Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-09-02
WHO is JOHN SMITH
Mr.. Butterfield Asks the Question and
Receives mo- Reply.
From the New York Sun, August DOL

Mr. Butterneid Asks the Question ant
Receives mo- Reply.
From the New York Sun, August 2O.l
The law has its myths in the persons o
John Doe and Richard Roe, who appeai
periodically in all our courts; and tn,
Custom House has is myths in the shape
of laborers who never worked, and official,
whose names were all that were ever seer
of them. Until yesterday, however, it wa,
never believed that anything mythica
could enter so practical place as the Sub
Treasury, but strange to say myth dc
enter, yet his entrance can only be attribu
ted to false pretences, since he assumed
the well-known and highly respectable
name of John Smith. And this is how As
sistent Treasurer Butterfield came to ask
''wHo rs JOHN SMITH,
At noon yesterday, according to an.
nouncement, Gen. Butterfeld began to
open the proposals to purchase $1,000, ,OOC
of gold. He had nearly finished the read
ing when he opened a proposal from John
Smith, at 133, 80, figure about one-sixth
larger than any other of the bids. Hur-
riedly completing the remainder of his
task, the General awarded the whole
amount to Mr.. John Smith, at the premium
named. Gen. Butterfield then went over
to Delmonico's to lunch.
Just as he had reached the fish stage
(for those who are curious about such
things it may be said that his fist course
was pOtage Ia mditre dhoteD q clerk rushed
madly into the restaurant, upsetting q
waiter and q side table, and breathlessly
addressing the General, said:
s.How abeut those awards, sir?"
"Why, made em, didn't ? gave them
to John Smith.
Eyes, sir. But scho's John Smith 2"
Here was poser. Jamming his militia
ry hat hard down on his head, and hurried
ly buttoning the lower brass buttons of his
military vest, the General rushed forth into
Broad street. The first man he met was
certain stock operator who has long been
in search of a Northwest" passage via
Chicago.
81 say, =, who is John Smith ?"
''John Smith Well, my shoemaker is
John Smith. and the watchman at my place
Is another John Smith, and"
"Oh. I'D them," says the General, 81
want John Smith, the banker"
Rushing up to the Sub Treasury, General
Butterfeld put the same puzzling question
to all his clerks, and raked up from the
depths of their memories enough John
Smiths to man 74-gun frigate, but not one
of them was banker. Giving John mp as
a bad job, the General revoked the award
and, consequently, the gold sold for 1873
and 1891 instead of 1873 80, as would
have been the case had Smith appeared to
make good his proposal.
1t was hoped at the Sub-Treasury that
this annoying incident of official life would
not get spread abroad; but, sl,.s for human
The financial editors had
already been informed that John Smith was
the lucky gold purchaser. and through
them the bankers and brokers were also
made aware of the fact. For some time
curiosity was exposed on all sides as to
"Who is John Smith,? bat finally the
story got out, and all Wall street was on
the broad grin.
On the Gold Board the busy brokers
suspended their operations for full ten
minutes, during which time fifty Iusty
voices propounded the puzzling question,
''Who is John Smith ?" Two Young brok-
ers, entering the room, instructed the door
keeper to call John Smith, and he added
his voice to the universal din, never think
ing that he was calling for a Treasury
myth! A stranger entering the room at
that moment would have at first supposed
that the brokers were about to engage in
deadly conflict, such was their unearthly
din; but hearing their loud cry for John
John, who was never
known to hurt anybody but Turks and In
dians-he wonld have been reassured, and
looked on without fear. 1t was currently
reported last night that General Butterfield,
armed with mountain howitzer and a
double-barrelled shotgun, was still search
ing for John Smith. Perhaps he will find
him.