The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-17
PENSION OFFICES MAIL.
PEOPLE wHOHAvE STRANGE IDEAS
ABOUT THE BUREAU.

Weird and Wonderful Addresses
Envy Prompts Many Correspond
ents to write Declaring Their
Neighbors Undeserving of PEN
sion-The Writer Who Accused
His Neighbor of "Adenandussis-
ten" In Violation of the Govern
ment Laws-Inauiry for a "Colored
Man Named Tom SmIth"-More
Than a Million Letters Received
and More Than Two Millions Sent
Ont by the Bureau Last Year-Pep-
siOners All Over the World.
Copyright, 1901 by A. L. Bannon.)
Washington, March l5-Perhaps there is
no other department of the government at
Washington that has a correspondence
with the general public as large as that
of the United States Pension Bureau, pre-
sided over by II. Clay Evans In the last
nscal year there were l0l2796 letters re-
ceived by that bureau. of which $50, SSi
were miscellaneous letters" and during
the same period 1,SSS, $50 letters were writ
ten by the small army of clerks employed
there for that purpose. The correspond
ents are among 'all sorts and conditions
OF men," and live not only in this coun-
try. but all over the world. There are
now pensioners living in the Comore ISL
ands, Isle of Man. Malta, Mauritus. Port
uguese East Africa, Sierra Leone and ST.
Helena, to say nothing of the larger AMI
more populous countries and islands OF
the seas: and there are 437.l04 claims still
pending.
Most of the correspondents have the
vaguest ideas OF the working methods of
the Pension Bureau. There are multi
tudes who send volumes of illegible man
uscript overlooking with ardent descrip-
tions OF their own glorious deeds upon the
fieids of battle-neglecting, however, TO
enclose a scrap of evidence in support
thereof The office, regretting Its inab. l.
| ity to accept the unsupported statements
of these heroes, politely calls on them for
the necessary evidence, and continues to
call with undated politeness until such
testimony is all collected, or the apph-
cants cease from troubling.
Often the applicants aim their requests
directly at President Mckinley. Here Is
a sample from Mississippi, which betrays
the belief that the President has discov-
cred the necessity of advertising in this
age of business competition:
MIR. William NICK. nley dear Sir: /
turned BY reading one of your advertise
ment that my one that Taught in the
! Yankie Armie that you would sind thin
a Pansion Well sir ! Taught in the Armie
years and / got shot one time In the
Armie but did not stop fighting But Q
| days & / Whit Fighting on. l VIII not
| try to tell you all the Places that we
whit to but l will tell you some Of thin
to let you know no that | shore was in
I Il. lax.lr NfNNNN
| Book & find my name. Well Whln / left
home whit down to Servaner Georgia &
left THAR and whit down to Borfert of
| South Carolnas & went from THAR to
| Jonesfer and from their to Role, and
thain we capted johnson IL / make no
mistake it is Bin so long that ! cant re-
member ever little thing & after we
capted him we whit to Richmon VerJe-
Mas and from THAR we wint in camp be-
tween alexander and Washetou- We
left THAR and got on &the train and whit
down to the ohio r and got on the Boat
and whit to louisyin Kintockie and whin
they all musted out / was not there
was sick that day and had bin for l weak
| so that is all have TO say in this let
ter so rite soon and help me IL you pleas
l no 1t Is In your Power"
Many persons regard the Pension ONCE
as a sort of bureau of information, estab-
hshed in the interests Of the entire hu-
man race. The following letter from the
Hoosier State illustrates this fact:
"Sir-I would thank you ever 50 much
II you would please tell me II colored
man named Tom Smith is living or dead
and If you know where he resides II Nv
ing. Ans. right away"
The extraordinary concern displayed by
some of the correspondents lest their
neighbors should stray from the path of
righteousness is worthy Of better cause.
| One of these Jealous workers sent this
complaint of a certain applicant for PEN
sion in his vicinity:
'T let you know that Mr. - that
has but in for benchen Is not in titell for
II. he is Joust as Veal as emmy own of
| Gus and If he gets benchen the hall Mil
| waukee can get it.
Shortly afterward, the same writer adj
vised the office thus, regarding the same
claimant;
81 have to let you know that mister
- has but in for Benchen and
is getting examined to Day. he is
Joust as helthy as ! am. He bordet by
Gus and / know what he is he Is to
lacey to do anney thing and is Nothing
but Dramb. he tolt me that he hat to
eat 2 bounts of Cradles yesterday because
he WAR getting examined to Day.If NOR
explomashing or If you wount to know
NOR let me know.
truly
Here is a remarkable specimen OF the
same kind. msnlfesting a surprisingly in
innate acquaintance with his neighbor' s
.-t - lee