Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-08

member the exact location of the camp,
now that the city has changed SO
much, but IL was from the vicinity OF
'Twenty-flrst and Market streets west
ward to about Grand avenue. Encn
day the newly-recrulted battery drilled
so as 70 become proficient In the hand
ling of our guns, and the boom OF our
six-pounders became familiar to the
cars OF the citizens. A short time after
enlistment We were ordered 10 point
about where the old waterworlts plant
was erected later. II was our duty
to stop the Missouri river boats as
they tried to go to the southwark.
our practice work was continued there,
and It was during practice on the
morning OF May g. 1861. sixteen days
after ! had enlisted. that ] met with
the accident which cost me my arms.
II was the gunner ana had worked
hard that morning. We were nearly
through with our mornings drill and
with the regulation rod was pounding
home the last charge. That was before
the day of the brecch-l loading guns, and
powder, wads and balls went down the
muZzle and were tamped by the rod,
our last. shot was about to be fired.
was in front of the muzzle my arms
barred and the rod in my hands. Sud
denly one OF the men touched on the
gun. Just what followed my compan-
ions told me later. Working with my
arms directly in front of the muzzlc
both my hands were blown off by the
canncn's discharge They picked me
up and sent me to the Good Samaritan
hospital MY left arm was cut off at
the elbow first and later was unJolnted
at the shoulder and taken away MY
right arm was taken of Just below tnc
elbow Joint The doctor said ! would
not survive the operation, but i was
only 10 years old then, and strong and
hearty. / had always taken good care
OF myself and I fought hard for life.
| ] did live and disappointed al 81 them,
"That, sir. Is the story of how LOST
my arms. did not participate in a bat
lie, and had no narrowing experiences.
The first pension the government para
me was IS Il month. and | was In danger
Of starving. | started to sell papers at
| this very stSt in 1866, and have been IN
the business ever since. AT nrst touhu
| trade fairly good. because there WIS an
army post over there across the street
where the arsenal stands now Theh
my pension was increased to S25 per
| month, and finally. about 1888, To SlOo
per month. built this house ana own
| The ground 1t stands on. have raised
n family II Is true that the maximum,
pension is considered So month, anu
| is awarded in cases OF totai plhuness.
| However. my pension came as Il resui.
| az snecial enactment. The act provided
| Tor every pensioner who had lost both
| arms or both legs close to the nips'
| There were but 90 of them In the coun-
try Mt that time. and l suppose az,
| one out of but few remaining now. Lots
of men say to me that | snou,u 10,
romnlnIn OF anything because l get q
liberal pension. ! tell them. how nor.
,ihle Il is to be without arms, and tna'
n God would give my arms pack 10 III.
i would gladly repay the government
all It has paid me. ,os
Few people know how strusgle.
for n living when my pension wa,
s,,oiI A man with arms canno
imagine the sufferings of one deprived
of them. Right now--this moment,
feel the fingers of my right hand tinEl'
MS II they were asleep. i would CIV
worlds II ] could reach over Win my
left hand ard take hold OF my right,
feel them both all the tiiiie, a ~ ~,
they have been gone for over w yeilrs
They crarnp. They go to sleep, me!
itch burn and ache. but / can do noth
Ing hut wiggie the stumps at m!
shoulders. Sometimes at night 1 aii
awakened by the awful anguish thos
aching arms give me. and yet they tel
me | am favored because OF hDerh
nension. The changes in the weather
such as the one we are experiencinl
now. bring me pain"
Mr.. Mark Is supplied with artihcia
arms. but the left one does nothing pu
fill out his coat sleeve, as ne mas ~
control of It. The right arm is uniqu
piece of mechanism. 1t has a woodel
hand with wooden fingers, encnsed !
a black leather glove. spring hold
the thumb tight against the fingers
When Mr.. Mark wishes to grasp. any
. thing, he shrugs his shoulders In a
odd and gruesome way, and by so 40
, ing tightens strap and opens IN
! thumb. The hand is pushed toward
! the object, and shrug OF the shoulder
loosens the strap and allows the sprin
, to catch the object between the thum
and fingers. He can lift nothing OF an
/ weight. He writes a very clear, plal
hand. and not large one, as might b
Imagined. The letters are all anguia
t and much after the vertical style q
: writing go popular now. The penholde
is seized by the mechanical hand. TIL
, paper or writing pad Is on level wit
a his elbow. The arm Is crooked int
= position and then the man begins
Y sway his body forward and backwar
and to and fro. The result is truly re
= markable, as he writes clearly an
r quite rapidly.