Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-24
PENSIONS.
E>v II, - Fe Milwaukee Agency

! i@@E 49, - E G3IfY' 'a1Tkee agency.
| 4 J Natrncs. Of the Milwaukee
rclc@r pl, i his ,ast issue has the
+! folIonil.@ g! abour lis visit to the
lensi"a ageney on pay day:
! visit "a tie United States Pension
Age rcy. ii' this city, the day payments
begin. is very interesting. spent half
an hour there on the 4th of January
Captain Woodnorth, the agent, and
thirty or more assistants, were as
intent III Fastening the work of getting
checks into the hands of the pensioners
as ever were bank officials in receiving
or paying out money. Everything
went like clock-work, but that was not
the particularly interesting feature.
Such a scene can be witnessed in our
banks, on any day. It was the people
who came and went who constituted
the feature Of the occasion. Pushing
her way through the throng of old
people comes a red-cheeked, bright
eyed young woman. Close behind her
are her witnesses. She passes out her
| certificate, the voucher is sworn to, the
check is made out, and again the war
| widow has received quarterly allowance
from the general government. asked
a veteran who seemed to know the
woman, about her. ooh, she married
an inmate Of the Home, two or three
| wears ago, and he died of old age, last
year, and now she, at the age of twenty
five, is soldiers widow, and fifty years
from now, if she has good luck, will be
dropping into the agency for her pen
sion." The little story left bad taste
in my mouth, but it disappeared right
away when an old man, not less than
eighty, stepped up to Secretary Crary,
saluted and was waited upon. How
carefully the dear old man folded up
the check and how slowly and feebly
he left the office, and how grateful he
looked as he said, ''Thank YOU, sir" !"
Here is another incident that makes
one think 1t was q youngish man
followed by six children. The man is
their guardian Their soldier father
was killed in a railroad accident two
| Years ago and the mC;her died two
months later. The guardian has brought
the little children, not because it was
necessary in order to get the pension
but to let them see how their papa had
for years drawn his pension. The
younger ONES were filed with curiosity
and, Witllal, were delighted; but the
! older ones appreciate d their loss, and
seemed TO feel that loss more keenly
| I'ecanse of the visit, and they leave the
1 efiiee signing and one of tnem sohbiug.
That old lady-you are not mistaken in
supposing her to be over S0-she is over
50, is the mother Of three soldiers, two
of whom were kill, d in the army. She
draws a Sl2 pension because Of the
death OF the one who had contributed
to her support before he went in the
army. Over at hose desks stand six or
seven women, dressed in black, ranging
in age from 45 to IS. The government
has tried to smooth their pathway by
giving them a monthly allowance of $l2
a year, based on the services of their
soldier husbands, now sleeping the end
less sleep. Ranged along the desks, on
the west side of the room, are dozen
or twenty greyhairtd men of over ST
years Of age, several Of them being
over 20. They shake hands and laugh
and chat, say thanks, carefully put
away the precious certificate that gives
them the right, every three months, tc
call and get the needed check, and slowly
pass out. Most of them take the money
home and use it, | am sure, to the bes,
possible advantage; use it to buy bread
clothing, pay taxes; use it as it should
be used, while now and then one uses
it in a way TO harm himself and wrong
his family. Over yonder is man VIII,
is talking quite loudly and has defiant
war-like look. Most Of the people who
come here speak i'll low tones and con
verse So kindly with each other that
this loud talking one attracted my
attentIOn. W no is ne! lie WAS GRATED
in one of the Lake Shore counties anC
was assigned 10 the Veteran Fifty-ihIrC
Wisconsin. His digestive organs We're
ruined while at Camp Randall, eatins
the bad brand of Dane county butter
furnished by the state, and his constitu
ton was shattered while lowering over
a sheet iron stove in his tent. He look!
we'll, now; he is we'll, but lie gets the
limit under the new law-Sl2, and il
his neighborlood there is not soldier
who parades as such to anywhere neal
the extent that he does. He putt
great stress upon the fact that he was :
soldier III the giea, Var of the Rebe lllon
Rats. Blessings upon these brave.
honest Old veterans who earned the
pensions the government is givin.
,nen; OleseiI. X upon. the little ci,iiar, |
y no are betnG caied tul, or partially
cared lor. hy she government then
fathers gave grant service; blessing;
upon the oE,t fathers and mother.
Wuose bola died II tue ,tInly-m hose
death can tee 40 them Il cAec> iruuI tie
government they died for; blessings
upon the war Widows Thanks anu
gratitude To the governne III for enahi.
uIg those vino served 1t in those DARK
5oufs, and the defendants oi tuo.e