William Howard Bowman Deposition
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| Deposition C
Case of Julia A Bowman, No. 327216 On this 6 day of August, 1896 at Brown Twp, County of Martin, State of Ind before N H Proctor, a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared William H Bowman, who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to him during this Special Examination of aforesaid pension claim, deposes and says: Aged 41 years. Residence as above. P.O. Efsom Ind. Occupation farming. The claimant is my mother. My father William Bowman died in March 93. He left a will and I am the executor. He left her the claimant 167 acres of land during her natural life. No provision made in the will as to where the land will go after her death, left her also the household and kitchen furniture and a cow and fifty dollars in money. Since his death I see to the renting of the farm and attend to the business of the claimant. Q: On what terms did you rent the farm in 1894 and what income or support did the claimant derive from it in that year? A: The farm was rented to Jacob W Bowman my brother now of Brownville Ill. For a small portion of the farm he was to give a portion of the crop and part of the farm he was to fix up for the use of it. Some of the ground he was to pay rent for and he was to board the claimant for the use of. He stayed in the house and boarded her for some time. I do not know how long, and then he moved andone of her granddaughters then moved in with her and she lived on the fifty dollars she had and I furnished her some and she got along. Q: Did not the income from the farm support her during 1894? A: No, it would not have kept her that season. The crops were light that season. There is no bottom land on the place. About half of the farm is in cultivation or could be cultivated. Corn and wheat and oats are raised on the place. ____ has been _____ but it does not make a stand. Q: What was the income from the farm in 189_ and what provisions were made for the support of the claimant? A: I occupied the place last season and had fifty bushels of oats from a piece of land that was rented to another person. I let my stock run over the place and eat the grass and cleared off a piece of ground. I boarded her that year and cared for her. She paid the taxes and paid for her own medicine out of the oats that were sold and what was left of her fifty dollars. The farm is rented for a third __ __ this year. The folk who are running the place are to board her for the use of certain pastures ___ . The cow which she owns is at my sisters and part of the time she claims the cow and part of the time she says she gave her to the sister. Q: Is not the income from this farm of 176 acres sufficient to feed and clothe the claimant and furnish her a comfortable support? A: It is not - and keep the place in repair. It is run down and badly works. Yes there is some timber on the place. I have not much idea what the m____table timber is worth. Q: Could not there be timber sold to supply any deficiency of revenue and put the place in repair? A: There might be some ten or ___ poplar trees sold, but the rest of the timber is needed to keep the place in repair. Q: What could the place be rented for cash? A: I do not know. I have offered several times to rent the place to parties if they would keep the claimant and keep the farm in repair but I have found no one yet to accept the offer. The taxes on the place are about $20 per year. The place is assessed for taxation at $4 per acre. William H Bowman |
