The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-05
PENSION DAY VULT lures WERE THERE
SWARMED THICK AROUND VETERANS WHO
DREW THEIR PAY YESTERDAY
CHECKS WE'RE CHSHED IN THE SALOONS
Evils of the Present System of Disbursing ViVidy
Shown in the Bars and Dives.

Yesterday was pension day, and long
before the first faint strcaks OF dawn
IN up the eastern sky the old soldiers be-
gan TO assemble AT tie corner of Third and
streets, where the pension agency is
situated.
Dccrcpit gray boards hobbled along on
crut chcs by the side OF younger veterans,
whose disabilities were not so apparent,
ana the typical Southern negro, whose
boast is that he fought for the Union,
Strutted along in oid, tattercd army
clothes, never used except ON pension day.
BY the time the agents were ready 10 begin
paying off, a line TWO squares off had been
formed.
But the pensioners were not the only
ones who assembled at the corner. As on
every other pension day there were III
Vulnerable people there who might rea-
sonably be regarded with suspicion. Their
mission was 10 make ii easy for the Old
soldier To get his cLcck Cashed, ana IN
cfdcntally to direct into tLeir own Golfers
or tlIc Golfers OF their employ erS the golden
stream that flows from the agency every
three months.
Some OF their methods were legitimate,
buI the majority were looking out for the
business end of the thing, prompted by
nothing hut desire to get much pension
money as possible.
READY To CASH CHECKS.
There were three or four big signs, con
spiCously diSpla yed, announcing that
pension checks would be Cashcd free 10y
! wcl.-knOwn and reputable firms, and some
Of the clothing stores, dry goods and shoe
houses had men on the corner who handed
out cards, containing the same announce
| mcnt.
! Only reputable firms adopted This method
and the old soldiers who followed the di
rectioEs OF The cards ran no risk But
there are q great many places in the city
/ which are represented on the corner nearly
/ every pension day that are not so care
! ful or the old soldiers welfare.
There are a number of low grOggC Ties
and dives of the toughe ST description,
I mostly located on the outskirts OF the town
that send out runners every pension DAY
! TO bring I'm old soldiers. Each of these
saloons has its regular three or four hang
ers on: loafcrs who lay around the saiooI
and DO odd jobs or jolly DRINKS for :
treat. On pension day the proprietor calls
these together and gives them their in
! StruCtiOn
This is pension day" he says. &c
out and bring in some business. Wei
/ "a sh their checks free
There are drinks and perhaps Little
! commission in 1t for the buns, and the!
| nave no SCruples Many OF them have
Il few acquaintance among the pensioneri
and they have little difficulty, with Thu
offer TO cash their checks, 10 induce then
| To go to their headquarters. There, o
| course, they take drink, and then an
other. With the second or third "snuffc'
whisky Is administered. and the pension
money becomes the property OF wLoeVe
gets it. The pensioner is thrown out il
the street, and when he RECEIVERS he ha
lost all recollection OF events.
WHISKY THE WEAPON.
The evil is not alone in getting robbed
however, hut in being induced 10 spen
few dollars for drinks, and then whel
their rea son begins 10 wabhle, the res
Of the money goes with startling rapidit 5
Ii takes very little whisky 10 make tn
| average old soldier reckless with his funds
Even the most reputable saloons in III
| city make a specially OF cashng checks
and look forward TO pension day 10 swe
their receipts materially. The pension
crs are induced TO drink, and in man
| cases when au old sold er starts he doe
/ not stop until his money has all departed
This reckless expenditure and loss o
pension money under the present system
paying off the old soldiers has been tb
subject Of discussion in Official and Gran
! Army circles for several years, and man
suggestions have been Offered, but tn
| evil still exists, and there are many We
Grams who receive absolutely no bcnef
from the money a generous goyernmeI
I gives him for his maintenance.
SHOULD HAVE CASH.
And until some method Is provided fC
getting the cash into their hands withoI
compelling him 10 depeTd upon salooI
keepers TO convert their checks into none.
the evil viii exist.
The average old soldier knows It'll
OF nothing OF banking, and the stance /
lives from the Treasury Department. an
the uncertainty OF he methods T prOCednT
IN the big building deter him from gOin
there. The piece OF paper he receive
from the pension agent seems worthle'
until il is CaShCd, 50 he takes advantal
Of the first opportunity, even if it is goin
to cost him a few cents. And so, droppin
by the wayside, he is lost.
Pension Agent J.. b. Wilson called a
tention to this condition of affairs. in
recent letter to Judge Reynolds, of the d.
partment of the Interior.
AT the last encampmcnt of the Depar
rlent of the Potomac, g. A. r., JudG
Ivory q. Kimball introduced. at the rcque'