The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-02-23
COMMISSION WILL
SOON FINISH WORK
Last Opportunity Afforded In
dian War Veterans to Reg
lister Next Week.
ARE MANY OLD FIGHTERS
BELIEVED $500 NAMES WILL APP
PEAR ON FINAL RECORD.

The commissioners of Indian war rec
ords will remain in session in the Ma
tiOnal Guard armory In Salt Lake the
remainder of the week, after which the
commissioners will separate and hold
sessions of one week each in the various
parts of the state. when the work of the
commission will be finished, as far as
registration is concerned. For the week
starting February Is Commissioner
Pratt will be in Logan, Commissioner
WestwoOd in Provo, and Commissioner
Arthur in Cedar City.
During the past nine months members
of the commission have visited every
county in the state and have done
everything possible to accommodate
the veterans of the Indian wars, to give
them an opportunity TO register. 1t has
been impossible to reach all OF the vet
Grams, however, and the extra sessions
are TO be held in the different parts of
the state to give the old fighters not on
the books chance to register.
Purpose of Commission.
The commission was appointed for
the purpose of making and preserving
a record Of those who participated in
{
future use as may be available. Regis
tering by the commission does not give
the person registered a right to a pen
sion. The law now in force authorizes
the payment of pensions to those who
served in the Walker war, up to and
including the year 1858. There is no law
now existing which authorizes the pay
ment of pensions for Indian wal service
performed in the state at any other
time
The Indian War Veterans associa-
| ton, however, intends to take active
steps looking to the procurement of fur
Their pension legislation, to the end of
paying the expenses necessarily in
CURED in efforts in that behalf. 1t was
suggested at the last meeting of the
I Veterans association that those who
felt SO disposed should pay one dollar
into a general fund to be used for that
purpose. In many instances money has
been paid to the commission and has
been turned over by them to Mr.. Lam
bert, QuaTtermaSter of the association.
No part of this fund goes to the COM
mission, as its expenses are wholly paid
by the state.
If Congress should consider additional
legislation toward the payment of pen
SlOns to veterans of the Indian wars,
the record compiled by the commission
will be an aid in securing its passage,
and form a partial basis upon which
the individual registered may found his
personal claim for a pension. The COM
mission, of course, could not forSee
what proof Congress might require
from an Individual applicant for pen
sion under q future law, but the MEM
bers have endeavOred TO get such infor-
nation as would set forth in a general
way the service rendered by those
registered.
Veterans Are Protected.
As a protection to the veterans Of the
Indians wars, and to the state, the
members of the commission have de-
manded in each instance where appli-
Cants have appeared for registration,
that at least two reputable witnesses
appear with him, and swear to the cor
rectness Of the facts set forth in the
claim Of service in the early battles
during the infancy of the state. In
many Instances men have made appli-
cation for registration, but examina-
tiOns have shown that they had no
service in the Indian wars, and, in fact,
We're not in Utah during the early days.
These cases, however, have been of a
very limited number and the appli-
CantS have, in nearly every instance,
been bona fide veterans of the wars
with Indians during the early days of
Utah. The chief difficulty of many of
the veterans is in establishing their
claim to the satisfaction of members of
/ the commission. 1t has been required
that the applicants must have with
them at least two men who have served
| in wars with them, and can swear to
the battles fought, and the dates
The work Of the commission will be
finished with the close Of next week.
and practically all of the records are
complete now. 1t is believed that when
the books are closed that there will be
about $500 names on the record.