The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-08-27


the Pension Bureau probably no man IS
better known than Mr. Morris Thorne, of
the board Of review. II is Just twenty
years since Mr.. ThOrne entered the Of
fee. which at that time was a com
pa-ativeIy small bureau. with quarters
in several different buildings along
Pennsylvania Avenue. Twenty years
have witnessed an immense growth in
the business OF the office. and many
crude methods and practices then in
vogue have given place 10 up-to-date
classification and arrangement To
these improvements Mr. ThOTne has con-
Iributed no little. and to him is due
many OF the systems Of keeping track
OF the thousands OF cases daily handled
in the bureau.
Several years ago the board OF review,
through which all cases pass before ad-
mission, still retained the old system Of
keeping all charges in separate sets OF
books. Much confusion and delay was
caused by this method until Mr.. Thorne
was placed IN charge of the files OF this
important division. As soon as he be-
came chief OF the files he adopted the
card system and brought order out OF
chaos at once. Many ideas of his own
were added, with the result that these
files are now the most perfect in the
Office. As q reviewer Mr.. Thorne has
been equally as successful as in other
fields Mr.. ThOrne is a native Of New
Jersey. and during the stormy times OF
forty years ago he wore the blue with
credit to himself and to his country.
Mr. John Taylor, OF the Interior De-
partment watch force, was en- artillery
man during the war between the States,
serving from the beginning to the end Of
the great struggle. He came to the de-
partment first in 1879 and has been one
OF the most popular members OF the
force since.
Mr.. Taylor is native OF New York.
At the beginning of the war he enlisted
in the Third Artillery, Of New York
During the greater part OF the war this
command was attached to the Army OF
the James. and was commanded. among
others, by Gen. B. F Butler It was at
taehed to the Eighteenth Army Corps
The battery was mustered out at Rich
mond IN June, 1865. and paid of a few
weeks later in Syracuse y Y The
Government hurried the mastering out
OF artillery and cavalry on account Of
the difficulty and expense OF feeding
horses. This New York command of six
batteries had 10 horses, and il required
lively hustliug to care for them all in
camp OF forts. The command had par
Iicipated IN nearly al Of the important
battles Ia Virginia, and vas at times
badly scattered, sections serving with
different divisions Of the army.
Nj Taylor was wounded at Wilson s
7z-lr-
the face by q ball The ball passed
through the jaw and left a scar which
disfgures his face and Injuries his speech
10 this day He was carried down the
river on a transport with many other
wounded to Hampton Roads. Many OF
the wounded died on the way down lie
James The fight at Wilson's Landing
was not engaged in by many troops but
II was z lively fight on both sides. TIE
Union forces had a battery, a gunboat,
and two OF three regiments OF infantry.
AT Petersburg the New York Artillery
was. on The front and poured shot into
the town ali through the siege. The fear
ful possibilities OF shells were Illus
trated there when men had their Jaws
cut OF, their limbs blown from them,
and were wounied IN other CHASTITY ways
The comaander of the artillery 10
which Mr. Taylor belonged was Capt.
l.
IN Minneapolis He was formerly d
prominent man on Philadelphia and New
York papers. He was a fine soldier and
many times illustrated the meaning Ct
feaTlessness. At Petersburg notably he
rode up and down the lines oblivious to
the rain of mimic balls and exploding
shells The w nder Of the war was that
81 the fierce firing on many occasions all
the men On both sides we're not killed.
thickest Of the enemy's fire many times.
but was never wounded. He did not
even have horse killed under him. The
command was 50 active that II wore out
one set OF guns and new ones we're
mounted II the field The shots from
the enemy's guns were falling thick
while the old guns were being taken out
and the rev ones put n. When the new
guns got to work the enemy fell back
Judge c. Il. Tompkins. one Of the vet
era1s Of the Pension Office. recently Gel
ebrated his eightieth birthday. He has
received the congratulations OF numer-
Gus friends. many OF them IN high sta
ton Judge Tompkins is not only one
Of the Oldest men in point Of years but
is q veteran IN the pension service. He
has been in the Office forty years. He
IS an assistant examiner. he is a ma
tive OF New York, but was appointed
from Fond du Lac. Wisconsin
The Booster Bunch, the newest or
ganizztion in the Government Printing
Office, is 3 patriotic affair, and II is in
tended that every section OF the country
shall have its glories fully told. At the
last meeting the Texas man paralyzed
the crowd aud captured the presidency
with this outburst:
Texas is The red-headed, starry-eyed,
pearIy-teeth.d, pIump-shouidered small
footed, Peach-eheelled. fissome- Iimbed.
pink-aaiied. swan -necked. cherry-Iipped,
red-hearted, suiI- breasted belle Of the
aggregated federated. associated. ag-
giomsFated group Of Uncle sam whole
saccharherOus slsterhood-
Texas Is bigger and better than any
other State. T-xas people are better
than any other people, Texas cotton IS
better than any other cotton. Texas
schools are better than those OF other
States. Texas cattle are finer than other
cattle. Texas horses can run faster than
any other horses. Texas peaches are
prettier and more luscious than other
peaches, Texas watermeloHs are bigger
E--