The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-19
She Is Eighty-Three Years Old. and
Her Husband Died at Ninety-Eight
After a Remarkable Career.
MICE IN NATIONAL CAPITOL
ONE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE FREE
DISTRIBUTION or SEEDS.
Woman Suffra gists an PoIitics-Move-
ument to Lafayette in Paris.
speeIal to the rnalanapolIs 1ournal.


Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-The private
pension claim of Mrs Clarissa Collins
Moore, recently disposed of by the House.
committee, brings to light the career of a
soldier who served in the army longer than
any other man in the history of the country,
and in the opinion of some War Department
officers, broke world record in that par
ticular. Lieut.. Michael Moore, for that is
his name, was for eighty-five years con-
tinUously in the military service of this
government counting the period of retire
ment when, according to the rules of war,
he was still soldier. Moore died in Brook
lyn, last August. in his ninety-eighth year.
He was born in New York city, July 4, 1900,
and came of military stock. His father was
with Washington at Trenton. Just. before
the breaking out of the war OF 1912 young
Moore, in company with an elder brother,
left home and walked to Albany, where
they enlisted under Col. Peter b. Schuyler,
In the regular army Moore's first appoint
ment was that of drummer boy, and he
participated in the assault and capture of
Fort George, the battle OF Stony creek and
many other conflicts. At the close of the war
he Immediately re-enlisted in the regular
army, becoming member of the Second
Regiment of Infantry commanded by Col.
Hugh Brady. He followed the career of the
regular army in Indian and other warfare.
and was, for many years before his retire.
me4t. in 1872. stationed at the Bedloes
island recruiting agency. Lieutenant Moores
death last summer was due to extreme old
age. He was twenty-five years older than
General Grant. twenty years older than
General Sherman twentyfour years older
older than Sheridan. He was zine years
older tlfan Gladstone and had been a soldier
three years when Bismarck was born.
Lieutenant Moores widow, in recent let
ter to the chairman of the Senate commit
tee on pensions, said: II am not the young
wife of old soldier, but eighty-two
years old, and if my husband had lived one
month more should have been married
sixty-three years. If the pension is granted,
it will not be for long, as 1 am twelve years
past the allotted three score and ten" The
bill provided for SIS a month pension during
her lifetime but the committee found on
examination that under an act providing
for widows of soldiers of the war of 1872,
that she could secure pension of about
the same amount, under general law. dat
ing from the death of the soldier. and Com
missioner Evans offered to make the case
a special one and give it prompt considera-
ton.
Mice have become so plentiful at the
Capitol as to be a serious nuisance. Their
presence is chargable to the free seed dis
tribution, for the old employees say that
until the seeds were stored in the commit
tee rooms field mice were rarely or never
seen. Cantaloupe and cucumber seeds of all
the great variety of Uncle Sans bounty are
the greatest attraction, although when
hungry the pests will eat almost anything.
A Kentucky congressman recently left a
huge pile of seeds locked up in his COM
mittee room for some days, and on opening
the door was startled by the sight which
met his eyes The litter was scattered ev-
erywhere and the room had to be thor
oughly cleansed and great sacks containing
what Remained of the seeds were thrown
away. other committee rooms have suf-
fered the same way, depending upon how
long the seeds have been left without over
hauling. How the little animals find their
way through so carefully constructed
building the Capitol is surprising, and
how the first Christopher Columbus among
them discovered that there was a land of
plenty in the halls of legislation is more
remarkable STILL At the architects office,
IT is stated. that although they are having
many complaints no general measures
have yet been adopted for Kidding the
building of the pests. Several years ago
rats and mice became so plentiful IN the
treasury that as a last resort a number of
fierce eats were put in the basement for
their destl dction But the hungry cats got
TO be worse stil, and in the dark receSses
of the treasury basement they often at
tackled the unwary messenger boy who had
to go among the boxes and bales. a cam
paign of cat determination was finally UNI
dertaken at considerable cost but this ex-
perience of the treasury is likely to make
the Capitol authorities think twice before
resOrting to cats. The various committee
clerks are solving the problem in prac-
teal way by hurryng UP the seed distribu-
tfrYa md
packages very soon after a consignment is
received from the AGRICULTURAL department.
The woman suffragists now assembled
here in annual convention do not seem to
place deserved emphasis, in recounting their
achievements, upon certain effects sure to
result from the equal suffrage system of
the States of Colorado, Wyoming. Montana
and Utah. In presidential election these
States cast thirteen electoral votes. which.
In close contests, might be considerable
factor While the free silver issue pre-
dominates it is not likely that any other
question would influence results decisively
In these States, but in the event of a diff
ferent issue. which must in time come, the
vote IN a national contest might hinge upon
the attitude of the respective presidential
candidates upon the question of woman
suffrage. It is openly announced by many
or the Sunraglsts now attending IN conVen-
ton here that in their desire TO secure
suffrage every other question must be re-
garded secondary. Candidates for Office
are to be accepted or rejected according to
their relation to this one issue, and gold or
silver. high or low tariff, will not be weighed
against 1t. A delegate from Minnesota told
your correspondent that one or her first
wishes was to drive Senator knute Nelson
out OF public life because he was an oppo-
Official fac-simile of Medal Awarded