Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-03-29
CAMPFIRE STORIES.
THE PENSION OFFICE.
How It's Executive officer Looks, Acts and
Talks.


big, half bald head and long beard of
black mixed with gray, stood inside of
black clothes and buttoned CATERS in the
Commissioners room at the pension Of
fee yesterday. Every surrounding of
the man was that of business. A big
desk at his back was Uttered with pa
pers. A stenographer was rapidly trans
scribing notes in one corner OF the room
and in another corner the click of the
typewriter went merrily on. About the
room seated on the red cushions of chairs
backed against the wall, were 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 look
ed like great interrogation point as he
stood with his hand at his side holding
bundle of papers and enforced his ar
gument with a shake of the head.
The stout broad Ghouldered man in
CATERS listened patiently and his eyes
of animated blue smiled from under his
high forehead as he nodded his
assent to the Kansas Senator s
proposition. A moment later
and the Senator was gone,
and Springer, OF Illinois, had taken his
place. He was disposed of in the same
easy manner, and / noted that the re-
fusals of the stout man in CATERS were
accepted quite as pleasantly as his prom
ises of help. This stout, broad-shoul-
dered, dark -whiskered, hazel-eyed man
was General Green B. Raum, the new
Commissioner of Pensions, over whose
signature during the next year will be
paid out nearly 500, 900, 600. The ap-
preparations asked of Congress to pay
the pensions of 1890, amount to sos, 600, =
600. Several Senators and half dozen
Representatives have bills proposing an
increase of the pension list, and the
probability is that more than Slo0, 000,-
600 will be given to our old soldiers next
year. 1t is an immense amount, and
the short fat fingers of General Raum
will hold the pen that signs away every
dollar of it. 1 thought of this as
grasped his hand. What a mighty
power to rest in one thumb and two fin
gers-a power sufficient, if he could
WELD it for his own benefit, to make
him Vanderbilt or Gould-enough
y
child in the United States, or 81. so to
every family. Before left looked at
the autograph which would make this
immense amount good. 1t is plain
business signature, and it reads without
a title, Green b. 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 to-day one of
the common-sense business statesmen of
WashingtonCity. He had big business in
terests before he accepted this appoint
ment, and he brings the same practical
business ways into the Office. 1t takes
1,600 men and women to form his cler-
ical force, and he keeps every one of
these up to the scratch. He works by
example as we'll as by precept. Prompt
ly at nine o'clock he is at the Office.
From nine to ten he dictates answers to
his private correspondents averaging
about seventy-five words minute. At
ten his doors are open and the crowd is
let in. He has about three hundred
callers day and he makes it point to
see every one. Many applicants have
to be refused and there are now and
then stormy times. General Raum makes
it principle not to lose his temper
about business matters and he is as dip
lomatic as possible. He promises what
he can and refuses what he must. and
he disposes of the crowd very rapidly.
His calls continue until two o'clock. He
then takes lunch if he has not had it
before. This he has in his office. 1t
consists of piece of beefsteak and
biscuit with glass or two of milk. He
is very careful of his health and he
watches his diet After two p. m. he
receives the chiefs of his department,
considers knotty pension cases and re-
mains at work until five o'clock when
he drops his papers and goes home.
General Raum lives here in Washington
on Rhode Island avenue near Iowa cir
Gle. He has q house worth at least S25,-
600 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
number of prizes at State fairs before he
purchased it.
The Pension Commissioner gets fully
three million letters year and two mil
lion of these require prompt answers.
Think of three million letters! Each one
will contain at least foot of note paper
and IT, you would paste the sheets together
the mail received by this man in a sim
gle year would make ribbon six inches
wide longer than from New York to
Cleveland. Estimating each letter as
costing two-cent stamp it makes sixty
thousand dollars for postage, and when
you figure up the labor and brains, the
worry and trouble, you have embodied
n number of lifetimes in this one item.
Ten thousand letters day! Seventy
thousand letters week! More than three
million letters yearl This is what the
Pension Office mail amounts to. The
most of the letters are, however, man
aged by CLERKS and the Pension Office
post-office and distributing room is as
big as that of many village post-office
Nearly every letter requires research,