The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-04-18
SELECTED.
ASroRY OF pREsiDENTLIncoLN.


ASToRY OF PRESlDENTLINcoLN
How liz Gof l'lN>foN Tor \ SOLDIER
WIDOW.
= - - .s' Sol Jack Hamilton
was ou lhc stan Of GEN. Scott. a>signc,
10 duty at Army Headquarters in Wash
ingten. At rerrnt gathering in New
York where such tales were told rs Sol
diers tell hy the camp-hrcs light, Col
Hamilton related the following incideu
Of Mr. Lincoln which came under his OBJ
servation ana of which he was part:
at was a roasting hot day in the csrll
part of july, 1851. Al the National Capital
Il fortnight, probably, before the first bat
tle of Bull Run wa. fought.
at was nearly : O'Clock in the after
noon, think, When the tall, gaunt form
of the President of the United States EN-
tered the Office of The General-in-C hicf
He looked tired and ilded out-the very
picture of exhausted energy and disgust
Sit down, General, said Mr.. Lin
coin, in his considerable way, still wiping
the perspration Of dust and moisture
from his face this Is too hot "A day fo1
have learned something to-day
e'What is that, Mr.. Prrsident?' asked
the General, somewhat treasured.
THE dignity of being an odice-holier,
General Since O'Clock this morning
have been trying to get Il hearing from
some clerk in the pension Bureau. | be-
leye thai | have tried them ali, but in
vain. They have sent me up and down
: i1,.. .taip- fran, IN. urapud n,.r Il, I Ia.
attic aud back again, until am about
tired out. There were no elevators in
The Government buildings then, and the
Presidents eXuding frame gave evidence
of their absence.
Excuse me, Mr.. President General
scott replied, with a courteous gesture.
hut it is hardly becoming in the Presi-
dent of the United States To be "A solicitor
of pensions. If you have any matters of
that kind to attend to, send them to me.
and Colonel Hamilton, of my STAN, Will
he pleased to look after them without de-
lay
81 have no doubt that the claim is II
just one went ON Mr. Lincoln, taking
no apparent notice Of the Gcncral'S criti-
clsm, for have examined il carefully,
and he took a package of papers from the
poo htt VI ms hu@Ati dH'ls udNillS d'lJuNi''i
mis- ,tcel-rimmcd speclaclrs, went over
hem one by one. You see, General, the
poor woman who makes this application
Tor pension lost her husband, who was
L corporal in the 9TH Infantry at the
aand> Of some bloody Indians twenty-five
years ago. Nobody Stems to have taken
any friendly interest in the cast, and She
has been haunting the White House for
weeks until, between ourselves (and
there was merry twinkle in the Frcri
dents eye I'm afraid Mrs Lincoln is
getting Il little jealous. thought had
better end the matter up in same way or
tther, to-day, and | have promised the
poor woman an answer at I O'Clock
she : waiting over there now. Between
he two of them, don't know that dare
20 home without having the job finished;
and Mr.. Lincoiu's eyes twinklcd again.
Il was not far away, AN int rested spr C.
ltor of the scene, and WHEN General
Scott cleared his throat and called Colo
rel Hamilton | came promptly to the
'front.'.
." How long do you think it would
ike you, Colonel, TO get this case
trough the Pension Office asked the
President after Il brief explanation of tue
acts.
- In from twenty to thirty minutes
.hiuk, Mr. President. | glanced over the
,Iper, and saw that they were in proper
form. III you will await my return |
will come back to you in half an hour
n, | added, If you prefer il, | viii take
he certificate to you at the White House
md save You that much time.
No no, young man, Mr.. Lincoln
responded cheerily, bring them back
lere. I'll wait for them here.
The Pension ONCE was then located
IL Wndcrs Building in Seventeenth St,
'nly few doors from the War Depart
nent. | wa> not long in reaching the
,liCe of the Commissioner, and ! was
ut moment too soon, eithfr, for Il was
O'Clock by that time aud the officers aui
Jerks were putting away their papers
Md making ready To depart for the day.
.Did You see "A ial., dark conplcN'uned
Gentleman here to4Ay wearing Il linen
ulster. aud Interested W pension for
Nomah who lost her bui baud in tho Sem
ole VAR ! asked Of Ir Commissioner.
4" Yes, WAS the an~V -r and the man
Is nearly bothered ouH 1--we, ont all day
&c said he was a lawyer from somewhere
Iut West the most peNi>tcnt pension
lcggar you ever saw. GW>s he got the
4 or>t Of it. though.
'Yuu are sure yuu remember himE
ION, yes, perfectly tall-dark-
,im--clothcS didn't fit him, snXious-
Kept on saying he was sure it was ali
1ght- and
a. That will do. sir All have to ray
% you is that You have made nice mess
# it, That man is President Abraham
lincoln. I've promised him an answer
rom you in thirty minutes He is down
II General SCOTS Office now, waiting for
hat answer.
IF you ever saw a change of front.
Joys, and a sudden movement from slow
music to douDle-quick, it was IN that Of
Ice.
Bell, were ruug and the heads Of all the
divisions summoned, desks were unlocked
,ipeTs flew out again, clerks and mesSen-
,crs ran up and down and in and out. nj
he peril OF life and limb. At intervals
'ctween the orders to clerks and officers,
he Commissioner sought to cover over
lie matter with apologies. He hoped
hat | would explain to the President
hat it was all mistake if he had only
made himself known-if some one had
My recognized him-how anxious tley
would have been to accommodate him.
his was repeated over and over in Il
Oxen ways.
ut didn't take them twenty minutes to
erify all the statements and shidavit>
nd certify the case for payment. In
,ss than the thirty minutes asked for !
ad everything properly signed and exc
uted and had placed the final papers in
he Presidents hands.
ale looked at them qulzzcally, turned
hem over, and having examined them
arefully, as if to make sure that they
we're really all right, he said to me with
hat quaint expression 50 often seen ON
lis face:
" Il would like to know, Colonel Ham
lton, how is il That | was so long and
allied. and you were so short anG sue
.eeded?'
We'll, Mr.. President | replied, i
lid not conceal the fact from the Pension
Bureau that it was the President who
this poor woman's cause.
GU couldn't do that, of course, and they
iidnt know you there, sir"
"Mr. Lincoln smiled, placed the papers
n his pocket, and turning to General
Scott, said:
IL understand. General, that it is one
If your Standing rules that when tie