The evening times., 1896-12-05
PENSIONERS WEARY TRAMP.
Blind and Old, He Was Led After
Midnight to a notary Public,

In the United States grab bag pension dis
tributing business the ipvariable rule gov
erning the work of payment rests firmly
on the maxim, first come, first served
and this gives rise 10 tremendous effort on
the part of each pc nsloner. especially those
residing within touch OF the bureau, to te
among the chosen firstf
No effort is considered too arduous End
no Inconvenience too great TO be at
tempted and undergone In behalf OF early
payment. As the reporter, who lives on
the Hill, was going home ward about 2 80
O'Clock yeste rday morning. he ran across a
Ca vilcade on Third street southeast, just
below the Avenue. which imme diateiy ar
rested his atte ntion,
The central ngure In he group of two
was N aged and blind eolored IN an whose
tottering footsteps were strongly In evi-
dence that nothing short OF vital issues
WOULD tempt him TO undergo the physical
exertion OF midnight and early morning
stroll. by his side and supporting him was
a sturdy. broad-shouldered youth, content
edly chewing away on tile contents OF a
small paper bag, as he jerked out monosyl-
labicauswers to hisaged companion's nearly
inaudlble queries.
The reporter iell in behind the proces-
sion, and the IN ystery surrounding the OBJ
ject of the two was cleared away when a
halt was called before a drug store upon
whose front window hn2cdin huge letters
sign, Pension vouchers certified-open n
all night
Into the store the old man was led, and
when, in answer to his query as TO W neither
dis was where de pensiIun papers was
fixcd?" the notary responded affirmative
iy, broad smile OF content overspread his
features and sigh of relief came from
away down near his W cary feet.
The papers were presented sworn to
and properly executed aDd-e4-s. small fee
paid, after much fun bling in the farthest
corners of an ancient shotbag, which CON
tanned the few pennies remaining from the
last quarterly payment.
The old man, in reply to the reporters
questions, as the three slowly went home
ward down Third street, told his story,
which, minus his many quaint colloquial-
isms, was about as follows:
His Fame is James Clark, and as far as
he knows he is between forty-nine and
fifty years of age, though there was moth.
ing about his appearance or gait to indi-
cate THAI seventy would not have been a
more accurate estimate. He had walked
all the way from his little home at No
Alb l street southeast to the Avenue, a dis
tance OF twenty squares, to secure the re-
duction of 10 cents in costs by patronizing
the drug store notary. As tt. put it Its
the little dat he'ps, sub; we has need fuh
dat dime" He forgot that he had paid
Ii to his guide, who was even then gnaw-
ing away on the last nickel, which he had
spent for chocolate caramels at the drug
gist's.
Ills war record proved to him an absorb
ing topic, which, like great panorama,
was mirrored on his BRAIN The stirring
scenes of three years and six months sery-
ice were pictured wildly to him behind his
great blue goggles aud darkened eyes, and
he described them with a vividness and
reality that was wonderful.
Here" he would say, as he paused a
moment in his walk, and pointed with his
heavy cane, 1.-The woods were full OF the
Johnnies. over yonder the six-pounders
tbundered their shot into the ranks of the
charging troops, and here we was. Yes,
sub: dat was fightin', what we did at Ap-
pomattox." Then he would lapse into
silence, until another question started the
flow of "reminiscences, ~ Clark was a mem
Der OF Company X, Of the Seventh United
States Colored Volunteers. He enlisted
as a private, but on account of heroism
displayed before Petersburg, was pro-
moted TO be corporal, and as such re-
ceived an honorable discharge. His ca
reer as a soldier did not close with the war.
to Texas, and there saw six months of the
hardest variety of campaigning.
Corp. Clark is blind, from the effects Of a
sunstroke received In. South Carolina dur
ing the summer of SO, for, although he
seemingly recovered, his sight grew DINNER
and DINNER, until tsfinally left him en-
trely. He receives, in view of his serv-
ices rendered to Uncle Sam, a pension of
$12 month, which,w will keep the old man
III comparative competence until he an
swers the roll-call on the other side.