The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-04-06

or otner, ana l nave promised the poor
woman an answer today, at 4 O'Clock
she's waiting over there now. Between
the two of them, l don't know that I
dare 90 home without having the job
| finished and Mr.. Llncoln's eyes
twinkled again.
was not far away, an interested
spectator of the scene, and when Gen
eral Scott cleared his throat and called
Colonel Hamilton l came promptly
to the front.
"' How long do you think it would
take you, Colonel, to get this case
through the Pension Office p asked the
President after a brief explanation of
the fact.
"1n from twenty to thirty minutes.
think, Mr.. President Iglanced over
the papers and saw that they were in
proper form. IF you will await my re-
turn l will come back to you in half an
hour Or l added, If you prefer it, l
will tax the certificate to you at the
White House and save you that much
time.
"'No no, young man. Mr.. Lincoln
responded, cheerily, bring them back
here I'll wait for them here
"The Pension Office was then located
in Winder's Building in Seventeenth ST.,
only few doors from the War Depart
ment. was not long in reaching the
office of the Commissioner, and l was
not moment too soon, either, for it
was 3 O'Clock by that time and the
officers and clerks were putting away
their papers and making ready to de-
part for the day.
"'Did you see tall, dark complex
ioned gentlemen here today, wearing a
linen duster, and interested in pension
for a woman who lost her husband in
the Seminole Warp I asked of the
Commissioner.
eyes was the answer, 'and the man
has nearly bothered our lives out all day.
He said he was lawyer from some
where out West-the most persistent
pension beggar you ever saw. Guess
he got the worst of it, though
"'You are sure you remember him ?
"'Oh, yes, Observation-Disclosures
slim-clothes didn fit him ANXIOUS
kept on saying he was sure 1t was all
right-and-'
"'That will do, sir. All l have to
say to you is that you have made nice
mess of it. That man is President
Abraham Lincoln. I've promised him
an answer from you in thirty minutes.
He is down in General SCOTS office
now waiting for that answer
"If you ever saw a change of front,
| BOYS, and a sudden movement from
slow music to double quick, it was in
that office. Bells were rung and the
heads of all the divisions summoned,
desks were unlocked, papers flew out
again, clerks and messengers ran up
and down and in and out, at the peril
of life and limb. AT intervals between
the orders to clerks and officers, the
Commissioner sought to cover over the
matter with apologies. He hoped that
l would explain to the President that
it was all a mistake-if he had only
made himself known-if some one had
only recognized him-how anxious they
would have been 10 accommodate him.
This was repeated over and over again
in dozen ways.
at didn't take them twenty minutes
10 verify all the statements and affdavits
and certify the case for payment. Ii
less than the thirty minutes asked fol
| had everything properly signed and
executed, and had placed the fina
papers in the Presidents hands.
"He looked at them qulzzically
turned them over, and having examined
them carefully, as If to make sure tha
they were really all right, lie said to INT
with that quaint expression so otter
seen on his face:
"sI would like to know, Colone
Hamilton, how it is that | was so Ions
and failed. and you were so short and
succeeded"
"'Well, Mr.. President replied. 6,
did not conceal the fact from the Pen
sion Bureau that it was the President
who champloned this poor woman:
cause. You couldn't do that, of course
and they didn't know you there, slr.'
"Mr. Lincoln smiled, placed the pa
pers in his pocket, and turning to Gen
eral Scott, said
"'I understand, General, that it i
one of your standing rules that whel
the President or a member of the Cab
met comes to see You member of you
staff shall accompany him on lis return
home. With your permission | would
be glad to have Colonel Hamilton e
back with me today
"When we reached the White House
sure enough, there on the portico stooC
the old irish woman waiting for Mr.
Lincoln. He walked up to her and
handing her the papers, said:
"Therc you are, my good woman
Your pension is all right, and all yol
have to do now is to 60 tomorrow morn
ing at 9 O'Clock and get your money
But, from my experience today,
would advise you not to go before 1c
O'Clock if you do you won't find the
officers there
"The poor old woman caught hi.
hand and covered 1t with kisses, anc
with the volubilIty of her race and sex
and from the overhowIno of a grateful