Omaha daily bee., 1890-03-02
THE MILLION OF LETTERS
Vast Business Transacted By the
Commissioner of Pensions.
A PIECE OF INSIDE HISTORY.
General Grants Plan for Making
This n Great Ship Building
Na~tion-Story OF ConkIing's
Great Chicago Speech.
The worlds Bierest pension {

The Worlds Biggest Pension Office.
Copyright 1890. bp Frank q. Carpenter.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2~s.-ISpecial to THE
BEE = A short, broad -shouidered man with
n big, half-bald bead and a long beard of
black mixed with gray stood inside of black
clothes and buttoned CATERS in the commits
sioner's room at the pension office yesterday
Every surrounding of the man was that of
business. A big desk at his back was Uttered
with papers. A ~stenographer was rapidly
lranscriqing notes in one corner of the room,
md in another corner Jhe click OF the tyUe-
writer went mcrrily on. About the room,
seated on the red cushions of chairs backed
against the wall, were u score of noted con-
gressmen from every part Of the union, and
talking to the little stout man with the big
bald head was Senator John j. In.
gals, who, thin and tall, looked
like n great Interrogation point as he
stood with his hand at his side holding a
bundle of papers and enforced 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 forehead, as he nodded his assent
to the Kansas senator's proposition. A mo-
ment later aud the senator was gone, and
Springer Of Illinois had taken his place. He
WAS disposed OF in the same easy manner,
aud | noted that the ~refusals OF the stout
man IN CATERS were accepted quite as pleas
antly as his promises of help. This stout.
broaoshouldered, dark whiskered, hazel
eyed man was General Green Is. Raum, the
new commissioners of pensions over whose
signature during the next year will be pald
nearly 500. 000, 900. The appropriations
asked OF congress to pay the pensions Of 1890
amount to sos, 600, COO. Several senators and
half q dozen representatives have bills pro.
posing an increase of the pen sion list and
the probability is that more than one hun
dred million dollars will be given to our old
soldiers next year. 1t Is an immense sun, and
the short, fat fingers OF General Raum will
hold the pen that signs away every dollar of
u. l thought OF this as | grasped his hand.
What a mighty power to rest in one thumb
and TWO hngers-a power sufficient IL he
could WELD il for his own benefit to make
him a Vanderbilt or n Gould-enough TO give
a dollar and u half to every man, woman and
child in the United States, or seven dollars
and fifty cents to every family. Before |
left looked at the autograph which would
make this immense amount good. 1t is a
plain business signature, and 1t reads with
out u title Green Is. Raum."
The signature is Indicative of the man.
General Raum Is
BUSINESS FROM THE WORD GO.
He was a practical baby sixty years ago and
he is today one of the common sense business
statesmen of Washington city. He had big
business interests before he accepted thus
appointment and he brings the same practi-
cal business ways into the office. 1t takes
LOGO 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 precept. Promptly ut Q O'Clock he is
at the office. From . 10 10 he distates
answers to his private correspond
euce. averaging about seventy-ive words
u minute. AT 10 his doors are open and the
crowd Is let in. He has about three hundred
cAaers a day and he makes 1t a point To sec
every one. Many applicants have to be re-
fused and there are now and them stormy