The Lincoln County herald., 1873-04-02
"The Watch Dog OF the Treasury"


enature which ornsu ents all our paper
money and is to most men riddle more
unsolvub'e than any that the Sphinx ever
propounded Translated, it is f. Il
Spinner. We observe that the pen with
which it is written is Of peculiar con
struc,ion. and has three points, and that
the ink used has the thickness and con
si,eocy Of mud and the blackncss OF
Egg yp,lan darkness. and is "pled up" on
the paper to II height Of which we would
be incrtlulous had VIZ never seen it, aud
which. having been seen. renders u. more
incredu!ous still. This delightful quail
ity ia the ink, the messenger informs US,
is produced by long exposure to the at
mospherc in an open YES ell; to be accu
rate, in an old pitcher with u broken nose.
1t is astonishing, We arc further told, to
note the NUMBER OF people. principally
from the country districts, who stray into
the Trcasurer's room during the course of
a year .or the purpose of shaking hands
with "the man who makes that funny
signature" and of looking wonderiogly
on to see how he makes it. We are
quite sure to be afflbly received, unless
some circums,a CO Of an unusually dis.
turning nature has occurred, for "the
General" as he is iamiliarly called, not
wi,hs,un.ing his reputation for the use of
strong words, is really man Of uncom
, mon good nature Even when provoked
to one of his cbullitions of righteous
wrath. his bark is proverbially worse
than his bite, and the goodness of his
heart usually leads him to make repara
,ion for violence of language by enity Of
sc'ion. So it happens that applicants for
, fuvurs mt his hands are sometimes told by
their friends. who know the old gentle
mans peculiarities, that it is favorable
\ circumstance that on the FIRST rresenta
, ZION Of their cases they have bee ,
' roundly scoided. since the chances are,
r that after the first heat Of temper has
y cooled, peni'cnce fer undue harshuess
y will lead him on second consideration to
grant their requests. Not even the Gen
, erals most ardent admirers and no nan
has more-wiIl claim that he is a hand
, some man And even ehould they have
the hardhood to do so, the vignette on
d certain fifty cent notes, of which there
d are many still in circulation, would fur
G uish complete relu'ation of their usscr
ton. But. to be fair, the SHIN plasters
e do not do him justice. There is an ex
. preston Of honesty and openness oI
5 nature about his homely features, and d
: twinkle OF humor in the eye, which the
$ artist has failed to reproduce, and which
r ,cnder the face, like Liucolns, kind anc
II genial and far from mnpleasing =
grizzly mustache, cut unreasonably shor
at the corners Of the mouth, does no
:. help to supply the lack of beauty in th.
y features. Tho wide, determined mouth
e aud the square, heavy chm, suggest th'
Il irreverent idea that personal appearance
no less than watchful care, Of the nation
G treasure may have led TO the bestowal 0
y the soLriquet Of Watch dog of the treas
}. ury," by which the faithful Treasurer i:
C 20 we'll known.
9. The room is Of moderate size ant
!, plainly furnished, and gives evidence
t thut Of the vast amount Of money which
g has passed through his office, but ittl'
has heen used to minister to the Treasu
il rer's comfort. A door opens into stll
rs smaller apartment IN which the Treasure
y, sleeps The responsibility of the safe
), keeping of hundreds Of millions is to-
d great to be cevovel upon Others, an,
,r the General therefore rests where he cal
10 in u moment assure himsef chat tn
IN public treasure in his keeping is saf,
O, Once, before be began sleeping ut th
,e Treasury, he was awakened in the nigh
10 by strong impression that somethin
i was wrong at the Department. lilo Ia
" for q long time tossing uneasily on hi
>. bed, and trying to convince hiuIsclf tha
,y It was q mere freak IF an over.tuxc
" brain but it would not 10 driven away
" At last, about two o, luck il the mornin:
IN in order to assure himself that his i'm
he preston was at fault, he arose. hasli
ID dressed, and set out for the Treasury
ID On his way he mot wa.chman from tn
Department, hastenICg to arOu-e hiI
with the information that the door c
- one of the vaults had just been foun
" standing wide open. A careless cIerl
he whose duty it was to close the door, ha
q failed 20 perform his duty that night, au
a The wulchman on going his rounds ha
ly discovered the neglect. Since that nigi
BY he Treasurer has inspected the doors an
40 ucks of the vaults himself, and has ssti'
ed fed himself, by attempting 20 turn IL
rk handles. shnt ntthcysre securely locked. II
b inspection 10 made twice every evening
ry once soon after the toEastuse Of It
an clerks, and again before Ieiirias to res
ia There sre few public officers who's
- sense Of duty aud responsibility CO.
he s,sa,n, them to thus sacrifice .heir ov
up time and coGifort 10 the interest Of Il
IN govern .Ment. The moneyed respoas
cd bili,y is indeed tremendous. and such, ,
ut. veasure 70 assert, as never fell on q
he shoulders of ono man before. That
at DO not esssgesasc is evidenced by Il
u, fact tha, the uotes. bonds, and secu,,,i
10 IN the vaults OF the "reasurer's OFF
rts amount on a. average to eight hundt
A.