Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-09-25

thing for the government and the
country generally if a few hundred
thousand men in the United States
would make the same mistake # the
pension authorities could get hold OF
the Insurance policies, or rather the
| applications which are made for in
surance by many of the men who are
drawing pensions, they would find
! that they are carrying a rather vigor-
Gus set of fellows on the roll. The
| case l have in mind amply illustrates
| the point
THE man lived in the mountainous
regions of one of the central western
states, and having fought for the
union in the sos, he concluded that
he would get in on the pension deal.
He got in all right and had been draw
ing a pension for years when he made
the mistake to which have referred.
He made an application for an in
crease in his allowance. My reco1lec-
ton is that he had been getting about
So month, or s24 every quarter. He
wanted to raise the allowance to sl2
month. He fixed up the papers. He
set forth in extension the condition of
MS health, recited all the ailments
which had swooped down upon him
as result of exposure during the
war, and when he had finished his ap-
pllcatlon for an increase in the pen
sion allowance his life did not look
like it was worth anything. He was
simply a physical wreck, had consti-
tutional troubles, and all that sort of j,
thing, and was simply dragging his |
feet through the world. 1t was all |
caused by the game fight he put up
for his country, of course.
About the same time he was dick
ering with an insurance company and
had filled out an application blank for
a policy Of $4,000. The facts set forth
in his application for insurance made
aim one of the healthiest men in the
world. There was not a blemish any,
where in his makeup. He was hefty.
rigorous and rosy-cheeked picture
II health generally. He had no kind
II allment, was perfectly sound and
lily there hadn't been any weak,
'1ckly folks in his family as far back
Is he could trace them. So Tar, so
,ood
when the poor fellow got ready to
end his papers on he made the hor-
lble and disastrous mistake of send
ng his pension papers to the insur-
nee company, and his application for
insurance went to the pension office |
lou can guess the result. The in
urance company was inclined to
make sport Of the blunder, and they
old the applicant plainly that they
lad not yet started into the business
Il 1nsuring men who were practically
n their way to the graveyard They
imply turned him down with a few
urt and cutting remarks. The pen
ion authorities at Washington, while
little more dignified in what they
ad to say about the mans app1ica-
ion for an increase in pension, yet
ook occasion to congratulate him on
he splendid state OF health, and re- q
marked in passing that the govern
nent would be glad to see all the old :,
oldiers recover so completely from =
he wars hardships. They not only
elused the increase which he made {
n effort to get, but an Investigation
vas made and the mans name was Z
tricken from the pension roll The
1under cost him the pension he had :
cen getting for years. and the insur- :
nee people decided that they would
ather not take the risk The fellow .
ost both ways. The moral of the
ale is that it never pays to push a..
;ood thing too far"