The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1902-05-10
STRANGE PENSIONERS.
Charles Broadway ROuss' Warm AfYec-
ton for Those Who Had Fought
With Him.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
There Is a certain class of men in this
city, who, although they never served
for any department Of the national or
state governments or worked for private
or public corporations, are receiving
pensions with which they manage to
exc ont existence with the same regu'
larity as those whose names are on the
official dockets of the pension office at
Washington. The pensions which these
men receive, however, consist OF pc
culisr form of charity which, though
1t NAV be as old as the pyramids, has
only through its practically recent de-.
yelopment in this city become worthy
of classification. To state it briefly,
these men are for the most part veterans
of the gambling house, of the political
organizations, or those who have some
peculiar hold upon the benevolence OF
wealthy men who are not generally re.
cognized as philanthropists.
A striking example of the last sub
division of this class may be found In
In the pensioners of the late Charles
Broadway Rouss. Mr.. Rouss, as a
veteran OF the Confederate army, al
ways had soft spot in his heart for
those who had fought with him in the
same cause and IN late years he had
given with liberal hand to the needy
ones who had worn the gray. Among
those of that class who accepted OF his
charity were a dozen or more whom he
called his pensioners and who were al
most wholly dependent upon his regular
donations. For the past FIVE or ten
years, every evening about five clock,
those who happended to pass Mr..
Rouss' store on Broadway could not
help but notice u number of men, whose
very appearance noted hungry expect
ancy, grouped about the entrance OF the
building. These men were all broken
down with years, bent with the tortures
Of rheumatism, covered with scars
which they received in the heroic strug-
gle Of the south, or crippled and unfit
for manual labor by the loss OF an arm
or leg. As Mr.. Rouss went from his
carriage he would stop at each one OF
his pensioners and hand him his daily
pittance. Before his sight failed him
he was able to pick ont each one and
greet him with some cheering word. In
the last few years of his life, however,
he was compelled to rely upon his hear.
Ing for recognition, and as he CROPPED
his way to his carriage they would step
up to him, one by one, In regular order
and greet him with Good evening,
Mr.. Rouss. To which he would re-
spond, "Oh, that's you, jim or
chip or tom, rs the case might
be--and then go down In his pocket and
hand over the coin or bill.
Whenever the merchant was going to
leave the city for any length Of time he
would make some provision for his pen
sioners, but when he was In town 1t
suited him to dispense his little charity
with his own hand, Though the major.
ity OF these pensioners awaited his de-
parture from the store daily, there were
two who came only once week. These
men had the air and manners Of the
Southern gentleman and had both led
regiments In the Lost Cause. They
would arrive before the merchant 3
store Just on the moment they knew he
WAS about to leave, and as he came
from the doorway 90 up and greet him,
shaking him by the hand In such
casual way az not 10 excite the slightest
suspicion OF any Interior motive, In
the hand shake the gift Of money would
be received and these two dignitied pen.
sioners would 90 on their respective
ways with chin high and eyes front.