The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-02
TEE PENSION OFFICE.
How Green B. Raum Looks. Acts
and Talks.
THREE MILLION LETTERS AYRAR.
Some Important inside History of Grants
Administration Told by ex-Postmaster-
General Cresweu.

WASHINGTON, Feb. &c, 1SsO.-jSpecial
Correspondence of THE HERALp.l- "A
short, broad-shouldered man with big,
half-bald head and long beard of black
mixed with gray stood inside of black
clothes and buttoned CATERS in the COM
missioner's room at the pension Office yes
terday. Every surrounding of the man
was that of business. a big desk at his
back was Uttered with papers A stenog-
rapher was rapidly TRANSFERRING notes in
one corner Of the room, and in another cor
ner the click Of the type writer went mer-
rily on. About the room, seated on the
red cushions of chairs backed against the
wall, were a score of noted congressman
from every part of the union, and talking
TO the little stout man with the big
bald head was Senator John j. ingalls,
who, thin and tall, looked like great inter
rogation point as he stood with his hand at
side holding a bundle Of papers and en-
forced his argument with a shake of the
head. The stout broad shouldered man IN
CATERS listened patiently, and his eyes of
hazel blue smiled from under his high fore
head rs he nodded assent to the Kansas
Senator's proposition. a moment later and
tue Senator was gone, and Springer, of
Illinois. had taken his place. He was dis
posed of IL the same easy manner, and I
noted that the refusals of
THE STOUT MAN IN CATERS
were accepted quite as pleasantly as his
promises OF help. This stout, broad
shouidered, dark whiskered, hazel-eyed
man was General Green =. Baum, the new
stlr1s = = citr
nature during the next year viii be paid
out nearly one hundred million dollars The
appropriations asked of Congress TO pay
the pensions OF 1920 amount TO 1896. 000, 200.
Several Senators and half u dozen Repre-
sentatiVes have bills proposing ali increase
Of the pension list and the probability IS
that more than enc hundred million dollars
viii be given 10 our old soldiers
next year Ii is an immense
amount ana the short TAT fingers Of Gen
er6i kaum viii hold the pen that signs
away every dollar Of it. / thought or this
as ! grasped MS hand. What a mighty
power 10 rest IN one thumb ana two
fingers, Il power sufficient il he could
weld IL Tor his own benefit TO make him 4
Vanderbilt or a Gould, enough to give
$3.50 70 every man, woman and child in
Inc United States or 500 TO every family.
Before ] left looked at the autograph
which would make this immense amount
EDol IL - u pam buSluSSS Sls AtUNIS anu
II reads without q title
''GREEE ,. RAUM.''
The signature is Indicative Of the man.
General Rauln is business from the word
go. BE WAS practical bahs sixty years
ago and ne is to-day one OF the common
sense business statesmen Of Washington
City lie had big business interests be-
fore he accepted this appointment and lac
brings the same practical business WAYS
into the Office. II takes 1900 men and
women TO form his clerical force and he
keeps every one of these up to the scratch.
He works by example as well as by pre-
cept Promptly at y o'clock he is at the
Office. From to 10 he dictates an
swers TO his private correspondence
averaging about seventy-five words
minute. At 10 his doors are open and the
crowd is let in. de has about three nun
dred callers day, and be makes it point
10 see every one. Many applicants have 10
be refused, and there are now and then
stormy times. General RaUm makes it q
principle not to lose mis- temper ABOUT bust
ness matters, and he is as diplomatic as
possible. lie promises what ne can and
refuses what he must, and he disposcs OF
the crowd very rapidly. His calls con
tinuc until , o'clock. He then takes q
lunch, il he has not had it be
fore. This he has in his Office
steak and . biscuit with glass or two oil
milk. He is very careful of his health and
he watches his diet. After pm. he re
ceives the chiefs of his department., con
siders
KSoTTY PENSION CASES
md remains at work until 5 o'clock, wher
he drops mis- papers and goes homo. Genera
Rauln lives here IN Washington on Rhode
Island avenue, near Iowa circle. He has
house worth at least twenty-five thousand
dollars. and this is very comfortably fur
nished. A part of the furniture was
bought recently, and his sideboard, which
came from Grand Rapids, Mich, took q