The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-05
Old Soldiers Are Receiving
Their Allowances.
Kansas Has 1000 Pensioners
on the Rolls.
HOW WORK is DONE.
Something About the Machinery
and Working Force
How 81, 100000 Is Distribu-
ted In Topeka Annually.

The busiest person in Topeka Thurs
day was the elevator boy in the Column
bIan building
All day long his cage was kept Oh the
60. and at every trip II carried its T0Il
capacity. Most Ct those VINO Cr2veled
Up and down again were not OF the
class that usually visits the Columbian
building Al were advanced IN years
many walked with difficulty; some were
crippled. some were hard OF hearing
others mad poor eyesIght7 quite q NUM-
Der carried empty sleeves But they
had one COMMON dest1nar1ou-the pen
sion Office
Thursday was pension day IN To-
peka- Pension day" il 4 day Of glad
ness in Kansas It is the day when
The ghost walks for forty thousand
/ old soldiers II this state with Uncle
sam as paEuasCer- Forty thousand o4d
soldiers receive a Little substantial
recognition from the government Tor
the hzrdshIpS through which they pass
I'd during the dark days from 81 70 %
TOR their love ct the old rag. Forty
thousand families pay their grocery
bills when pension DAY comes. and the
grocer also rejOICeS-
Among those who rode up in the eIe-
vator was the tat old lady who got IN
the cage very GingerIy as though she
was afraid the --crltter'f might 90 down
with her before she was ready Then
there was the veteran who was jolly
rhzre was another VINO was cross be
cause h owed all he would get But
they didn't al ride in the elevator
few were afraid 70 trust themselves 70
that method Of going Up in the air, and
they C0iIed painfully and slowly Up the
long fights OF stairs.
IN the hal near the elevator shaft sat
two clerks at 4 table, and here were
received the vouchers Of every old sol
diAr who presented his papers IN per
son Some Of them brought q dozen
which had been made out at Lincoln
Post hall and brought over in 4 bunch
by one man The Two clerks made 4
haSCy examination OF the vouchers and
II they were made out IN proper form
they were seuC on into the ofTce-f
not they were given hack to the Per
sons presenting them for correction
But the CID soldiers VINO presented
thar vouchers in person were only an
InEniteSIU4I portion OF the total num-
her who receive their pensions through
the Topeka ofECs- Where one voucher
Is presented in person 499 are sent 70 the
Office through the mails
The Topeka pension Office. the largest
pension agency that Uncle Sam has. IS
On the fourth floor Of the Column biau
building Out Of this office there are
senr every year checks agEregaring
$4,000. coo The pension Office belongs
IN the federal building but the federal
building viii not hold it When the
federal building Is remodeIed the pen
sion Offices VIII Be removed into It
his private ofEce sits Cyrus Leland
whom most Kansas people know as the
man Who controls the Republican party
Of Kansas. but Who Is officially United
States pension agent Tor Missouri Kan
sas. Colorado. New Mexico. Oklahoma
and the Indian Territory The Offices
on either side OF the hallway are filed
with busy clerks comparing vouchers
and making CUT checks. Thirty-dve Of
these clerks are kept busy all the time.
and for eight days after the opening
Of the quarterly pension rush eight
more are added 20 the f0rCs-
More than 10000 persons receive
their pensions through the Topeka Of
fee Nearly haIf this number OF over
$4,000. reside ii Missouri. Over A. 900
are kausacs- and the baIauce-betweeu
10 coo and i. G0G-are scattered over
Colorado, Oklahoma the Indian Terri
tory and New Mexico
Approximate I6, Q00 vouchers were
received Thursday This morning the
mails brought n about $4,000 UCre-
Within the uext two CT three days most
OF the balance OF the l06. 900 VIII be "a
ceived- but Z few Of the srraEEiers viii
forget TO send in their vouchers for
some time
The entire force vas set TO work
opening the Is. GOO big envelopes receiv-
ID this morning and the floors are COW
cred with bushels Of old envelopes II
which the vouchers came As soon a.
the vouchers are opened the work Of
the different Departments begins. First
they are classified by laws, those grant
ed under the general pension law sep
arzted from the LnvaIiCS and widows.
the Mexican pensions. and the other
classes Then each class is arranged
alphabetically and by its roll mum
Der
After the vouchers ara classified in
this manner they 90 10 two expert ex-
anIuers- who see that they have been
correctly executed II they ara correct
they are passed II not they ara seut
back 10 the person sending them for
correction From the examiners the
correct vouchers % 10 the daCers. and
from them 10 the distributes who ar
range them according 10 denominations
into S. 81 SIS. 81. $50 classes, and 50
on up
When they have been arranged in
that manner they 90 10 the check writ
erS Who III IN the checks
Each check writer only has TO make
OUT the checks for L certain denOuina--
ton OF pensions 80 that there Il no
danger Of making mistakes in amounts
IF il was not arranged IN This way some
man might receive z larger check than
he vas entitled To- and some other man
might not receive enough and he would
make a fuss. but by having one clerk
make out checks for 4 certain amount
the danger of these mistakes Is obvi-
atsd
After the checks have been made cut
both vouchers and checks go To the
--puIIerS who sort out the outgoing
vouchers The uaaIIers then take them
and after comparing the checks with the
vouchers 70 see that they are made our
correctly. they are placed in the en-
veIOpes and addressed The envelopes
are then sealed with 4 machine and
sent % the poS1DfECe-
Each day the business Of the day Is
completed TIE check stubs and vOuch-
ers are checked Up 10 see that they
agree and to see that the balance =
correct Altar today when the rush Of
the incoming mai Is over about = SO
checks vii be mailed each day
The vouchers that are received On the
first day can almost al be paid within q