Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-12-11

tain class of men in this city, the
members of which number thousands
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 out existence with the same reg
ularity as those whose names are on
the official dOckets of the pension of.
flee at Washington. The pensions
which these men receive, however.
consist of a peculiar form of charity
which, though it may be as old as the
pyramids, has only through its prac-
tically recent development in this city
become worthy of classification. To
state it briefly, these men are for the
most part veteran pensioners OF the
gambling-house, of the political organi-
cations, or those who have some
peculiar hold upon the benevolence
of wealthy men who are not generally
recognized as philanthropists.
A striking example of the last sub
division of this class may be found in
the pensioners of the late Charles
Broadway Rouss. Mr. Rouss, as
veteran of the confederate army. al
ways had soft spot in his heart fol
those who had fought with him in the
same cause and in late years he had
given with a liberal hand to the needy
ones who had worn the gray. Among
those of that class who accepted of
his charity there were a dozen or
more whom he called his pensioners,
and who were almost wholly depend
ent upon his regular donations For
the past 5 or 10 years, every evening
about o'clock, those who happened
to pass Mr. ROusS's store on Broad
way could not help but notice num-
Der of men, whose very appearance
noted hungry expectancy, grouped
about the entrance of the building.
These men were all broken down with
years, bent with the tOrtureS of rheu-
matism, covered with scars which
they had received in the heroic strug-
gle of the south or crippled and I'M
fitted for manual labor by the loss of
an arm or leg AS Mr.. ROuss went
from his store to his carriage, he
would stop at each one of his pen
sionerS and hand to him his daily
pittance. Before his sight failed him,
he was able to pick out each one and
greet him with some cheering word
In the last few years of his life, now
ever, he was compelled to rely upon
his hearing 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 a
Good evening, Mr.. Rouss." To which
he would respond, ooh, that's you,
Jim or Bill or Tom as 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 pensioners but when he was
in town it suited him to dispense this
little charity with his own hand.
Though the majority of these pen
sioners awaited his departure from
the store daily, there were two who
came only once a week. These men
had the airs and manners of the south
ern gentleman and had both LED regi-
ments in the lost cause. They would
arrive before the merchants store
just on the moment they knew he was
about to leave, and as he came from
the doorway go up and greet him.
shaking him by the hand in such a
casual way as not to excite the slight
est suspicion of any Interior motive.
In the hand shake the gift of money
would be received, and these two dig
nifed pensioners would go on their
respective ways with chins high and
eyes front.
The pensiOned veterans of the gam
blinghouse, however, form the large
majority of the recipients of pensions
such as have been referred to- and
there is not a prominent gambler in
this city who has not his string of
pensioners. OF this class probably
the pensioners of John DAILY are the
most interesting in point of appear
ance and the peculiar grace and dig |
nifty with which they receive their |
bounty.
At a certain hour almost every |
afternoon, except in the midsummer |
months, the interest of those who |
pass along Broadway in the neighbor-
hood of a certain uptown street can
not but be attracted to little groups |
of men separated at intervals along |
the street, apparently in earnest con
versation Their conversation how |
ever, is simply cloak and a close
inspection will reveal the fact that
their eyes are directed to a certain
street corner with an eagerly expect
ant gaze that has more than a sus.
picion Of sordid interest in it.
A description of any one of these |
men is a sufficient classification. for
though their features and stature may
be utterly unlike. there is an indefn.
ale something common to them all
Here is a man probably in the neigh.