The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-14


You will find these venerable old fellows
In red, who become more frequent as you
near the hospital, either moody, contempia-
tive and contemptuous, with the corners OF
their mouths drawn In deep line and their
puffy lower lips in a sort OF endless tremu-
lous activity OF scornful repartee or objur-
| cation, or with bright pop-eyed looks OF
garrulousness and good greeting. All have
pipes in their mouths, and all hold them
| there With a ferocious 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 cantAnkerous past age heroes
in the quiet streets Of Chelsea. Chel-
sea would hardly be Chelsea with
out them. Struggling along its thor
oughfares, sitting bent and silent on
sunny benches. leaning against fountains,
vases and statues. testing as composedly as
house owners on house steps and vestibules,
or stumping along with orders to this and
that servant, as il long habit had given
them acquired supervisory rights over the
affairs of residents, they irresisnbly suggest
q bevy Of oroaking cockatoos turned loose
in park aud garden, each one harping upon
some fancied grievance or delight
Many are the snug little public houses
| hard by, worse luck to the British citizen
and pensioner! and you will find IL easy
enough TO make friendships with these old
fellows, who have little TO do and much to
remember while awaiting the last long
muster. Il would he sorely ungracious in
you not to cement an acquaintanceship OF
this sort with little purchase Of "backy,"
and several purchases OF -four ale," even
though an unrelentinR prohibitionist at
home. Thus you will learn marvellous
| things OF British valor afeld, of course, In
the old days when, different than now, fight
ing was fighting indeed. You will secure
a willing and ,taleful guide to Chelsea hos
pital. And above all you will learn how
| British pensioners pride in his own and
his country's achievements may be mingled,
in the same breath, with his own everlast-
/ ing discomfort and contempt.
You will find Chelsea hospital a dark
and imposing structure, possessing that in
definable gloomy grandeur which Its
builder, Sir Christopher Wren, gave as
marked characteristic TO all his architect
ural creations. Indeed one may well say
Wren seems to stare at you from out the
| fRcades Of all great London buildings. But
the grounds are wide and ample, and the
noblest trees In London everywhere fan K
the fine old building, far enough away to
/ parade grounds between the hospital and
the Thames embankment. The building
/ comprises three huge courts, the largest
| facing the south, the Thames and the
masses Of foliage Of Batterssa park, across
| the river.
The wings Of the great southern court are
| 1856 feet long aud are 40 feet wide. In these
are found the pensioners wards. Each one
is about 200 feet in length. Twenty six
| compar tments are situated on each side Of
| a division partition running along the CEN
ter OF each ward. These partitions are open
| at each end, where the ward officers have
rooms, and as the pensioners compartments
Il "a kka lie rrht oh
provided with huge, closely clustered win
dows, each ward in itself provides about
500 lineal feet Of splendidly lighted and ven
tilated promenade floor, for use during in
clement wea Their.
These pensioners rooms within the wards
are tight little oubby holes indeed, almost
as tiny and snug as the hunks of sailing
crafts forecastle. They are feet long and
6 In width, but are given the entire hight
| of the ward room. A ourtained entrance
is in the center. At each side is large
sliding window, it's at the hight Of an ordi-
nary table top. AT the left of each door, as
you enter, is a folding, or falling, table, for
books, writing and the like. Opposite, and
of precisely tine same size and pattern, is
the little table where the pensioner takes
his solitary meal His bunk is on a levil
| with the window silis and tables. Below 1t
is his trunk, or box, and on shelves above
are any knickknacks he may possess A sort
of privacy may be enjoyed, but doors and
windows remain open, under the rules, so
that even unexpected inspectors may OBJ
serve the condition of everything in each
compartment. prison-like, at glance.
IL the allowances to the Chelsea pension
ers in the matter OF clothing, food and ale
money are somewhat meager, their duties
and restrictions are exceedingly light On
entrance to the hospital the pensioners pre-
| vious total government allowance OF shil-
ling per day is entirely relinquished. This
refers entirely to private soldiers, Of whom
there are over 500 among the about $50 in
mates of the hospital.
In lieu of this shilling per day pension
they receive each a room such as previously
described, yearly allowance of two pairs
of trousers one cap aud fatigue jacket and
four complete suits of undercothing, with
a flaming red Prince Albert coat, decorated
with blue cuffs and huge brass buttons with
the monogram "R. H. G. P."-Royal Hos
pital Of Chelsea Pensioners-oncs in three
years.
Their food consists of half loaf Of bread
and an ounce of butter daily, per man
with bowl OF cocoa for breakfast, soup,
mutton or beef and potatoes for dinner, and
bowl of tea at 3 80 O'Clock for teal which
is the last meal of the day. Besides this
they are each paid penny per day for ale
and tobacco money, and each also receives
a quarter of pound Of tobacco every three
months.
There are practically no restrictions upon
these old wards of Chelsea. They 60 and
come at will; and punishments for infrac-
tions of always lenient discipline are con-
fined to the wearing OF a black Dap for ex-
traordinary revolt against good order. or
few hours In the guard house for pensioner
taken red-hsnded in battle with John
Barleycorn at the ale house. They
are royal grumblers all. To them their
clothing is 'shoddy," soup is 'swill, cocoa
and coffee are 'pizen," butter is Thames
skimmin's," and, in scornful intimation of
the officers appropriating all the joints OF
mutton while leaving them but the ribs
and briskets they stoutly assert that
''every sheep killed for Chelsea has nine
brestiesn But l believe they are, on the
whole, very comfortable and Considerably
treated and fully as well served and cared
for as are the veterans OF our own soldiers
homes
The most interesting places In Chelsea
hospital are the ward rooms, the kitchen
when the noon day meal is nearly ready,
the chapel aud the great hall. In the ward
rooms discovered one clipper old fellow
who will be 80 years old in October. BE is
William Merrill, late of the Thirty-nrst
Foot; is q native Of Bedfordshire; Unlisted
in 1919. and mas seen over forty years OF
actual service. My companion said he was
the ''slyest rogue and joker in No. 10 ward
| Cav old William alsO hau tha FaCard Of