The New York herald., 1870-09-09
TIE NATIONS LEeAcIEs.


Tho Widows Pittanco and siin Or"han's
Scanty Remuncration-ssceues in ana About
tho Pension OGice.
During the past three days the Offices OF Colonel
George NJ Van Buren, ana General Lawrence. United
States Pension Agents. have been besteged by
crowds OF MANNED men, widowed women and
orphaned children, ali eager to get the small allow
ance which Is seml-annually meted out to them
by Q generous % republic for having lost
an arm or leg, or where women
or children offered up the lives OF their
husbands fathers and brothers upon the altar OF her
defence at the hour OF her greatest peril AT AtCoonel
Van Buren's office, In the basement of the Sub
Treasury, corner OF Wall and Nassau streets. the
officers, soldiers. and male orphans receive their
pensions. while the widows and female orphans are
paid at the ONCE Of General Lawrence. IN the base
ment of the Custom House. At the former rlace
the pensioners commence gathering about the
office as early as two O'Clock in the morning. and 1t
is said some actually sleep about the door and on
the steps OF the Sub1reasury oil night 80 that they
may be the flrst on hand IN the morning, evidently
believing IN the old proverb that tho
'EARLY BIRD CATCHEs THE w0RM,"
and as many Of them have employment OF some
kind they are naturally very anxious 70 catch the pc
arvs But this Is nos the
reason which prompts all OF them to desert their
places Of habitaton at such an unusual hour OF the
money bOx.n Many Of them arc rather hard
twenty.four hours Of the time when 1t frst ttckles
their palms. This class OF men hang about the
door, as above stated, for hours before the once
his clerks make their appearance ego for them'
and s them M until TN taey get snsr
gin shop, and In company With their friends, spree
II these parties would only wait till later in the
day they would all be waited upon satisfactorily, and
there would not be half the jam and confusion
which Ia now experienced about The office every
morning. There Is always tremendous rush from
early in the morning until about haltpast two in the
ali who pese WHICH they
70 do, although the Office Is Kept open until late In
Colonel Van Buren is exertIug himself as mnch as
possible to pay OIL all the mon as soon as 1t can DC
done. He has eight clerks all Of whom
WORK LIKE TROJANS
from six O'Clock In the morning until the same hour
In the evening Owing to q regulation recently
adopted by the government, which requires the PEN
sion agent to give each person check payable at
amount OF labor to be performed by the agent
ing tSs coUnei Van Buen paa on
Monday 44o persons (Which is seyenty-1ye more
sz,2eo. Tuesday he paid upwards Of three hun
dred, among whom he ds6ursed $l;soo and yester-
aa de s pas S
pensoner for necessary papers, adavits &c., now
paid by the government greatly to the delight OF the
pay the pensions quarterly instead or semi annually,
as has been the custom ever since the war closed.
At the office OF General Lawrence, III the Custom
House,
VERY DIFFERENT SIGHT
Is presented from that seen at the Sub-Treasury.
Here, as before stated. all the female wards OF the
government residents OF the city OF New York. con-
gregate every six months 10 receive their pittances.
The law requires each and every female pensOner
to bring with her two witnesses to swear that she
Is the Identical Mrs. Jones, Smith or Robinson
and tnat she is the wife of the Identical JONES'
Smith or Robinson VINO lost his life while servng his
beloved country in suchfand such regiment. or
course this arrangement necessltates tile gathering
OF much larger number OF persons than would
Otherwise be required anu the consequence fs that
scripti0n, block up the sidewalk ana crowd into the
court yard Of the grimoOking old granite Custom
House. There were Monday 356 persons paid.
which, under the two witness system, required the
presence OF
1,Oes WOMEN.
Among the crowd were
Some In rags some ia tags,
And some in velvet gowns,
although It must be confessed there few of the
latter. There were poor old. feeble, gray headed
Matrons, upon whose brow sorrow and trials had
lett many traces, crowded together and jostled
among younger aud middle aged persons,
plainer than any words Of human tongue could
portray the almost crushing sorrow and grief that
would, despite themselves force itself upon them
whenever they were reminded, as in this case OF
HIM " no had been dearer to them than life ITSELF
but who had pershed upon some far or Southern
battledeld and left them to gr0pe their way through
acold ana unsympathizing world, unguided and
Many Of these poor women, like the male pen.
sioners. gather around the Office at haf-past three
or iour O'Clock III the morning, and. that as many
work at tho usual hour, General Lawrence opens
MS Ofce at SIX A. NJ and employs as many clerks
he can possibly manage About SIG 900 are dibursed
here daily among nearly $50 persons.