Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-05-01
HIS CLAIM REJECTED.
Pension Refused to Fred. Gauger
Whose Boy Died at Ponce.
STORY OF AGRATEFUL COUNTRY
Co. G. Will Ask Congressman Stewart
to See That Justice is Done.

Two years ago last Friday, Frank NJ
Gauger left Wausau with Co. G., Third
Regiment, w. N. g., as volunteer in
the wal against Spain.
An cid man over go years of age with
tear dimmed eyes. followed the crowd
down to the train to see the boys off.
The soldier was only poor hard work
ing German lad, q years of age, I'M
known outside the circles of his fellow
workmen and the members of Co. G.,
but the father loved him and well he
might. He had been father and mother
to him for years, for the mother had
passed away long before, and the son
had been good son, his wages had not
been spent on himself, they had been
used to support the old father and keep
up the little home in the swamp on
Kickbusch street.
During the months that followed, as
regularly as pay day came, there came
money from the son, to cheer the old
man up. A private only gets $1,000 a
month but most of that came to the old
man down in the swamp. His boy
never forgot him.
On Nov. 18th, 1898, the cid man again
followed the crowd to the depot, this
time to welcome the soldiers home.
The old German did not know that his
soldier had been left in the hospital at
Ponce; he had not read the daily papers
of Nov. 18th, telling that Frank Gauger,
Co. G, Sd w. V. L., had died of the
dreaded fever, on Oct. %, just as the
transport sailed for home with his COM
races But bad news travels fast when
it once gets started, and it did not take
long for the old man to hear it. While
the rest of Wausau rejoiced, the old
man wept, and the heart broken express
sion upon his face as he watched one
by one pass along in the parade, would
have turned the hardest heart to pity
Later on the boy came back and for a
day sorrow gave way to pride, as rich
and poor We'd with each other in doing
honor to the remains of his boy Then
kind friends took the matter up and un-
dertook to get the old man pension,
which a grateful country gives to de-
pendent parents whose sons give their
lives for their country. Finances got
worse and worse at the little home on
Kickbusch street. The old man could
no longer do q hard days work in the
ditch. Sixty-three years spoil man
for hard work with shovel and pick.
Occasionally he got job with the rest
of the old men in the street cleaning
gang, but things were going wrong
with him and still the pension did not
come. He rented the little home for
81 90 month and went to live with his
married daughter Then her husband
was killed in the mill But the Con-
gresham had promised to push his
claim and the pension would come soon
from the grateful country
On March 27th the grateful country
responded as follows to his attorney
Dependent father original No.
6SJ922 has been rejected
on the ground of no title, for the
reason that claimant is not without
other means of support than his
own daily labor.
H. CLAY EVANS,
Commissioner of Pensions.
The grateful country was engaged in
other matters 5000 miles away from
home. The $4.00 a month rent on the
little $3.50 home in the swamp, back of
the gas works, was the excuse.
The protest and letter of inquiry to
the department from G. H. Mueller
went in month ago but the Commits
sioner hasn't gotroInd yet to answer it,
1t is pitiful story but a true one.
The boys of Co. G, are taking the
matter up and will ask our Congress-
man to try and have the case re-opened.
A few personal letters to him would
help the case. Who will write them