Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
ON MANY SUBJECTS
Pension Bureau Gets Over a Million
Letters a Year.
WEIRD And WONDERFUL ADDRESSES
People Who Have Strange Ideas
About the Business.
SHOW ENVY AND MALICE
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL ADDRESSES
SHOW ENVY AND MALICE
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star
Perhaps there is no other department of
the government that has correspondence
with the general public as large as that of
the United States pension bureau, presided
over by H. Clay Evans. In, the last fiscal
year there We're 1.012 1876 letters received
by that bureau. of which 536S51 were mis-
cellaneous letters and during the same
period 1,SS3.359 letters were written by the
small army of clerks employed there for
that purpose. The correspondents are
among all sorts and conditions of men,"
and live not only in this country, but all
over the world. There are now pensioners
living in the Comore Islands, Isle of Man,
Malta, Mauritius, Portuguese East Africa,
Sierra Leone and st. Helena, to say nothing
OF the larger and more populous countries
and islands of the seas, and there are
AT ,104 claims still pending
Most of the correspondents have the
Vaguest ideas of the working methods of
the pension bureau. There are multitudes
VINO send volumes of illegible manuscript
overcoming with ardent descriptions of
their own glorious deeds upon the fields of
pattie-negiecting, however to inclose a
scrap of evidence In support thereof The
once, regretting it's inability to accept the
unsupported statements of these heroes
politely calls on them for the necessary
evidence, and continues to call with UNI
abated politeneSs until such Testimony is
all collected or the applicants cease from
troubling.
Write to the President.
Often the applicants aim their requests
directly at President Mckinley. Here is a
sample from Mississippi, which betrays the
belief that the President has discovered the
necessity of advertising in this age of busi-
ness competition:
By reading one of your advertisement that
my one that Taught in the Yankie Armie
that you would sind thim Pansion Well
sir l Taught in the Armie 2 years and 1
got shot one time in the Armie but i did
not stop fighting But 3 days & Whit
Fighting on 1 Will not try to tell you all
the Places that we whit to but / will tell
you some of thin to let you know no that
| shore was in the Armie dear sir you can
look on your Book Il find my name. Wen
Whin l left home l whit down to Servaner
George left THAR and whit down to Bor-
fert of South Carlinas & went from THAR
to Jonesfer and from THAR to Role, and
thain we capted Johnson if make no mis-
take it is Bin so long that cant remember
ever little thing & after We capted him we
whit to Richmon Verjenias and from THAR
we whit in camp between alexander and
Washeton. We left THAR and got on the
train and whit down to the ohio r and got
on the Boat and whit to louisvill Kintockie
and Whin they all muSted out | was not
there was SICK CndC Gay ana mao DIN
weak so that is all have to say in this
letter so rite soon and help me If you pleas
/ no it is in your Power
Ask for Information.
Many persons regard the pension office as
a sort of bureau of Information, established
in the interests of the entire human race.
The following letter from the hoosier state
illustrates this fact:
"Sir:-I would thank you ever so much II
you would please tell me If colored man
named Tom Smith is living or dead and if
you know where he resides IL living. Ans.
right away.
The extraordinary concern displayed by
some of the correspondents lest their
neighbors should stray from the path of
is worthy of a better cause.
One of these Jealous workers sent this COM
plant of a certain applicant for pension in
his vicinity:
Il let you know that Mr. - -
that has but in for benchen is not in titell
for it. he is Joust as Weall as emmy own
of Gus and If he gets benchen then hall
can get it,
Shortly afterward the same writer ed
vised the Office thus regarding the same
claimant:
81 have to let you know that mister ---
has but in for Benchen and is get |
ting examined to Day. he is Joust as he'll |
thy as / am. He bordet by Gus and / |
know what he is he is to lacey to do anney |
thing and is Nothing but a dramb. he tolt |
me that he hat to eat bountS Of GRADES |
becaus he WAR getting exam
lned to Day. If NOR explomashing or If |
you wount to know NOR let me know.