The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-26
THE MYSTERY OF THE WASP.

or MOI.
Anybody know anything about the
steamer Wasp? 1t used to sail on the
Mississippi from the mouth as far as
st. Louis, way back in the early six
ties. Anybody ever hear of the craft
being sunk or sold, or stove in, or ram
med, or blown up, or scuttled?
Some say Farragut did it, and some
say he did not The navy department
officials at Washington have been all
through the records, but they say if the
doughty old admiral ever fooled with
the Wasp he forgot TO put 1t on his
log, for they have not been able to find
the scratch of a pen about it,
The man who owned the Wasp is GER
tain that Farragut captured his boat
off Vicksburg, and now he wants $40,0 900
for It, For nearly forty years he has
grieved over the loss Of the boat, charg-
| ing it all up to profit and loss, hoping
that somehow or other the government
at Washington would Tess up and pay
! for the tub, but it has come to a show
down. and the late owner of the Wasp,
or the owner of the late Wasp, which
ever way it is, has filed a claim with
Pension Agent Bungart for the value of
the steamer. The owner says that in
his application that the steamer was
captured by Admiral Farragut while
operating off Vicksburg The navy de-
partment has certified back that there
is nothing of record to show that Far
ragut ever saw the boat. So now, the
| pension agent and all concerned will be
much Obliged if anybody who knows
anything will step up to the front and
tell it.
Claims of this sort go through the
pension agents, and they get some odd
claims,
These are busy days for the pension
examiners The May amendment is in
effect and claims for increases have
been filed by the thousand. The Kan
sas City board of examining surgeons
sits Wednesdays by law, but oftener
than not it also sits Thursdays now by
necessity, and indeed, runs over till
Friday. They examined sixty-seven
men las week. It means good money
for the doctors while it lasts; 81 apiece
for the first ten applicants, and 81
apiece for other ten. The laws say
that not more than twenty shall be ex-
amned in one day, but there are other
days and the fees will keep,
This May amendment Is little affair
to the man, but a big one to the Wom-
an. 1t means that prior to May a vet
eran had to know what was the matter
with him before he could get a pension.
If he went up to be examined for lum-
bago and the surgeons did not find it,
but instead found galloping consump-
ton, or something just as bad the vet
eran would be turned down If he went
up to be examined for lumbago and gal
Looping consumption and the surgeon
found both. but said that neither was
bad enough to incapacitate him, then
again he would be turned down. Now
the government says a soldier may go
lup on general principles and If the sur
geons find he has touch of lumbago
they score him five, and when they
strike the galloping consumption they
score him another five, and then they
find he is shy digit or two and run
the score up until at last they land him
for pension. There is not likely to be
a depleted treasury, however, for by
law the surgeons cannot find a man
done up worse than $12 a month, and
$12 a month will not make or break
anybody.
Under the pension law of 1851 as high
as $72 a month can be obtained. Theres
is doctor in Kansas City who draws
$50 a month, the highest in this part of
the country. Seventy-two dollars is
paid to veterans requiring the attend
ance of someone constantly" and blind
soldiers get it. Few people would
grudge a blind man $72 a month. An
advertisement Offering $72 a month to
anybody who would submit to having
his vision destroyed would not meet
with an answer. The $50 veteran is
partly paralyzed and has other things
the matter. He has to have an at
tendant Eat least part of every day"
Under the May amendment pensions
must not be over $12, and they cannot
be under &c. If veteran is not worth
$6 month then he is able to navigate
well enough to get along without gov
aid That is what the pension
bureau holds, Under the old law a pen
sion could be given at 81 a month. Old
Major Bungardt made a mortal enemy |
of an Olathe man because he got for
him a pension Of So a month The !
Kansan was SO made he swore he
would not have it. He got madden
than ever when he found the law gave |
The pension agent the first $25. Every |
time he got his monthly notice from |
he government for twelve unending |
months that his pension had been |
paid, and remittance made to his at
orney," he boiled up. When the
thirteenth month at last dawned and
re got one of the two monthly dollars,
he pension agent having got the other
o round out his twenty-five, the Sun
lower veteran beloved and reared
until he could be heard as far north as
Merriam.
Some veterans grow fierce when they