The evening times., 1896-12-04
VETERANS GOT OUT EARLY
1900 Pension Vouchers Filed
From Midnight to Morning.
BUSY DAY FOR NoTARIEs
The Merry Stamp OF Their Seals
Clicked All Day and Many We're
the Methods by Which They So
Iicited Business Supt. Wilson De-
lighted With His New Plan.

Nearly every pensioner OF the District
is familiar with the tin, lead-coiorcd re-
ceptacle In front OF the pension agency
at Fourth and + streets northwest. Its
work began last night at 12 O'Clock and
VIII continue until tomorrow afternoon.
At O'Clock this morning the box was
relieved of a burden orGCCO pension vouch-
ers that had been deposited since midnight
The intense cold weather did lot deter
hundreds OF veterans fIom fOrsaking warm
beds and comfortable homes to pay a
visit to the tin OK, whose gaping mo nth
invited the executed document which was
later to bring TO the pensiOner his share
OF Uncle Sans lounty.
There was no fricuon, no Jarring, or
crowding, al IT, ough all seemed III hurry.
There were no sour facfs; on the contrary,
all were bright and gladsome.
Despite shattered limbs and ruined heath.
the veterans were shining examples OF
chcerfulness. They came ON crutches and
in wheeling chairs. Some had lost arms
at the battle OF Shiloh and others became
blind in the Gettysburg conflict.
A cannon ball had taken away both
legs of one soldier who still delights in
wearing the blue, and piece OF shell had
ploughed a furrow across the chest of an
iEvalid-looking man who, this morning,
leaned on the arm OF stalwart son.
THAT PROSPECTIVE CHECK.
Suffering had engraven itself deeply
on the faces of nany. but it had net OBJ
liberated a joyousness made more complete
over the anticipation OF the check To be
received this evening.
There were young men, too, who pa
tronized the tin box. They were SONS
and grandsons OF those who persisted IN
battle and prison or died later Of wounds
inrcrrecd in line OF duty. Widows aud
orphaned children srnilingly jostled the
SCARED veteran and all exchanged good
morning over the demure looking box In
the corner.
Inside the agency there was hurrying
and rushing to and fro. Busy bands
opened the vouchers and prepared thru
for final action. Others were addressing
and stamping envelopes which were betlg
filled with the bountifui checks.
Every five minutes the porter visited the
tin box and emptiedit Of It's contents. While
other purters brought every hour from the
city postoffice vouchers which had been
mailed from distant suburban poiIts
A colored man paraded the street with a
sandwich sign telling pensioners that Kr.
Blank would execute pension vouchers
cheaply, promptly and correctly.
The notaries did land office business.
They did not sleep last night, but opened
office at midnight and We're still ut the
same old stand at daybreak.
NOTARIAL SEAL BUSY.
The cold weather could not affect the
heat generated by the continual fricti Jn I
the notarial seal, and the coal men seriously
thought ofsecuring ganinJunction gainStt he
Illegal use OF seals for heating purposes
one notary across frumthe pension agency
advertised his business by means OF a large
campaign looking streamer attached To the
side of his house. Another had cards DIS
tributed to all passers-by.
Supt. Wilson, OF the agency, smiled Sc
renely this morning 81 the success of the
scheme for an impartial distribution OF pen
sions. He estimated that 1000 vouchers
had been put In the box between midnight
and O'Clock this morning, and that 500
more would be received before 6 O'Clock
this evening.
SO far, he said. he had detected no fur
ther violations Of the law against post
dating vouchers. and believed that the no
taries were rerraining from doing so.