Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1898 — THE LUNCHEON HOUR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE LUNCHEON HOUR

WHEN PENSION OFFICE CLERKS LEAVE THEIR DESKS Xm and About the Big Court—Enjoyment in a Cup of Coffee and a Sandwich—One of the Interesting Capital -*' r at the FUe Cases. naore Interesting sight, can. be seen about WaSbiflfeian than that which oc.'ciirs' dally at the pension office during the half hour, between 12:30 and s ;O r clock, allowed the employes of that*! -branch of the, government for luncheon, j .There.ls something of a military pre-' clsion in the manner lunches .are eaten a| thie pension office, very different from the that proceeding Is <|(|ndpcteti In other departments. .i* * " Gommissloner. Evans has Insisted that as .the luneb time is from 12:30 to 1 o’clock that the act of taking nourishffieht shall be eoaflued to that period. Nbt a sooner. than- the • |prescrll^Stir.hour, the «rmy of T;C00 .clerks emerge -from' the, offices and swprm dqwh tbe; broad siaircases to, the epstern, portion of .cqurt, where-a: store

I ts impromptu tables are set loaded with sandwiches, pie,, cups of coffee and vai--ldus‘concoctions oljfqpd..(o-lie devoured. /Phe veuddrs *Of these provisions ;arfe ih.strpcted , not- to ;sell anything before 12:30 o’clock, .and previous to thaf, time a dollar bill would not be sufficient to buy a piece of pie. A, hundred. and - fifty- - bipyeles ape stacked in th| co&rt lice, and hwwilie own^rs r 7 tbese j wheels motiht during .Speed a7vey,a.mile or a [mile and a haif ( Jo their homes) where | they eat thedr mididayianeal-with thelt famtiies! The others ‘stand abtitit' Cs>prt. with a mug-of'itfilk ,a sandwich or apfe^e l bf |?ie, quletiy galn-lng-refreshment they. exchange the Bewg'bf the day, ' v c- • ** .**“ J * I To the outer world the doings of the Chiefs of divisions in the pension office 1 tmy appear to be a stpall matter, but Within the structure,,that ao- ‘ Oommodates this’ branch of meat the Chiefs are.thetpersonal aids of tjie''domm^ioner, u’They see the fcoin- . rtlsslpweSo every* dagf, talk oVef hih) the admiblstratibn' 'of the bupcau, suggest changes that improve its ■ 'o| - *df

clerks are dependent upon them for as good clerks. So it is ‘ that any Word ttiaf may have dropped ‘from th’e lips’of, a ...chief Is passed |xound aha devoured ab eagerly -as are she; viands which are procured of the .caterers. An accident happening to auyjof the <jferk4^ metarted on, and 'the various orders issued by the commisslower form .intensely'interesting for. jjpnyersaupp. Of course, agj4p‘every gathering Qf.rden andwomen, all sorts of gossip runs riot whether signs that would be of Interest * tfe ttje visitor, but whieh havfe b&come' with the 1 <*l4rks at fbe 'people®, office, ard'tlfe *gr's treffih°o*f ipilgj <|ases tot, penaions of« toitf^nJb^ve T toldiers-aud (SoJcHers*'Widows and minor ehlldrefn; which cover nearly the entire' WJd-the 'lurfeekt 1 .flag .ih»hhe--Untted Sf&teS, floats Above them alb In no, other, place. oa- > earth pver.bgen wck« mass- * pf, claims of -soldiers ' ft# *pfelfeipns,4he. result of -a* ; tfih«e <?iMl A«i > ' ' w u i,. UiOU «T-» ‘ « T TATn ; - /U . .e&« >-u Men who remember the last time the remnants of the Grand Army T of the Republto, old ihen all<f |WbJB, pifitiy of them cjirryiri£ }p their«maiTteed hodleS of fha stirring scenes thrbugh ••Which they passed, marched up Pennsyfrania avenue, amid an applauding fehdience made of a younf#r ? have aipeculiar feeling of veiferation to■office to prove their claims for recount-, pensions. But ts&'ScCne, 3 mcpiorable one to vieitofs li nbw

t'tefl’eem tft calh-foarth much of th«*pefcdon ofrt wend tbClr way tb'the lunch counters Itbrough *4* fir" mentary evidence. •* ‘'* \ f ‘ , Penally at 1 o’clock a gong sounds, and before Its intonations have died out the I,GOO clerks of the pension office are back at their desks and at work. There are no stragglers. This precision is unknown in other departments, but at the pension office it is ever present during lunch time. The

B'SSrt half hour devoted to attentlom to the Inner man ig a pleasant break always at the pension office, and pleasanter probably because of the strictness observed In stopping and beginning work.

THE LUNCH HOUR.

WITH A MUG OF MILK.

ELABORATE.