The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-06-23
Miscellaneous.
Interesting Facts for Business Men.

cinnati, copied the Declaration of In
dependence, appending fac sinailes of
the signers' names. Mr.. Thomas Stew
ems, at the same time editor of the Gin.
cinnati AtLas, took occasion, in pleas
ant way, to doubt my assertion that
had copied the signatures with pen.
To convince him, asked him to sign |
his name on sheet of paper, which he
did. Immediately wrote ten copies of
his signature above and below the orig |
inal and handed him the paper to select |
his own. After careful examination |
he selected one as his own. He was |
wrong. He tried again and again, with
the same result, and finally, by mere
guess work, he hit the right one. And
it was a remarkable fact that after he
had really discovered his own, he could
see the most astonishing absurdities in
all the others.
Some six years ago, was speaking
with a well-known publisher of this
city, who sat at his desk signing some
checks that the book-keeper had pre-
pared for him. The signature was of
the firm, and was peculiar one, as he
wrote it.. l casually remarked that it
was an elegant signature for forger.
He promptly responded that there was
no forger that could sign that name so
rs to deceive him.
"Oh, yes, there isl said I.
"Where is he?"
Here he is, standing at your elbow"
DO you mean to say" said he, "that
you can initiate that signature so that
cannot detect the forgery?'
81 mean to say" said l, that
think 1 can do it, and am willing to try
| it.
eff you will write that signature"
he replied, so that can not detect it
from my own, | will -"
"There, there, don't be rash !; l should
dislike to take advantage of your pres
ent excitement If you will just write
the signature at the top of that letter
sheet, We'll see what little impudence
can do"
He did as requested. took the sheet
and went to the book-keeper's desk.
Here / exchanged it for another of the
same kind, and in the same relative po-
sition 1 initiated the signature in very
free, careless way, not attempting to
servile copy, but preserving the charac-
teristic stroke. I then very carefully
wrote underneath it three faithful sig
natures, all my own. These took to
he BT9Prifgt29aS ana tft hm to select
little effort he pointed out the first sig.
nature, and at once began to critcise
with severity my base limitations.
SWELL" said I, 81 will confess they
are not as we'll done as 1 expected to do
them, or as 1 could do them if my
nerves were steady. But, really" said
/, "don't you think that if one of these
signatures were placed at the bottom OF
your ordinary check your bank would
honor the check ?''
"Well, no." said he, 81 don't think
it would.'
81 suppose" said I, there is nc
doubt about the top signaturo-that
would bring the cash?'
"Oh, yes, should like to sec oui
bank refuse that signature for an ordi
nary sum-"
l then wentto the book keepers desk
and produced the original signature.
How about ths?" said 1.
He looked At the signature-thon al
my base imitation "-then at the
crowd of interested spectators who had
quietly gathered around, and who were
beginning to take in the richness of the
joke, and finally he burst out in an eX
preston which was mixture of aston
ishment, chagGn, merriment, vexation
and perpleXit!, and holding out hi:
Q hand with unconditional surrender
=. written all owe his face, he exclaimed
"Sold!"
That was thaonly word in the Amer
lean language tat could adequately ex
press the situation.
But the sell Mas q very easy one ant
required no sill at all. The fact is
that when the original signature was
compared will the forgeries, the dis
crepancies WEB so palpable that 50
wayfaring man though fool" nee(
not be taken in and yet, if my frienc
had not been a Gacon, which he was
and if l had ben as most forgers,
could have wona very nice sum, had
offered to staket on the issue.
Finally to covince the deacon tina
he was not the bnly fool in the firm,
called up one ohhe other partners, ,ant
- showing him til false signatures, askeC
u him to decide NIich was the genuine
n With great how of ready discern
ment he selected the top one, and begal
at once to poinbut the weak points il
IN the other, simpf by comparing will
hc what he considet td the genuine. "Yes,
said he, "they al pretty fair limitations
but don't you 50 the length of this
and the turn othis n? Now look a
ro- the original, ansec where this capita
IN J swoops aroun( There is an attemp
Is, at in the imitions, but it is yer
III weak one."
No "Then you coldn't be imposed upo
so by one Of thes lower signatures?
Wv said |.
,er e "No, not 1. ley bear forgery upo
", their very face.'
II "Well, how alht tn irst one? n
,ke mistake about til? You would read
eco ly cash a check yth that signature ?"
TO "Oh, yes, that all right. Any bod
tbe who ever saw thqeacon's sign manui
lies could tell it at hnce.
can So the deacon Eided up his chagri
los with the Junior ftner and felt bette
be. or worse, I've fgotten which.
and The fact is, no ip is safe in swearin
to his signature-tt even Horace Gre
ley to his own no man writes
and signature twice alb, although he ma
far preserve the chatteristics. And
God 1 uould oiya very lttle for the test