for
the ostensible purpose of having her pen
sion increased. She now draws pension
of So a month for disability incurred
| while serving as a nurse during the war.
| She is moreover one of the few women
Tor men, either,) on the troll 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 ana respect were re-
ciprocated. ~
Representative Dingley 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 DO 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
| into play in utilizing the human voice.
There are no children In the White
| House now. 1t is the first administration
since that of Buchanan where there have
not been children In the Presidents fam
lily.
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