New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-07
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE CHARGES OF THE GOVERNMENT.
DIV PENSIONS ARE DRAwN-THE CASE OF 'ohN

THE CHARGES OF THE GOVERNMENT.
now PENSIONS ARE DRAwN-THE CASE of JUN
c. STEVENS.
The United States Pension Agency IN Ia Ean' hSen
nnder the charge of Col0nel EoeCcl, n% a. ,,j,g
crowded for the last two days with persons
their pensions These are paid quarterly, on
Mnrcn 4 June 4, September anu Decenluoth =;
sTha roynents are not restricted TO these days OuI
n monSionor can draw what is due him at any llme
Yet there are many who are ANXIOUS " eet tn.n
money as soon possible. ana otnel s WI" Ins
maid without IL terfering with their dutles. IN
Sunday night there was long line IN 'front.' OF tne
Pension Olice as early Us 10 O'Clock waiting
natientlv for Its doors to open the next morning
although this wOnld not be foI SIX hours Inere
were few women In the line, ana one or Two
cripples. They were at last admitted, their cases
examined, and they were paid as rapidly as posi-
be
or eight counties in the State and has about ?OOO
persons its rolls. Most OF these make Their ap-
plicatons for money by mail, and checks are sent
TO them. This supplies the work greatly mh men
a pensioner applies in person he is given number
by the doOrKeeper, so that he can be NalU Il on III
the order in which he arrived. The same nuhDer Is
attached to his certificate, which Is gwen 10 II
clerk who as fast as he dispOses of one case calls
the name on the next certificate according 10 us
number. The applicant steps forward, uaheS "a; a"
affidavit that he is the person named on the cerll-
cate; and after the clerk has inserted the heccs
sary dates and the amount to be pald, ne 9anus IL
10 another clerk to enter II on the DOCKS II mas 10
he given to still another clerk who makes ont the
check for the requisite amount and gives both
money and certificate TO the applicant. ms Ia ies
considerable time. especially rs most of the appli:
oants for pensions for the first two OF tnee DAYS OF
each quarter men of little education. but the
women are the most difficult 10 deal WltH' lney
each have to bring two witnesses TO swear that
they have not been married again. ana they ana tnelf
witnesses usually fill the LARGE airy hail IA the
second story Of the agency building To when they
are sent Most OF them do not write, ana lheY
usually consider 1t necessary 10 make themselves
agreeable to the clerks 1t Is s2id that the nero
women are the only women usually who know now
to write aud it is very seldom that one hnds one OF
them that cannot sign her name. On MohIay ilht
there were l,l04 personal applications ior pensions
dis3osed Of and the work kept force of sixteen
men busy from a. m. until late AT hlgnt. IHSStc
are usuailv seven men employed in the Office III tins
CITY, but extra ones are always hreu uui4Hs 'i0
first few DAYS oil every quarter. A.
There are some strange persons among Ihe
Nations pensioners man crept INTO lhe OdH|.-S''
office at snaiS pace YESTERDAY On ~ 49,, eli
He had on old felt hat nom which the lining zen
out as soon as II was removed. ms Clotnes were
DOOR his shoes dirty and ne looked as IL IL tu Dcth
months since he had seen dollar btil. lie m9ue
his way finally TO the desk, and tred TO talE' puU
only narticulate sounds came OUT OF ms mouth loI
he had had a severe stroke of paralysis lie seemed
to know what he was about, however, ana ne wrote
on paper what he wanted TO do when was TO 20
10 a Soldiers Home His name was John Z.
Stevens Ii seems that he drew his pension regularly
after the war until 1878, when he suddenly dISap-
peared. Last summer he appeared again; ne l9u
been during tie three years on Wards island. 10
had been picked mp by IA policeman somewhere
probably and sent there He had apparently not
been able or did not care, to explain his position,
and so be had remained at that summer resort untii
rescued by an old lady friend OF ms, a boarding
house keeper. He then drew 800 from the pension
Office, $500 of which he placed in sayings bank.
Some time afterward q struggle over hun between
his rescuer and another boarding house keeper
took place in which the latter was victorious, and
Stevens went TO live in NiOnr0e-st. ON Monday he
drew his last quarters pension; when ne ald 50 ne
was dressed neatly. his shoes were BACKED ana nc
wore a nice hat. Yesterday he made his appearance
in the condition described, and wanted TO be sent
TO Soldiers Home. When asked II ne hai spent
all ms money he showed a small roll of bills but nc
would not say what had become of his deposit IN
the bank. He finally went away promising 10 go
hack Ia his home in Monroe St., and Colonel CoSter
has written to see whether he eau lie received at
Soldiers IiOmc.