The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-10

in. Bring them back here and will
wait for YOU
At this time the pension Office was
located in Seventeenth street a little
way from the war department, and
five minutes after leaving the presi-
dent l was in the Office of the commits
sioner. [ had not arrived a moment
too soon, for the officials and clerks
were cleaning their desks and prepar-
ing to quit work for the day. The
commissioner politely asked what he
could do for me.
Did you see a tall, dark complex
toned gentleman here today?' 1 an
swered. ''He wore a linen buster and
SLOUGH hat, and was interested in the
pension of a. woman who lost her nus
band in the Seminole war
'tOh, yes, l remember the man." the
commissioner replied carelessly. He
said he was a lawyer from the west,
and has been bothering us all day
wen said 1 dryly, you have got
yourself in a pretty fix. That man is
President Lincoln, and l have just
promised him that / would bring him
an answer from you inside of half
an hour. He is waiting for it now in
General Sc0tt's office"
The change worked in the pension
office by this brief announcement was
nothing less than marvellous. Bells
were rung, heads of divisions sent for,
and desks hastily unlocked, while
clerks and messengers ran here and
there at the peril of life and limb. A
dozen times, while giving orders to
his subordinates, the commissioner
paused to apologize for the shabby
treatment the president had received,
and to beg me to explain to him that
+oI- ftr
minutes all the statements and aff1da-
Wits had been verified and the case
certified for payment Before the
promised half hour had expired every
thing had been properly signed and
executed and / had placed the final
papers in the hands of the president.
He looked them over carefully to
make sure that they were right, and
then, while quizzical smile spread
over his face. asked: Can you tell
me, Colonel Hamilton, how it is that
L was so long and failed, and you
were so short and succeeded? -
''To speak frankly, Mr.. President"
said, Il very promptly informed the
commissioner of pensions that it was
the president who had made himself
the champion Of this poor woman's
case. You could not do that, of
course. and they did not know you
there, sir"
The president laughed heartily, put
the papers in his pocket, and, turning
to General Scott. said:
II am told, general, that it is one of
your standing rules, that when the
president or member of the cabinet
comes to see you a member of your
return home. I should be glad to have
Colonel Hamilton go back with me
today"
Accordingly l walked with the presi-
dent to the White House, and on the
portico we found an old Irish woman
waiting for Mr.. Lincoln. He went up
to her and, handing her the papers,
said:
Here you are, my good woman.
Your pension is all right and all you
need do now is to go tomorrow morn
ing at 9 o'clock and get your money.
But from my own experience today I
O'Clock. If you do, you won't find the
officers there
The poor creature caught the presi-
dents hand and covered it with kisses,
at the same time showering a thou
sand blessings on her benefactor's
head.
Don't thank me-" he answered.
kindly. as ne gently freed himself
from her grasp. This young man
here is the one who did the business
for you, and who deserves all the
thanks"
And he stepped aside and seemed to
keenly enjoy the fervency with which
the old woman poured her store of
marking that lie must go and tell Mrs.
Lincoln that it was all right, he babe
me good day and hurried away.
Lincoln Saves the Life of an Old
Acquaintance.
The second story is told by Senator
Daniel w. VOORHEES,.
One gloomy afternoon in the winter
of 1853 l was writing at my desk in
the House of Representative at Wash
ington, when n card was brought to
me by page 1t bore the names of a
gentleman named Bullitt. resident of
my congressional district with whom
L had long been on friendly terms and
whose hospitality l had often enjoyed.
told me that he was in
trouble, and when l went to him in
the ante-room my worst fears were
confirmed. His wife was with him
and the faces of both gave evidence of
showed t:,dt they had just come from
a long journey and had been for some
time without sleep or rest. I escorted
them to committee-room, and there
Mr.. Bullitt, with frequent and eager
from his wife, made
known to me the cause of their hur-
ried visit 10 Washington. The father
of Mrs. Bullitt was Henry NJ. Luckett,
an aged Methodist minister, who at
different times had been in charge of
churches in Illinois, Kentucky, Mis-
souri, and other western states. When
the war opened he was resident of
st. Charles, Mo-, and the possessor
Of a moderate fortune; but sudden re-
verses had swept everything away
and left him almost penniless To a
man of his years-he was then past
70-the blow was heavy one and told
sadly upon his health and spirits. TIE.
gloomy conviction that he would be-
come a pauper and die public charge
took possession of him, and though
combatted by his family and friends.
gained strength and force as time
went on
While thus depressed he paid a visit
TO a niece at Memphis, then in DOS
session of the federal forces under
Il