The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-28
MRS. Stevens HAS
". R. c. REPORT
NEWS AND MATTERS OF INTER.
EST OF THE VETERANS AND
THEIR FRIENDS - STORY OF
VETERAN COMMITTING LAR
cENY WAS A MISTAKE.

Towner, n, D., Feb. 22.-To The
Forum: This is the belated report of
the press correspondent of the North
Dakota w. r. c. now that my right
hand is on duty once more.
/ desire to make contradiction of
the story sent in to You from Minot
and Granville in December that a vet
eran had been guilty of larceny. The
shoe fits the other foot The veteran.
Sammy Jones of Denbigh was the VIC
tim Of the larceny-his pension draft
for Jan. 1910, having been stolen and
cashed before he was fully aware of
his loss. But Uncle Sam does not al
low the old boys to suffer. for when the
quartermaster of Jerry Rusk post no.
titled the pension agent at Milwaukee
the loss was made good to Sammy. It
was June before he got the draft re-
placed. The federal authorities thought
they had found the criminal, but the
merchants who had cashed the check
failed to identify the man. So Your
correspondent in Granville got hold of
the wrong end OF the story. / wrote
to The Forum twice about because /
was jealous of the good name of our
veterans, but presume my notes were
not eligible on account of the acct
dent to my right hand, which has
crippled me all winter.
Sammy Jones was one of the regi-
ment raised by Minnesota, to put down
the Indian rising in 81 and for years
we have enjoyed hearing him sing
at campf1res of Little Grow, or that,
Babylon Is Fallen. He is in his S0th
year, and is still hale and hearty, MAX
ing frequent trips to the county seat.
We note with regret the passing
comrades. But 1t is good to, see the
respect with which each paper records
the name and place OF the veteran who
passes away within it's bailiwick.
Such honor is keenly appreciated by
those comrades who still survive to
enjoy the eventide of life amid re-
spect and esteem
Col. F. II Magdeburg, pension agent
at Milwaukee. reports the passing of
1852 in his district since July 1, 1910;
over 200 a month is the average.
Those who think the pension bill
will make big rise in the appropria-
ton to double the present size are
not noting the facts.
Pretty soon there will be only the
ninety day" men left and they did not
carry the burden in the heat OF the
day; though they are entitled to an
honorable place in the list because of
their willingness.
One point that has troubled me often
and much, is the fact that the pension
office will not give man the increase
to which his age entities him, until he
asks for it-and-proves to the hilt,
his actual number of years. That may
sound reasonable to the guardians of
! the treasury whose duty it is to be
watchdogs, but when pension has
been granted to a man. his age is on
| his honorable discharge, and 1t ought
| to be only a matter of expert book
keeping to post him correctly and give
him his due, when 1t is due
AS for proving 1T; the more needy
an old soldier is, the less likely is he
to have family Bible within reach
or to know of any baptism record In
church, or in some ministers own
records How those ministers do move
from place to place
/ Family Bibles burn up with the
| homes in our new states where fire
protection is slow and water is scarce
| Old friends who remember his birth.
/ or who witnessed his marriage to the
old wife who has taken such good care
| of him?
/. These are some of the difficulties
4 have often encountered In my duties
las chaplain OF Jerry Rusk corps, ant
no doubt all the other corps could tel
of more.
| But want Is hold up the othei