Evening star., 1912-10-06

amount would have to come out of his
own pocket. 1t is currently reported tHat
the mere mention of the word burro now
causes the scientist in question to go out
in the hall and talk to himself.
Yet the lot of the scientist is not nearly
so unhappy as that of certain war vel
eran Of eastern Tennessee. This veteran.
who despite his southern residence, fought
with the Union army, recently came
to the conclusion that he was entitled 10 Q
SlOO more bounty money than ne haa
ever received. Accordingly, he engaged
an attorney and sent an elaborate claiiii
to Controller TraceWell.
Then followed several weeks of looking
into the claimants war record. after
which came a decision to the erect ina.
the veteran had not only received all that
was due him, but had been overpa1o
5000 in allowance for uniforms. In
other words instead of the government
owing money to him, he owed money to
the government.
And" the decision concluded. ''the gov
ernment will take proper steps 10 collect
that amount Immediately.
Another veterans claim came to the
controller just few days after the lore
going-and this one, too, was rejected
although the controller said he mated TO
do it" This time the claim was put IN
by the heirs of the veteran. Their an
cestor, they said. was one OF the vast
army of Union soldiers who were drafted
for service, but unlike many of them. he
went not only willingly, but eagerly.
He was a woodsman. and was telling
trees in the giant forests of the north
west when he was drafted 1t was slowly
and in roundabout fashion that the news
came to him, but when he finally re-
ceved it, he dropped his AK and started
for the nearest recruiting station, which
happened to be sixty miles distant. 1t
was winter, the ground was covered with
deep snow, and there were no railroads.
Yet cheerfully he donned snow shoes and
started out to cover the distance afoot
At length he completed his journey, was
duly enrolled in a company and served
out the term Of his enlistment, finally
rising to the rank of sergeant. He died
only recently, and his heirs. looking over
his papers, found that he had never re-
ceived the three hundred and some odd
dollars in bounty money due soldiers who
served out the prescribed service in the
Union army. They applied to the gov
ernment for reimbursement. and there
followed the usual investigation of the
fused for the sole reason that 1t was
found that the veteran had lacked three
days of serving out the required time.
1t was evident that he had spent these
three days and more, besides, trudging
over snow-clad ground, walking to the
place where he served his country. This
was patriotic. but that was all. OF it the
law took no cognizance.
-
All is not tragedy that comes to the
controllers Office. however. Dry and
musty as many of the cases are, bit
of comedy frequently creeps into them.
There was, for instance. what the en-
ployes of Controller Tracewell term the
.ctr n
dandy This expert was one of the
gentlemen summoned to Washington by
Uncle Sam to pass on the competitive
architects exhibit of designs for the pro-
posed new government departments soon
to he erected. In inviting the experts
to come to the National Capital Uncle
Sam informed them that their legitimate
expenses would be paid. When the eX-
pense accounts came in all were given
the official o. K. except one. The excep-