New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-26
C4LLERS on COMMISSIONER SHIELDS
PEOPLE WHO CAME TO HIM YESTERDAY FOR
ADVICE AND AID.

ADVICE AND MD
Commissioner Shields's ONCE IN the Federal buHd'
ing seems TO have peculiar attraction ior al sorIs
., c,,racters and n any stranger in the city Of
New-York has particularly nara prooieh 7" Soir nc
4, lnl,, 70 call upon the gOodnatured Commissioner
g., o..istorce Mr. Shields has received the conf
,,co, ~ moro cranks, and Of more deserted and
NEGLECTED widows and orphans than any other omckii'
nroh,blv I'm the city, Yesterdays crop OF Incidents
IN ~. genial Commissioners Office was pleasanter
than usual. A.,
His first peculiar visitor was particularly 'aii
and loose tointed individual, with long gray otaN
and long dark hair who WIS arrayed In weather
beaten suit Of dark clothing which was lar from
ottin, his form His trousers Were some inches TOO
shor, ais coat hung loosely about him, and he had
the appearance OF one who had seldom seen The dy
streets He carried in one hand one oil the oid.
fashioned carpet -, which apparently had htte,
ANYTHING In II. lie Lad entered the fed'IA buAa
Ing and made general inquiries Tor 'he ''use anu
Of course was directed, all visitors OF strange ap
pcarance are, by all the enplOyeS Vi ''' 0"'A"e'
directly to Mr.. shields
How do, ledge said the stranger to the Oon'
missioner Il Just thought I'd come in town to see
about that air Midland road
Midland road - asked the Commissioners. "NLaI
IS thatl7 Then he happened to remember WAL no
other official about building might have recoected'
that a score OF years ago there was SUIT ABOUT Tie
Sevr- York OsHegO and Midland kalrO1C NOHpdly,
which was long known among the farmers along Its
rou, sn,ply as the Midland road Further Inquiry
brought out the fact that the visitor had bond oil ne
road which nineteen years ago was placed IN 'he
hands Of receivers. f. h Jones was the masur1h'
chancery In the in It's later stages, ana the 'o
was anxious 10 see Mr.. Jones.
1--WE got one Of them air bonds; can't get 'ne
money fist nowlr asked the countryman JONES
said he'd write % ne abOut that. but, by eosh'
think when a man says he's going to write he ousAt
n write that I, II he's any kind Of honorable man.
Commissioner shields directed the inquirer "
Mr. Jones's Office. at No. 4. Cedars''. anu
not long after this the counryman was eanng peanuts
in Mr. Joncss ONCE while waiting for the lawyer !"
app.ar. When Mr.. Jones came In be learned tnAt
his visitor IA, George W. W. Todd Of Oneida ~ l.,
and that NE really did nave q 1000 bond, WHICH had
been purchased In March, 1871, and on when I'D
dividend had been paid for nearly twenty years
.rh. BIT of paper was creased and worn. Mr.. Jones
said That Mr. Todd did nave some rights arising Guy
OF ~. litigation, and that tie matter c0ula De se'su
today -, ~, ,a,. no ra.eiyed
a visit from n fearful boz, fifteen years od, WHO hsu
documents To show that he Justin Muio, 81 o.
C,eorgr Nest Indies. ami belonged TO hlSlIy Ie.
spec;ed family Of that phce. he told a puiul n11ll
about his endeavor TO live In TINS city shcr e IN H,
here as a cabin boy schooner, with ohy IeS
dollars IN his pocket. He came III search "l au'
ventures but had found too many unpleasant IN III
\ subscription taken up 10 meet sHle " ~. ~,
immediate needs and Commissioner shielus sem 'lui
TO the British Consul. Thea thr hi,i"aF'e1 'oHH'
missioner rubbed MS forehead and >aid' . go
well. wonder what well have to morrow IN our
variety show y