The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06

other widows are Nancy Cloud. Of yir-
sinia, aged II; Esther 5. Damon. of Yer
mont aged ~. Nancy Jones. Of Tennessee.
aged 81: Rebecca Mayo. OF Virginia. aged
II. Mary Snead. Of Virginia aged 81 ana
Nancy Weatherman. OF Tennessee. aged
-. IL has been estimated that widows OF
the veterans Of the late civil WAY may
be living in the year GOO n. ID.
Some Big Pensions.
The presidents widows get. you know.
SEQ year by special act of congress.
Mrs. Gen. Grant and Mrs Garfield and
Mrs. Tyler. think. are stili drawing PEN
sions. Mrs. President Lincoln received
S.too year from 1870 TO i>s2. when tho
amount Was increased 10 ss.ooo. Mrs. John
a. Logan gets $40 a week, and the widow
OF Admiral Farragut received S2.eo0 n year.
\ number OF widows Of noted generals OF
the late war have received or are receiv-
ing pensions. Among these were The Wild
ows OF T. u. Baker, George III. Custer, the
Indian fighter. OF Robert Anderson. tho
hero of Fort Sumter. of Daniel MoCeok
and Frank p Blair.
Among the biggest single pension
amounts now granted are those given 10
widows on account OF a clause in the pen
sion act of 1896. which makes the widows
pension date back TO the death of her hus-
band The other day q widow who had
been married In 1855. and whose husband
had died in 1861. applied for a pension.
She claims the right to be paid s. month
for every month hack 10 the death of her
husband. n period of thirty years. Tho
law. l am told. will give her the pension.
Another wit.ow from Ohio. whose husband
died in 1871. married again about fifteen
years later. She now claims a pension on
account Of the death Of her first husband
for her fifteen years OF widowhood and
wants /: in a lump.
Famous Autographs.
There are many rare old papers among
these pension records. Among the widows
for instance. l find an autograph showing
that Blaine's great grandmother drew a
pension for long time as revolutionary
widow. This woman was the wife OF Col
Ephriam Blaine. He was 4 rich man. .
great friend of Washington. and he did
good service during the revolution. He
died in 1894. and the application for PEN
sion was not made until ls4s. Mrs. BIaine's
autograph was evidently made with q
trembling hand. but the letters are almost
plain as those which her famous grand
son used 10 make. There are papers hero
from Benedict Arnold. there are autograph
letters of George Washington. and there
are applications for land warrants from
Abraham Lincoln. Y. 3. Grant. w. r.
Sherman. Winfield Scott and Jefferson
Davis. have traced the autographs OF
plying for warrants when they were
young. Sherman asked for two quarter
sections of land one for his Florida SER
ices. and the other for his record in the
dexican war. Gen Scott got his bounty
for his bravery in the war OF is72 and
Jefferson Davis was granted his for his
services az an officer in our war with
Mexico. President Lincoln's grant was
given for his services In the Black Hawk
Indian war. and John A. Logan received
100 acres for his Mexican war record.
III the Pensions We're Jumped.
During my walk through the office with
the commissioner referred TO the petition
which Is being circulated in Indianapolis
among the old veterans. This petition re-
quests congress TO pay the pensions i'm a
lump on the basis that every soldier now
living will last for twenty years. These
men want the twenty years pension given
AT once, and IL their request is granted
they willing tn release Uncle Sam
from all pension I'm the future / asked the
commissioner what would be the effect OF
such law. He said: 1T would necessi-
tate the paying OF at least 81 e9o.ooe. 000 and
tho probability is that within three weeks
a largo number OF the pensioners would
have lost all they got from the govern
menf and something else would have TO
be done for them. There il, OF course. no
possibility OF such movement succeeding.
II would not be seriously considered for an
instant by congress.
In the Rogue's Gallery.
II is not generally known tina, the PEN
sion office has a fogue's gallery. The COM
missioner gave me my first introduction
10 II. and we spent some time together
locking over the photographs OF the i'm
pogtors who make their living out Of the
old soldiers. There are hundreds Of such
men now going over the country. and
there are other hundreds who arc serving
their terms in the penitentiares. Some ~
these men pose as special examiners and
draw money for advance fees from the
Office
Others inpersonate the medical exam
liners In the pension bureau ard charge
for their services. James Ferguson. for
instance. who is now serving sentence
in the peuitentiary al Concord. ~ II. has
been going over the country representing
that he Was employed by the pension bu-
reau 10 appoint special examiner In each
county lie would call on some farmer
and offer him the place AZ q salary OF US
per month. When he had filled ou, the
mans application he would tell him that
the government required that every ex-
aminer should have psir OF handouts
and revolver. ard that for this purpose
$40 must be sent with the application. This
Sic would he put ir the letter containing
the application, and on the way To the
postoffice with the man Ferguson would
change the envelope 30 that re got the
SIC Buckskin Joe. fat toiiy-looking.
iIiiferate fellow, represented that he was
A detective sent out by the pension sfiiee.
ard told tire soldiers that ne would get
their pensions for them II they would pay
him s. This man has been twice sem
fenced for such crimes though he IN now.
believe, At large. The Rev. g. w Lewis.
q Chattanooga a coloreH man. operated
almost entirely with widows He would
Apply for pensions and fieera the widows
our az a certain amount for delivering the
mail 20 them. another irnpostor clalmed
u, be the son Of Fred Douglass This man
cpefated entirely with c0forea people. In
addition TO these there are tmpostOrS who
pretend TO be doctors ard also a large
number who. under the gitise OF pension
attorneys do their best 10 fleece both ths
government and the pensioners out 81
their lest dues THE laws are such. how
eyer. that II ~ n0s easy 10 faece the SOL
der who uSes ordinary care as 70 getting
his pension The real truth Of the matter
.s that there ta no necessity for an alter
-fSs. g.