Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-18

Hotel stn and D streets, and Capitol Library, De-
cein0er y, 1851; 18th street and Avenue February
plosion At the Arsenal November 8, 1863 in the
H,a rs,n,1snuary BHldng; the explosion at the
laolrs were killed), June II, 1894; D0rseys feed
sonian, January "a, 1885:
REWARDED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
How Pensions arc Drawn and who
Receive Them.
TIE LAR0E NUnBKR or PENSIONERS IN FOREIGN
c0uNTRlEs-How PENSION PAYMENTS ARE MADR-
DISTINGUISHED MEN AND WE'LL KNOWN WIDOWS
WHO DRAW PENSIONS
Nearly ten thousand persons living In foreign
countries are In receipt Of pensions from the
United states Government They are all paid
through the pension agency 10 this city. Instead
OF receiving the money In person the pensioners
do who live here or BY mailed check as ID the case
with those living In other parts Of the country the
foreign pensioners are paid by International
money order. They 80 through the same form az
other pensioners, and forward their vouchers pro-
perry certified to by the United States Consul at the
place where they live. The largest number reside
In Can Ada Great Britain ranks next and then Ger
many. The average amount paid each year to
pensioners 10 foreign countries Is about $l6O The
the ranks during the late war or are tie widows
OF privates.
A JAPANESE rRNsIoNER.
One OF the latter class Is Japanese. She is the
widow OF an American seaman and signs the
vouchers In japanese characters. Her signature
Is perpendicular and the clerks iu the agency
decipher 1t by beginning at the bottom and slowly
climbing up When they re- Gu the top of this CHI
geographic ladder they are at the end or the name.
sent to her in German. The of1iciai before whom
she appears to take the necessary oath does not
read English, and so requires the document 70 Do
IN some language that he can understand 1t IL
translated In the pension agency In this city and
the amount Of the pen ion duly forwarded.
the consul-general at VIENNA, Mr. Jussen. is a
Z feiing The vlce-consul at Eiberfeld. Germany,
Mr.. Junker, is pensioner, and Mr. Jas. W. Siler,
Chas lie Gendre, an oicer In the late war; now re-
sides at Toxic, Japan.
THE PENSION AGENCY
10 this city is an Interesting place to visit when
| the quarterly payments are made. person pass
ing the square two-siory building at the corner OF
imagine that sale OF seats for an opera or some
pubic performance was IN progress. There Is the
familiar linz OF people extending from the door
about 5000 pensioners residing in this city, who
are paid each quarter at this agency. Some times
a. many as 600 pensions are ID in one day:
hand out when the pensiOner appears little
further along sits another clerk who IS empowered
W auu uiSteS OhtuA h8cu penSluner Is 0DIlkcu u
swear that they are en- tiled TO the pen ION and
have not been paid before There are q great
many widows the list. Perhaps some OF these
| state. They are expected to give up ther
pensions 10 such an event Hence they are re-
qulred TO go through the little formally OF SUBJ
ScrlbinG TO an oath as to their marital condition.
HOW TIE PENSIONS ARE PAID.
When the pensioner receives bis voucher and
has made oath, he passes to ahother clerk who
writes out check. Passing then into the office
OF the pension agent, Sidney L. Wilson. the pen
s0ner signs the check In his presence, and MIR.
signature BY putting his initial on the check
There is nothing remaining TO be done nnw except
70 90 some where aDd get the check cashed, which
as they are drawn upon the United states Treas
ury II not q matter OF grea, difficulty.
DISTINGUISHED PENSIONERS.
Some people mig 1t think that the line Of pen.
soners as they see 1t 10 front OF the agency was
com ,osed OF poor but worthy persons, dependent
upon the bounty OF generous Government There
are no doubt many OF that class, ana perhape the
large percentage. But the spectator can see
number OF distinguished and well-k nOwn citizens
who are proui taat they are emit led oy their ser
pension as a volunteer OF the Mexican war. so
es Gen. John c: Fremont, the pathfinder, ana the
OF Congress who receive their pensions in this
city. Mr.. Houk, Of Tennessee; Mr.. Grosvenor, OF
OHIO, and MI. Laird, OF Nebraska. Gen. Croker,
Enoch Totten, a well-Kncwn member Of the Wash.
lnRton bar Mr.. Worthington, recently the dis
So Sos Germ sa
the acting commissioner Of the General Land
once; Major Powell. the chief OF the Geological
sions, and others holding Government positions,
are among The prominent names on the pension
rolls
WIDOWS OF PROMINENT MEN.
When 1t comes to widows the roll OF distin.
guisned names or rather reiicts OF distinguished
husbands are very noticeable. The widows of
well-known Army and Navy of1cers are the re-
cipients or PENSIONS and there are large number
VINO, by special act OF Congress- receiva q pension
OF $50 per mouth. In this list there will be found
Gren. Commodore Boggs, Rear Admiral Davis.
Lieut. Commander Edes, Rear Admiral GOldsOor.
Ough, Commodore DeKrafft, Commander McCau-
Admiral Wilkes, Rear Admiral Reynolds ana big
adler General Piummer.
on pay days Mr.. Wilson has another corps Of
mediation OF the widows who are thus saved rrom
the annoyance OF waiting In the crowd In the
once below.
LARGE DISBURSEMENTS.
The pension agency Is one Of the largest in the
country. There are n, 800 pensioners On the roll
and the annual disbursements are about 8, OOO,-
600. In addition 70 the pensioners living In the
snSe xnS u ss Ssrs q Dssw
OF the branches OF the Nation j soldiers Home,
amt pensioners resding IN foreign countries, and
ALA navy ptQSlO0eTU TcolOlu ID ILLS anu Inc KNOX
Vile dis.r ict are paid at this agency.
Tedious Delays ~ the Gas-OffiCe,
To the Editor Of The Rv1xuo STAB:
few days ago The main ONCE OF the Washing
ton 0ss-Laght Co presented . scene which rug
gested Their the scramble TOR seats On q great
opera night than the anxiety OF some Thousands
of cittzens to Ply their monthly billR Four clerks
struggled industriously with the long lnes Of men
women, and boya some OF VIII u were shivering In
the open xir Of the street. while those VINO were 20
fortunate as 70 got under cover were sweite1ng In
had TO wait In line Ill his turn came and then
wait at the window till the clerk In attendance
could calculate the discount due for prompt pAy.
ment, make change, enter The name or nuinber OF
tho bill ana the amount paid In the big cAsh-book
on his desk, and saYn receipt. AL this consumed
Q great quantity OF time 10 no good end. Twice a.
much could BE- accomplished by The use Of q labor
attached 70 It . coupon bearing the name and
number OF the bill ana the net amount wnicn
would iquidate II u presented before the stn OF
the month, and II each clerk nad q rubber stamp
TO use for feceiptlng instead OF Pal fully writing
out his name then all that would be necessary
would be for the consumer 70 hand out his bill and
bis money. A glance at The coupon would show
could make change stamp his receipt on the bill,
tear on tue coupon, am suck It on spindle. and
pass on TO the next person in line The work would
be almost all mechanical and the entries In the
cash-book could Hll Be made after on1ce-hourA
The public would certainly appreciate thu change
this taliy-chock system quite as effective - the
hurri d entry now made In tie cash-book, and 8
good deal more accurate IA the long run.