Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-02-19

Turned President Down at Pension
Office without knowledge.


patton Of the White House, Lincoln Of
ten found time for an unannounced
visit to one Of the departments in the
discharge Of some helpful task which
he did not elect to intrust to others. 1t
was an errand Of this sort which one
hot afternoon in the early summer of
1861, caused his unexpected appearance
at the headquarters Of General Win
field Scott. He looked the picture OF
WEAKNESS and disgust, and, without
waiting for the general to welcome him,
sank heavily into the first chair to
which he came.
Keep your seat, general" said the
president, as, with huge bandanna,
he wiped the dust and moisture from
his face. 1T is too hot to stand on GER
emony. I've only dropped In to tell
you that have learned something new
today"
What Is that, Mr.. PRESIDENT" asked
General Scott, look of surprise lin
gering on his face.
THAT it is q great thing to be an Of
flee holder" Mr.. Lincoln went on.
"Since o'clock this morning I have
been trying my best to get an audience
with a clerk in the pension office, but
without success. have been upstairs
and downstairs, from the groundfloor
to the attic, half dozen times, and I
1k~lxy %
Pardon me, Mr.. President" General
Scott broke in, 'but it Is rather an un-
common thing for the president Of the
United States to become solicitor of
pensions. When you have any busi-
ness Of that kind demanding attention,
send it to me, and my secretary here
will be glad to attend to 1t without de-
lay"
The secretary in question was Colo
mel, afterward Major General Schuyler
Hamilton, and it is he who tells the
story:
IT am sure the claim Is just one" )"
the president continued, unmindful Of
the generals interruption, ''for have
gone over the papers in the case with
care" Here he drew bulky package
from one of his pockets. "The appli-
cant is the widow Of q corporal who
was killed by the Indians. She should
have had her money long ago, but no.
body seems to have taken any interest
in the case. She has been haunting
the White House almost daily for
weeks. I am resolved to wind the mat
ter up one way or another today. I
have promised the poor woman an an
swer at o'clock, and she is waiting
for me over at the White House. How
long do you think 1t will take you, COL
onel," addressing Hamilton, Ito get
this case through the pension Officer"
1T should be done in half an hour"
replied Hamilton, as he glanced over
the papers to see if they were in proper
form.
go ahead, my son." said the presi-
dent, land will wait for you here
Five minutes later Hamilton was ad-
dressing the commissioner Of pensions.
Did you see a tall dark-complex-
ioned man here today?" he asked. He
wore a lien duster and a slouch hat,
and was interested in a pension Of q
woman whose husband was killed In
the Seminole war;"
"Oh, yes, I remember the man" was
the reply. He said he was a lawyer
from somewhere out west"
WELL" said Hamilton, "you have
got yourself into a pretty fix. That
man Is President Lincoln, and I have
just promised him I would bring him
an answer from you inside of half an
hour"
This brief announcement wrought an
instant change in the pension office.
Bells were rung and heads Of divisions
sent for, while clerks and messengers
ran here and there at the seeming per-
II of life and limb. Before the expira-
ton of the promised half-hour Ham,
ilton placed the final papers, duly
signed and executed, in the hands OF
the president. He looked them over
carefully to make sure that they were
right and then, with a quizzical smile,
asked:
Can you tell me, colonel, how 1t is
that 1 was so long and failed, and you
were so short and succeeded?"
ITO speak frankly, Mr.. President
said Hamilton, Il regret to say you are
not known by sight In the pension Of
flee. Saturday Evening
Post.
31' Young man." said her father, III
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