The San Francisco call., 1898-12-03
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

PENSIONS = NJ, City. This corre- spondent, in letter of inquiry, says: "A woman had husband and a son who served in the War of the Rebellion. She was entitled to a pension from the Government I claim that as the widow she was entitled to such pension and that as the mother of the boy she was entitled to a pension as both died in the service of their country She married again and I claim that while marriage cut off \her pension as widow she was still the mother of the boy and entitled 5 to pension on his account Am l right
 Tine pension laws say that no one can draw two pensions. A widow and moth- CT must elect how she Will take the pension, on account of her late huspand or on account of her late son. As wid- 'ow she has right to pension on the husbands account and that pension ceases on her .rerarriage. A mother IS assumed to be dependent on her son, within the meaning of the law at the date of his death if she has no other ad- equate means of support than the ordi- nary proceeds of her manual labor and the contributions of said son or Of any other persons not legally bound to aid her in her support. On the remarrlage of any widow, dependent mother, or de- pendent sister having a pension such pension shall cease.
 CANNOT BE ANSWERED-C. T. S., Red Bluff, Cal It Is impossible to fur nish answers to the following questions for the reason that there are no statis- ties on the subject: What is the total number of persons killed, wounded and missing in all the wars that ever occurred from the beginning of man to the present % assd How bT Wsa is ths 6eaa death rate caused by whisky?" For years physicians and persons interested in tenn perance. have been trying to collect sta tistics that would show how many deaths result from alcoholism, but as-yet have not been able to obtain satisfactory re- suits.
 NO MORE CONTRACT MARRIAGES D.. Guerneville, Cal. The law of the State of California no longer recognizes con- tract marriages. If man and woman live together without being married and the man introduces the woman as his wife it is to be inferred that they have mutually agreed to live together as man and wife and would come under the head of implied contract. The law as it now stands does not apply, however, to con- tract marriages antedating the passage of the law. You can present the case to the District Attorney of the county, who will inform you if there Is sufficient ground to warrant prosecution of the parties.
 ANNUITY-L. s., City. In life insur- ance parlance "a simple annuity policy" provides that in consideration of the pay ment at one time of specified gross sum the company will pay to the annuitant a stipulated sum annually. either for stated term or during life. A survivor ship annuity policy sometimes taken by one partner for another by debtor for a creditor, and otherwise for a business security, guarantees the payment of a stated sum to the person named by the person taking the policy, during the perl cd in which the nominee survives the in- sured.
 CHARACTER SONG-M. E. G., Auburn, Cal. If you have written the words of a character song. and the words have been set to music and you have not the means to have the same published, have your song copyrighted to protect your rights. then submit it to a publisher of music there are several in San Francisco. If it has any merit and is likely to prove pop ular and a good seller you will have no difficulty in having it published.
 THE CONSTITUTIONS. A. M, City. One of the principal defects of the ar ticles of confederation was that there was