Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-04
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.
Checks That Pensioners Do Not Cash-An
Enthusiast in Medicine-Fact About the
Human voice-stories of Conisiing-A
Fishing Scane.

Human Voice-Stories of Conikiing-A
Fishing Scene.
IFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
There are tens of thousands of dollars
lying in the vaults of the Sub-Treasury in
New York which belong to pensioners.
Checks have been issued probably covering
the whole amount, but from one cause or
another the money has never been claimed.
The checks have never been presented. The
money stands to the credit of the various
pension agents acting as disbursing officers
of the Governments. An account with one
of these officials is never closed until all the
checks come in and no more are to come
He may have overdrawn. There is no way
to determine this until everything is squared
up:
"1t takes years before United States dis
bursting officer can get his accounts settled
with the Government" said Captain Barclay,
late Pension Agent Mt Pittsburg "There is
Colonel Heron. who held the same office
ana went out of Office eight years ago-a
balance still lies. to his credit. Russell
Errett went out four years ago and is now
dead. His balance is several hundred dol
lars at the Sub-Treasury. Then L came in:
NOW I've been out of office over year and
the books show several thousand dollars to
my credit The checks have all been drawn
and you would naturally suppose the PEN
sioners would get them cashed within a rea-
sonable time, or, if the pensioner were dead,
That is one of the queer things of this life.
Where are those checks? Why are they kept
for years2 If lost or DESTROYED why don't
those entitled let somebody know about it?
II every pension agency throughout the
country is like that of Pittsburg there must
be big pile of money unclaimed by reason
OF these unpresented checks. And ours is a
small agency, too. In the meantime, think
of the Pension Agents, alive and dead who
have open accounts and various balances to
their credit at the Sub-Treasuryp'
Forgery in a Good Cause.
1.-THE funniest thing that ever hap
pened while was Pension Agent at Pitts
burg" continued Captain Barclay, "was
this. Ajustice of the peace up in Bradford
county sent in pensioners voucher duly
executed, with note attached to 1t to the
effect that Mr.. Black, the pensioner, died
the night before the time the voucher was
to be legally executed and that, as his fam
lily were very much in need of the money,
he tthe j. Pr had signed the pensioners
name and filled out the jurat: that the afore-
said pensioner had personally appeared be-
fore him and exhibited his pension certi1i-
cate and swore to the paper, and that it
was all right: to send the check along ut
once. 1t probably would have been sent
along, too but for that frank note of the
honest j. p announcing his benevolent for
gerry of dead pensioners name and the
false certificate. And he would probably
have indorsed the check and got the money
for the needy family of the dead soldier. If
there ever was more charming bit of
naiveto never heard of it."
A substitute for whalebone.
-'There is an industrious German out in
my town." said one of the Indiana men who
make the Fifth Avenue their loafing place,
"who has invented q substitute for,whale-
bone SO far as it enters into dress. Whale
bone is now worth its weight in silver and
grows scarcer every year. This new thing is
made from bullock hides, the oil being eX-
tracted by chemical process and the hide
rendered as tough as bone. He calls it am
Der bone believe, though it isn't bone at
all. 1t is a clear, transparent amber in color,
and from all that hear of 1t 1 should sup
pose it would please the ladies who can't
afford real whalebone. There have been
good many attempts of late years to produce
substitute for whalebone, without substan-
tial success"
He Missed His Calling.
I know an assistant cashier in one of
the largest downtown banks who is an en-
thusiast on the subject of medicine. He has
risen slowly, step by step, to his present re-
sponsible position, which might well be con-
sidered an enviable one. Sol was somewhat
surprised when he informed me that his
greatest desire in life was to have an inde-
pendent practice He has been a close stu
dent of medicine during all this time, put
his spare hours into the medical college
course and clinics, and is already expert
menting as young doctor upon the trust
ing poor of his immediate neighborhood.
rNothing ever gave me half the pleasure l
now derive from healing the sick The
gratitude of the poor is something I never
before dreamed of or thought about. look
anxiously forward to the time when ! can
which has my whole heart"
If that young man lives long enough he
will be great doctor.
The Comforts of Employees.
In some establishments in New York
the English system of dormitories for women
employees has been introduced. One place
out-Herods Herod by serving religious ex-
ercises before breakfast. As the sectarian
bill of fare is not extensive, embracing but
single dish, there is not little complaint
all of which is answered by the proprietor
in the language of the Irishman to the Know
Nothing-'If yes don't like the country yes
can lave it." He requires every emyloye to
attend prayers in the building before enter
ing upon the duties of the day. A number
of large Establishments provide suitable
bodily refreshment for their hundreds of
employees. This is given in some part of the
building, so that from the hour of report for
duty till the hour of dismissal there is no
excuse for leaving the place. Restaurants
in these business houses for customers are
not quite general. Retail stores that sell
within the range of domestic re-
quirement must keep the customer in good
humor and fair bodily trim and there is
nothing like nice lunch at a low price to
do this.
The Voice Doesn't Change.
The human voice changes least of any
Who has not recognized an old-time friend
merely by the sound of his voice? When
the face and figure are wholly forgotten, or
have changed so much by reason of age and
disease as to be no longer at once recogniza-
BILE the voice recalls the past and works sue
cessfully upon the memory. From the hour
when youth breaks in upon the piping
treble to that when old age renews it, the
voice remains about the same-affected by
Friends have recognized each
other by the voice when not a landmark of
individuality was left to the eye.
saw q man wholly unable to recognize
another at the Fifth Avenue Hotel the other |
evening after 80 years, and upon the first |
sound of his voice call him by name instant |
fault of many not to be able to readily re-
member names. A few words will almost |
certainly recall the name and surroundings; |
that is, if there was ever any earlier famil- |
arity between the individuals. l have sue |
cessfully tried that meth od repeatedly. |
little attention to this peculiar character |
site, the voice, and you can name anybody |
7ou have known very well without seeing |
lirn, no matter how long a time has elapsed |
ince you last met
"Reminiscences of Conkling.
1.-THE late Roscoe Conkling was the
most lovable man 1 ever knew" said John
Jhamberlin at the Hoffman the other day.
He always stopped at my place in Wash
ngton and I came to know him intimately.
few people knew him so well. There was
me point upon which he was obstinate-he
wouldn't accept favors from anybody. If
le suspected that his bill was cut, that