Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1898 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

The President has appointed Frederick W. Bauinhoff postmaster at St. Louis. The President has issued a proclamation restoring the lands known as the middle and western Saline reserves, in the Cherokee outlet, to the public domain. Pensions growing out of the SpanishAmerictCu war will aggregate $12,000,000 in four rears, in the opinion of Pension Commissioner Evans. Sixty-two applications for pensions due to deaths and casualties in battle and otherwise since the inauguration of hostilities have been received at the pension office, and the first

one filed was that of Mrs. Lydia Hook of Milwsfjnee, Wis., whose husband died S .few days after being mustered into the service as a volunteer; Hook went into camp withhis regiment in Wisconsin May 12, became ill May 14, and died the next day. In two weeks Mrs. Hook had prepared her.application for a pension, which waa filed June 1. Commissioner Evans is receiving application* at the rate of ten per day in caaea of deaths and disabilities either frdm bullets of- diseases, and is preparing to do n land office business when the lists of casualties in the fighting before Bandage are*circulated*among the friends and relatives of fatten and sick heroes. It does not make any difference in which manner the subject of the application met bis death or was disabled, either through conflict with the enemy or from disease, just as long as be was serving his country at the time. Commissioner Evans bases his calculation that the pension roll for the Spanish-Amcrican ! W*r will amount to about $12,000,000 in four years upon the assumption that at least 25 or 30 per cent of the enlisted force of soldiers and sailors will have valid claims for pensions before hostilities cease. It is estimated that there are in the army 277,000 volunteprs and regulars, ahd in the navy 35,000. On the regular roll pensions vary according to the extent of the injury of the subject from ffi to $72 per month, but the latter amount is in the case of total disability, and the average is sll per month.