Nevertheless, Jacob continued as the Deputy Labor Commissioner into 1895, producing mortgage receipt reports and livestock reports which were published in the local Omaha newspapers. Jacob was still in office when Governor Holcomb, elected under a fusion ticket between Populists and Democrats, succeeded Governor Crounse in the State House. Holcomb’s term as Governor of Nebraska was 1895-1899. Jacob also kept track of supplies available for disasters and reported to Governor Holcomb that 95 train cars of relief supplies were ready at the train depot in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Source: [Omaha] World-Herald, 9 Feb 1895)
“IT’S A LIBEL.” This headline greeted readers of the March 3, 1895 edition of the (Omaha) Sunday World-Herald. “Erion’s Industrial Map Said to Be a Discredit.” Deputy Labor Commissioner Jacob Erion had, under the direction of the bureau of labor and industrial statistics, issued an industrial map of Nebraska, broken down county by county, with the amount of surplus products that had been marketed during 1893. Commissioner Utt, after looking at the map, said that “if the map was as incorrect regarding the state at large as it was in the figures given for Douglas county, it was not only worthless but a libel on the state and should be suppressed.”
Commissioner Utt estimated that the output for 1893 was 29,575 cars of surplus, not the 8,456 that was stated in Erion’s report. Also Utt believed packing house products from South Omaha had increased to 30,240, which made South Omaha a stronger market than Kansas City. (Whether any of this was true has not been determined. When reading these articles, keep in mind that the commissioners were political appointees and South Omaha was in competition with Kansas City regarding livestock shipped, bought and sold, and slaughtered. Whether Jacob would have deliberately published something that showed Omaha, particularly South Omaha in a poor light is questionable. He was a citizen of South Omaha and it served him no purpose to print something that was not true.)
Wherever politics were, so was Jacob B. Erion. The August 19, 1897 edition of the [Omaha] Morning World-Herald reported that the republican primary to elect delegates to the county convention would be held at Sage’s store, 28th and O Street.
“The republican camp will be enlivened by the preliminary skirmishing of J. B. Erion, who has the old soldiers’ support.”
It was during the 1890s when Jacob Erion began seeking his pension from the US Army in earnest. In his pension file from the National Archives are copies of several affidavits from persons who knew Jacob and his family while they were living in South Omaha, among them being D. F. Bayless, J. E Hart, and J. M. Glasgow, M.D. (who was also postmaster of South Omaha). These affidavits, sworn under oath, attested to Jacob’s character and contributions to South Omaha. They also swore, under oath, that Jacob suffered from chronic diarrhea and that he was frequently incapacitated.
D. F. Bayless and J. E. Hart stated in a Neighbors’ Affidavit dated 26 May 1891:
“We have lived in the same city with him [Jacob] for the respective lengths of time named above and have seen him frequently almost daily and know him intimately, know that he is suffering from chronic diarrhea and heart disease and is frequently laid up and under treatment from physicians. Neither witness hereunto subscribed has ever worked for him neither has he worked for them, but J. E. Hart has worked with him [Jacob] in the publishing business. Mr. Erion has managed as far as able for some years a newspaper business in South Omaha but as stated above is often unable to be at his office and certainly could not perform common labor. We are acquainted with his disabilities from our intimate acquaintance with him and from conversation with him. His disability is in no way due to his habits which are good.”
A Physician’s Affidavit attested to on that same date by J. M. Glasgow, M.D., stated:
“I hereby certify that I have known Jacob B. Erion for the past five years and have treated him at various times during said period. He sufferred [sic] from chronic diarrhea at times so as to render him unfit from performing manual labor of any kind [unreadable]. Also from heart lesion of a very severe character all of which I have no doubt were contracted in the volunteer service of the United States. Do not consider that he is capable of performing manual labor of an exhaustive nature of any kind whatever.”
Apparently part of the problem was that in Jacob’s original application for a Civil War Pension, Jacob had stated that he suffered his sunstroke in 1864. In an affidavit dated 28 May 1890, and filed by Jacob’s attorney, George E. Lemon, testified to the following:
“If in his original application it is alleged that he received sunstroke in 1864, it is an error as said disability was incurred in 1862, he respectfully asks that his application be amended accordingly.”
Additional documents found in the Pension File of Jacob B. Erion, obtained from the National Archives, showed that his pension was refused at least twice because a “Jacob B. Erion” could not be found. A “Jacob Erion” was found, but no “Jacob B. Erion” could be located. On 23 May 1892, Jacob B. Erion swore to the following affidavit in Douglas County, Nebraska:
“In the matter of claim for Inv. Pension 761279, Jacob B. Erion, Company A 4 Ohio personally came before me, a notary public, in and for aforesaid County and State, Jacob B. Erion, South Omaha, Nebraska, a person of lawful age, who, being duly sworn, declared in relation to the aforesaid case as follows: ‘In 1879 I began writing my name J. B. Erion for the reason that I had a brother, Joseph Erion, and most of our mail was addressed “J. Erion” which caused confusion. I enlisted under the name Jacob Erion and adopted the “B” for business reasons.”
Amazingly, seven years later, in a document dated 2 Jun 1899, the Department of Interior-Bureau of Pensions was still using the same excuse for not granting Jacob a pension, to-wit:
“Respectfully returned to the Commissioner of Pensions, with the information that in the case of Jacob Erion, Co. A, 4 Ohio Inf. Military records furnish the following additional to enclosed report: Ate at enlistment 18 years; height 5 ft. 7 in.; complexion, light; eyes, blue; hair, red; born in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio; a farmer. Name Jacob B. Erion not found.”
Jacob would spend the rest of his life filing documents to prove that he deserved this pension. Another problem was that Congress would continually change the rules under which a Civil War veteran could obtain a pension. When finally granted, Jacob then would have to file documents asking for increases in his pension. His case was handled by a Medical Referee who invariably requested more medical documentation. Jacob was a persistent man.
On August 20, 1897, an article entitled “Erion’s Plum in Sight” appeared in the [Omaha] Morning World-Herald. If Jacob could pass an examination, he would be appointed superintendent of a national cemetery. Jacob was ordered to report to an examining board of army officers at Fort Crook. (Source: [Omaha] Sunday World-Herald, 29 Aug 1897)
Jacob passed the exam. Barring his time spent as a child in Mt. Vernon, Knox County, Ohio, Jacob had lived the longest in South Omaha, moving there with Mary and their children in 1885. The Erions were considered to be long time residents, and, to quote the [Omaha] Morning World-Herald (which now appeared to like him . . . possibly because he might be leaving? Bleu), “Colonel Erion has always been a prominent factor in the growth and development of south Omaha, being one of the pioneers.”
The following article appeared in the Omaha World Herald:
Colonel Erion Soon Goes East, published 22 Feb 1898
“Colonel Jacob B. Erion soon leaves for Mound City, Ill., where he takes the superintendency of the national cemetery, having been appointed some time ago. Colonel Erion has always been a prominent factor in the growth and development of South Omaha, being one of the pioneers. He came here in 1885 and started the South Omaha Globe and as the stock market began to develop he, with Charles H. Rich of Omaha, established the Stockman, which was and is still devoted to livestock matters. Mr. Erion continued with the Stockman until a few years ago, when the plant was sold to the present publishing company. During Governor Crounse’s administration the colonel was state labor commissioner. He has a very pleasant home in the northern part of this city and an interesting family. It is probable that they will continue to reside here.”
Mound City, Illinois was founded at the abandoned settlement of Trinity in 1854 at the confluence of the Ohio and Cache Rivers. The river front became extremely important to the Union navy during the Civil War and it had the only repair facility for the Mississippi Squadron, a fleet of 80 ships.
Whether Mary went with her husband to Mound City, Illinois, has not been determined. Their youngest child, Lloyd Dewitt Erion, was twenty years old when his father was appointed superintendent of the National Cemetery at Mound City. The next year, 1899, Lloyd married Martha M. Smith in South Omaha, Nebraska so the family probably did stay in South Omaha.
Now, in reference to Mound City, in the copies of Jacob B. Erion’s pension file from the National Archives, there was no reference made to the National Cemetery in Mound City, Illinois. I included the above information on Mound City based on the information in the newspaper article quoted above. On one of Jacob’s pension forms, he was asked to list his residences and he replied, “. . . and at various National Cemeteries as Superintendent.” On this same form he had left out his time in Appleton City, MO so it is possible that Jacob did spend time at Mound City, Illinois.
By 24 Jun 1899, Jacob, Mary, and daughter Alice were living in Pineville, Louisiana. He was the Superintendent of the National Cemetery at Alexandria, Louisiana. In Jacob’s Pension File from the National Archives is the following letter:
Pineville, La., June 13, 1899
Hon. H. Clay Evans, Com. of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Sir:
Replying to your circular letter of instruction regarding my claim for pension under “Old Law” I have concluded that it would be very difficult, if not impossible for me to furnish the necessary evidence as required by your letter and accompanying blanks. Too many years have elapsed and I have changed about too much. My present pension of $6 per month, recently granted under law of June 27, 1890, is hardly justice, but I now hold a position under the Government, the salary of which is sufficient for a living. Therefore I neither intend to push the old law claim nor ask for an increase under the new at present. I return herewith blanks sent, including notice to appear for examination. Should it be necessary for me to appear before an examiner board, for any reason, please direct me to nearest one here as I am located here until further orders, and cannot appear at Omaha.
I wrote your office about a year ago, calling attention to the fact that my certificate, 943321, was not dated back to date of first application, as I believe the law specifies. I wish that point could be examined and if a mistake has been made, have it rectified.
Very Respectfully,
Your Obt. Servant
Jacob B. Erion,
Rapides Parish, Pineville, La.
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