The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-01-23
PAYDAY INCIDENTS.
Three Deaths Are Recorded-The
Humors of the Aged.

Humors of the Aged.
Many patriotic, amusing, and in one
or two cases tragic, incidents occurred
in connection with the distribution of
the pensions.
A sad event occurred in Kilkenny.
An old lady OF 80. who was eagerly
awaiting her pension, died rather sud-
denly in the morning.
At Newtownbutler man named
Tummon. after receiving his order
book died few hours after.
An ex-gunner of the Royal artillery,
named Cleary, died suddenly at Bish
| ops. Stratford. after signing his pen
sion papers with a cross.
An old lady named Thompson fell
| dead at Horncastle while leaving home
to fetch her old age pension.
The first person to receive d pension
| in Dublin was a very old lady who ar
rived at Princes street shortly after 8
a. m. and presented her check for )
shillinss bright crown was handed
to her when the formalities We're COM
| pleted, and she left the building in high
| spirits. Then a regular stream of old
ladies made their appearance, display
ing the blue-covered orders books-evi-
| dence that they had been declared en-
! titled to the maximum pension under
| the act
An old lady of 81, accompanied by
two grandchildren, called early at Dub
| lin head Office and having got her 5
shillings, proceeded TO gladden. the
| hearts of the little ones by presenting
each with a bright sixpence as a New
Years gift out of her newly-acquired
wealth. The look of pleasure on the
| lady's face was reflected in the joyous
countenanees of the youngsters.
In one of the Dublin sub-offices
pepsioner, evidently imbued with ID su
preme idea of thrift, banked" his 8
! shillings Immediately after receiving it
A merry old couple, each close on 90
years of age, called at Dame street
office in the best of spirits. It's the
welcomest New Years gift l ever got"
said the old lady, and she would have
| danced for joy but for the "rheumat-
| les" Both she and her "old man" left
| the office blessing the postmistress, the
! government and the world in general,
When an old lady at Sumner hill
who was unable to sign her name was
told she would have to procure a wit
ness, she was much perturbed GLORY
be TO God. we won't get paid at ALL she
! said, anXiouSly, but a passing friend
witnessed the paper for her, and she
was handed her pension.
More than one old lady exhibited a
| fair knowledge of the procedure. One
was surprised to be asked for a witness
to her mark. Il didn't read anything
about that in the papers," she said. Put
| the official assured her it was neces-
sary, and she believed him.
The first arrival at Amiens street Of
| flee was an old lady who drove up to
the door in a cab. She was unable to
alight conveniently, and the courteous
postmaster very kindly went out and
took her signature and gave her the
amount of her instalment While she re-
NAMED seated in the vehicle.
At Ringsend two claimants. both 90
years of age, made personal application
for their pensions.
The head postman at KingStown
who has forty years service, and is
! said to know almost everyone in the
township, was on duty ali day at the
| counter of the principal office, filing in
| the orders for the majority of the hold
ers, who, it appears, were unable to
write.
The Gort postof1ice became so over
crowded with pensioners at one period
of the day that police had to be re-
! Questioned to maintain order.
James Magennis, Letterbreen. and his
wife. whose joint ages are 10 years,
|
and were the first in that district to
receive their pensions.
From some rural district of Ros-
common, kindly neighbors conveyed old
women in carts to the postoffices. Hav-
ing received their pensions, they were
driven home again, rejoicing, leaving
behind them many blessings and Hap
! by New Years" to the courteous Off
Gals.
A blind man conducted by his dog
was paid in one office in Dublin.
In Galway an applicant of so wanted
to know if she would get her back time
and was disappointed at negative re-
ply.
In Derry a feature of the mornings
work was the inability of the pension
ers to write, not 10 per cent being able
to sign their names.
A centenarian in the Newbliss dis
trict, a man named Michael Deighan,
who gave his age as 100, was unable to
go to the office at Latnamard, and had
to get his pension by an agent.
At Castelar, one of the big rooms
| of the court house was thronged with
| pensioners, some of whom were over
100 years. One old woman aged SO
walked three miles to the courthouse,
| while venerable looking man aged 104
| walked Two niles 10 the same place.
AS a book was given out to one old
woman she created much laughter by
telling him that she would meet him i'll
heaven. The pensioners afterward re-
paired to the postoffice for their money.
Winnie Forde, an old but agile lady,
was the first pensioner at Galway CEN
trail postoffice, arriving some minutes
before the doors opened There is a
dispute as to whether she or a man
named Fleming from College road, got
their pension order cashed first.
1t is believed in Galway that the dis
tribution Of the pensions will tax the
resources of the officials to a much
greater degree than was at first antici-
pated, and will prove an impeachment to
the public business. In the summer time
when tourists bring increased work en-
the officials at the country Offices it will
be absolutely necessary that special and
separate provision shall be made for the
| pensioners.
''If 1 take the IS from you now, must
my son Join the army?" one old PEN
sioner was heard to ask at Galway
postoffice yesterday morning. It las
been stated very persistently locally
that the king has offered the pension as
a bride, and that those who accept it
are committed to send their sons to the
army. Many of the old people actually
believe this absurd canard, and it is
only on the emphatic assurance of the
u