The National tribune., 1888-03-29
THE BUREAU OF PENSIONS


/ THE BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
/ A Wonderful Building and It's Inhabitants.
1.-THE Bureau Of Pensions is the tide TO a
! big volume bound in brick and mortar which,
/ though infantile IN age, contains more Of civil
/ and military history; more of incidents of hu-
/ man life, melO-dTama, humor and pathos, than
| the mere title-page would Indicate
The structure rose upon soil already full of
/ historic and tragic associations, as the place of
/ the old District jail, and on this are now rest
/ ing these great records Of herOism and suffer
| ing and sacrifice, blended with every other
! il0tJ and emotion OF the human heart.
Located in public park of great beauty,
amid flowers and fountains, and trees and grass,
unmarried by contiguous buildings, to exclude
the blue eXpanse above and the pure atmOs-
phcre around, the Pension Office forms a fit
place for the Muse of History to pause in her
flight and dip her pen into its beauty to trans
NIT to future generations the CORY deeds Of sol
dieTs and martyrs who TIRE and died amor Da5yic.
The records Of the Bureau furnish themes for
historians statesmen and philanth0pists. While
efforts to afford relief have been generous, and
the amount Of money appropriated has been
enormous, the arm Of the law is yet too short
TO give all that is required to crafty the wants
Of the pensioners Of the late cruel war. The
cries for help still come up daily, and are such
"a to melt heart CT stone; for the land is fill
ed with the groans Of haif-aiiYe ez-soldiers aud
destitute widows and orphans whose mort
gagged homes are slipping away from them or
else they anguish in County p0orh0uses or
other asylUms Of charity thus adding TO phYsi-
I ca. suffering the humiliation Of want and de-
pendeHCe. Children arc deprived Of education,
giving their time to exc out a living for bed
ridden parents; and many o'er-true tales of
sorrow pour into the mails destined for the Of
| fee Of Pensions. The talisman Of this Office
and OIL these records Gen Black is as true and
/ tender Of heart as he can be- but the law limits
has ability to grant relief He does all be can
and puts the most liberal construction upon the
laws. lie makes noble fTontspiCce to the
huge volume Of pensions, and deserves to have
his memory perPatpatgd n marble in one Of its
classic inches; for he has done many acts Of
/ manly generosity and magnanimity, and has
I helped people Of all rank grade, shade and
service. ie was brave soldier IN war, and is
q gentle and heroic citizen in peace; and the
Muse can find grand theme in his character
for her historic pen. But his history Is not yet
complete. lie has reached bat the zenith Of
has life and usefulness, and brilliant field lies
before him. Depend upon it that whatever
dgty he may be iutTustCd with, il will be per-
formed with fidelity that VIII not finch or
ta!tcr. lie is true in his friendships and never
fJrgets q favor.
The rOnauces Of this volume are MANY. for
where beauty and bravery meet romance will
1 ioiioW-by the common law Of gfayitati0n.
( There are fair forms and manly hearts fitting
( through these corridors, apd nature asserts her
/ laws here as IN all other parts Of the world
I love speeches aud matches now and then occur,
and the first thing the good Commissioner
/ knows he is met by designations from parties
! going together to seek new fortunes.
The whole country is represented in this vol
/ ume. Hen and women are here from the Nor
4 thcFn, Middle and Southern States Indeed
4 the millennium has come in the Pension Office
/ The lion-hcarted Union men and women sit
side by side with the lamb ~ ex-rebels and
/ very peacefully. An ex-Judge acts as mesgeu-
I ger, and with broom aud feather-dugter
! sweeps away the dust, while duBlCy negro. with
hands ~ his pockets and a silk Lat and much
! watch chain, sauuters up and down before him.
rejecting, no doubt, On the mutations OF human
/ fortunes. 4 gentle Southern woman who has
/ been the owner of 300 slaves, may be seen TO
/ pass along by halfgTOWu negro boy who
sometimes kindly holds open the heavy DOORS
/ with gentle thank you" while the Bwifter
! feet OF her Northern sister pass on without
/ word Of recognition. The Pension Office
/ boast the veritable ledge WaXem from Way-
/ back" and he fills big part Of the fan Of the
/ volume BY his inimitable aud original English
lie may be known by large boutoanier pinned
on the lapel Of his coat, and broad smile on
/ his face.
Ono of the Chiefs is a crank on the subject
! Of youth and beauty, and business is discounted
when a pretty girl IS about. lie is not an ado
lesccnt youth himself and the girls laugh at
! him. bat he is crazcd on this topic and st.
/ Elizabeth is his destination
From 8 to 4 o'clock there are three Closed -
| doors 10 this big volume and one might as we'll
! try to pass St Peter and get into Paradise as 20
/ try to get into these doors after the electrical
! clocks within have pointed to the fatal moment.
/ No allowance is made for difference In the Wal
! thams; DO five minutes Of grace, but sharp
! upon the dial 60 together the doors and the
/ Closed" signal is hung to the breeze-oue
! foot or one crutch may be upon the step; but
! no, turn abont-faCe and struggle for the oaFy
/ open sesame then ct hand for the unwary man
| OF woman who has been belated by a salutation
! by the way, or who has stopped at home for
! kiss from Tot" If the doors Of heaven are as
/ fatal and unyielding as the aforesaid doors. w0
/ unto pension clerks! The Commissioner has
! been asked 10 amend this order aud doubtless
/ he win do so but the order now is rs uure-
! lentinga asst armed sentinels kept guard against
a Trojan horse seeking 10 capture its Helens,
| eX-heroes and warriOrs-crutches, artificial
| Iimbz and ALL
But with hat off and the right hand Of fol-
| lowship and good Will extended TO the great
! Volume Of Pensions, with its stories Of the war
! Of the rebellion, war with Mexico, war Of 1872
and away back to that Of 6he revolution, it is
/ wished 4 Godspeed and great success N.
hA5HISGTUN, D. G.