The New York herald., 1878-03-05
PAYING THE PENSIONS.
SCENES AT TIE NEW YORK AGENCY--YoTABLE
RELICS or FORMER WARS

SCENES AT TEE NEW YORK AGENCY-NoTABLE
RELICS or FORMER WARS
Colonel G. H. Coster the new Pension Agent, whose
bond was finally approved on Saturday night began
yesterday morning the payment OF the pensioners
with vgor winch, IN this instance at least could
have been worthy OF better cause. The Pension
Once, corner Exchange place ana Hanover street,
was opened before CLOCK In the morning. when
It was already besisged by a very hungry looking
crowd o; pensioners, both male and female. The first
rush Tor pensions-whicn are paid every quarter-is
Of course, always made by those wanting their little
money most urgently. Those who more for
tunately situated In the world wait until the first
crush 10 over, and this is the case with the
three most prominent pensioners, the veterans OF
1872, Daniel Drew, General Dix aud Thurlow Weed,
who did present themselves yesterday for their
quarterly stipend Of t24, aud who will probably not
come until the end OF the month. Nearly one thou.
sand pensioners were paid OF yesterday aud received
about SIS, 900. There about fourteen thousand
altogether Colonel Coster's payroll so that l3, 900
sill remain TO be paid. II is expected that about
$4,000 will be disbursed at tho New York Pension
ONCE during tho present month.
RED TAPE.
Nine-tenths OF the pensioners receive their meagre
allowance for wounds aud disabilities during
the late civil war; and the other tenth date their
claims upon the nations gratitude further back upon
the Mexican war, the Seminole cam paign aud the
great war oil 1872 Quite a number OF these old,
hoary, ieebie veterans Of the 1912 presented
themselves yesterday at the Pension ONCE (Which Is
about AS Wen adapted Ior pgsty as tor It's present
Time they had OF II before Trey could night their way
up 10 one Of The desks or into Ihe Office some
OF these old men wore SO worn out with the necessary
circumlocution which IS traditional III hs oice
summon only with difficulty sufficient strength 10
their trembling hunds to sign the accessory vouchers
and receipts Tie cerlilcates issued by the Pension
Bureau and showing the amount 10 which The bearer
was entitled hat irst TO be presented 10 searcher,
VINO looks up the voucher certificate and v0ucer
TO second clerk, who exacts not less than three sig
natures from the pensioner then turns
u thlrd functonary before whom he must make oath
as 10 his identity. fourth (entry) clerk Is now
called into requisiton, who enters the voucher upou
the payroll and makes out u check for the amount
Number nve, VINO is Colonel Coslcr in person, how
ceives the hungry anu weary veteran, compares the
certificate IRON the Pension Bureau with the cneck.
and II the latter is correct signs aud indorses It.
Ihen at last the poor old man has only TO appear be-
iores sixth Official at the sub-rreasury, where the
DAtto with red tape comparatively brlet anu where
he at last gets his money.
TOUCHING CASES.
There wero some cases Vi peculiar hardship among
this sculing, pushing, eIbOwing crowd 0i people.
There Was Thomas Oakley, patrurcn OF eighty .eght
VINO received the magnificent SUN OF IS per month
for having bled Tor his country in the war oi lSl2
This was The Oldest pensoner who paid yester
Morris Dewey, VINO mad lost both arms IN the reoelon,
John Byrnes, who had lost both legs, and Captain
james Tanner, of Brooklyn, who also wears wooden
legs received the highest amounts pad-namely $3.50
or 500 month. The smallest pension one Of So
or 81 per month, re. eived BY man who had only
slight flesh wound on the side Of MS lace TO show. AS
usual, the appearance oi John r. Stevens created
painful sensation. This man. who served Corporal
OF Marines IN the UnIteu States ship Lancaster during
the civil war, received bali IN his neuu wnich has
paraiyzed his BRAIN and lett him scarcely any more
speech than dog might be SAID to possess His
idiouc, barking laugh could be heard through the
wnole offce and was strange and unnatural enough
TO make onc's blood run cold. And yet
tins man who receives from general government tue
exceptional sum VI $24 month for these terrible
jures which have reduced him 10 paraiyzod and al
most speechless IDIOT seemed rather 10 enjoy the
noor'esy % winch MS wera barking ausa gave hlm ior
Lac seemed pleased AUD the louder he laughed.
HUMOROUS FEATURES.
The Pension Office has, oil course, its humorous as
wells US lis pathetic side. There solders widow
who is aDor,ng under the dxea deusion she has
some great enemies who nave accused her Of having
secretly married AGAIN. IN which she would have
forfeited her pension. So She comes and tries
to forcstail mo acton OF Inc Pcnson Agent
by venomently protesting her innocence Of .hs
grave charge made against her and swearing
before Heaven that she sl faithful to her departed
nero Then thero IL a one-arIned veteran, who is
commonly called by the CLERKS ''Shakcspeare," ior
curing every interval Of tnreo months the poor iel
which ne lets OIL with signal fctdt Ia tie pension
ofcs Then there is woman who Is known in ths
office Tor invariably requiring whole page sign
apparently endless name upon and 50 there many
otners whose pecuilaritIes anu oddities, repeated
with unvarying regularity every quarier, impress
themselves upon the minds OF the clerks IN the
course OF years Small as The amounts are
It is easy " perceive ut glance that they
are none the welcome TO the recipIents
As usual. there are also In this quarter some
veterans who pave never before claimed their money,
though they have been entitled to IL Tor years past
AS every pensioner must nave fled his application
within i've years OF his discharge order receive
his back pay, these fortunate persons who would SO
long leave the governments reward Tor their
untouched receive their pension now only IRON the
date of ,her petlion. Among these llle new comers
during the present quarter ID Coloucl Alfred NJ Wood,
ex Mayor OF Brooklyn, VINO was noated upon the tide
OF political popularity by his famous capture BuI
Ruu, and whom the rebels retained such long time
No hostage. he now receives l0r the first time The
$50 per month ~ which he has Ocen entitled all
THESE years, but which he has been willing to forfeit
TO the United States government.