The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-13

basket containing his daily food,
Tho poet George Herbert dwelt IN
this neiehborhood; Roaeth lived aud
sang here amidst Ills garden Of tlowcrs;
and AZ q little barber chop and coffee
house. npon Sallefo'B 1t was called, u
Cheyne Walk, Richard Cromwell
Stoole and Addison and Benjamin
Franklin, who worked in o printing
shop in Bartholomew Close, came to
cot shaved and 10 loitef. oyer theit; COZ
fee, Whore the Literah then SGT In
council"
THE OLD MEN IN RED,
Indeed q grand, good, sweet book
could DO written about the folk who
haye loved and known old Chelsea
whom NO havo known and loved for
what they did for tho world. saunter-
ing on through the quaint streets win
their ancient and picturesque man.
sions, hosts OF tho silent great VIII
tnrong about you. But now and then
your Delightful memories will be not
.tlnpleasantly broken in upon by the APP
poarance OF como shriveled old man,
often with cane ora crutch and ale
ways in flaming red.
You will find these venerable old tes-
lows In red, who become more frequent
as you near tho Hospital, either moody,
cofitcmplatiye and contemptuous, with
! the corners OF their mouths. drawn in
deep lines and their putty lower lips In
q sort OF endless tremulous activity oil
seorniul repartee or obi1rgation, or
with bright, pop-eyed looks of garru-
lousness and good greeting. AL have
pipes in their mouths, and lall hold
them there with q ferocions kind OF
grasp, as though whatever else they
might lose, the pipe was the one good
friend OF old that should never be torn
from them without a mighty struggle:
Many an odd little study you will
find among these caiitankerous past age
heroes in the quiet streets OF Chelsea.
Chelsea would hardly be Chelsea with
our them. Struggling along its thor
oughfares, sitting bent and sllent on
sunny benches leaning against fonn-
,tains, vases and statues, resting as CONF
posedly as house owners on house steps
and vestibules, or stumping along with
orders to this and that servant, as II
long habit had given them acquired!
supervisory rights over the affairs OF
residents, they irresisibly suggest a
bevy Of croaking cockatoos turned loose
in park and garden, each one harping
upon some fancied grievance or delight.
AInny are the snug little public
houses hard by, worse luck to the Brit
ish citizen and pensioner! and you will
find it easy enough to make friendships
with these old fellows, who have little
TO do and much TO remember while
awaiting the last long muster 1t
would be sorely ungracious in you not
to cement an acquaintanceship OF this
sort with little purchase Of "backy,m,,
and several purchases OF "tour ale, J"
even though anunrelenting prohibition
ist at home. Thus you will learn mar
yelous things Of British valor afeld, all,
Of course, in the old days when, differ
emit from now, fighting was fighting in.
deed. You will secure o willing and
taleful guide to Chelsea hospital. And
above ali you will learn how British
pensioners pride in his own and his
country's achievements may be min
ieled, In the same breath, with his own
everlasting discomfort and contempt.
AN IMPOSING STRUCTURE.
You will find Chelsea hospital a dark
and imposing structure, possessing that
indefnable gloomy grandeur which its
builder, Sir CHRISTOPHER Wren, gave as
a marked characteristic TO all his archi-
tectural creations. Indeed one may
we'll say Wren seems to stare at you
from out the facades OF the great Lon
sdon buildings. But the grounds are
wide aud ample, and the noblest trees
in London everywhere flank the fine old
building, far enough away to give floods
Of sunshine in the courts and large pa
rade grounds between the hospital and
the Thames embankmert. The build
ing comprises three huge courts, the
largest facing the south, the Thames
and the masses of foliage OF Battersea
Park, across the river.
The wings OF the great southern court
are 1856 feet long and are forty feet wide.
In these are found the pensioners
wards. Each one is about 200 feet in
length. Twenty-six compartments are
situated on each side OF adivision par.
titlon running along the center OF each
ward. These partitions are open at
each end, where the ward officers have
rooms: and as the pensioners compart-
meuts or rooms face the outer walls,
which are provided with huge, closely
clustered windows, each ward in itself
provides about 500 lineal feast OF splen-
didly lighted aud ventilated promenade
floor, for use during Indictment weather.
These pensioners rooms within the
wards are tight little cubby holes in
deed, almost as tiny and snug as the
hunks Of sailing crafts forecastle.
They are seven feet long and six in
width, but are given the entire height
OF the ward room. AT either side Is a
large sliding window, Its stills at the
height Of an ordinary table top. At the
left OF each door, as you enter, is fold
ing, or falling table, for books, writing
and the like. Opposite and Of precisely
Of the same size and pattern is the little
table where the penaioner takes his
solitary meal. His bunk Is on the level
with the window stills and tables. Be
low tits his trunk, or "box," and on
sheiYes above are any nieknacks he
may possess. A sort Of privacy may be
enjoyed, but doors and windows remain
open, undcr the rules, 90 that even I'M
expected inspectors may observe tho
condition OF everything IL each COM
pastment, prison like, at @ glance.
1.-THE allowances to the Chelsea PEN
sionprs In tho matter Of clothing, food
and ale. money are. somewhat mcaSer,.
their dutics and restrictions are exceed-
insly light. On entrance to tho Hos
piial the pensioners previous total
government allowance OF one shilling
por day Is entirely relinquished. This
refers exclusively to private soldiers,