The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-04-26
'sThe Watchdog Of the Treasury"

| lille Walcn'DOS OI the treasury"
Very probably he is occupied in construct
ing specimens of that mysterious signature
which ornaments all our paper money, and
is to most men a riddle more unsolvable
than any that the Sphinx ever propounded.
Translated, it is F. E. Spinner. We OBJ
serve that the pen with which it is writ
ten is Of peculiar construction, and has
three points, and that the ink used has
the thickness and consistency of mud and
the blackness of Egyptian darkness, and is
"piled up" on the paper to q height of
which we would be incredulous, had we
never seen it, and which, having been
seen, renders US more incredulous still
This delightful quality in the ink, the mes
senger informs US, is produced by long ex
posure to the atmosphere, in an open ves-
sci to be accurate, in an old pitcher with
broken nose. 1t is astonishing we are fur
Their told, to note the number of people,
principally from the country districts, who
stray into the Treasurer's room during the
course Of year for the purpose of shak-
ing hands with the "man who makes
that funny signature" and of look
ing wonderingly on to see how he makes it.
We are quite sure to be afably received,
unless some circumstance of an unusually
disturbing nature has occurred, for the
General" as he is Familiarity called, notwith-
standing his reputation for the use of strong
words, is really man of good.nature. Even
when provoked to one Of his ebulltions of
righteous wrath, his bark is proverbially
worse than his bite, and the goodness of his
heart usually leads him to make reparation
for violence of language by lenity of action.
So it happens that applicants for favors at
his hands are sometimes told by their friends,
who know the old gentleman's peculiarities,
that it is favorable circumstance if on the
first presentation of their cases they have
been roundly scolded, since the chances are
that after the first heat of temper has cooled,
penitence for undue harshness will lead him
on second consideration to grant their re-
quests. Not even the Generals most ardent
admirers no man has more-will claim
that he is a handsome man. And even if
they should have the hardihood to do so,
the vignette on certain fifty-cent notes, of
which there are many still in circulation,
would furnish complete reiutation of their
assertion. But, to be fair, the shin-plasters
do not do him justice. There is an express
sion of honesty and openness of nature about
his homely features, and twinkle of humor
in the eye, which the artist has failed to re-
produce, and which render the face, like
Lincoln's, kind and genial and far from I'M
pleasant. A grizzly mustache, cut unrea-
sonably short at the corners of the mouth,
does not help to supply the lack of beauty
in the features. The wide, determined
mouth, and the square, heavy chin suggest
the irreverent idea that personal appearance,
no less than watchful care of the nations
treasure, may have led to the bestowal of
the sobriguet of ''AWatch dog of the Treas
ury," by which the faithful Treasurer is so
we'll known.
The room IT OF moderate size and plainly
furnished, and gives evidence that of the
vast amount of money which has passed
through his Office, but little has been used to
minister to the Treasurer's comfort. A door
opens into smaller apartment in which the
Treasurer sleeps. The responsibility of the
safe keeping Of hundreds of millions is too
great to be- devolved upon Others, and the
General therefore rests where he can in a
moment assure himself that the public treas
ure in his keeping is safe. Once. before he
began sleeping at the Treasury, he was awak
ened in the night by strong impression
that something was wrong at the Depart
ment. He lay for a long time tossing uneas-
lily on his bed, and trying to close his eyes
aud convince himself that it was mere
freak of an over-taxed braia !; but it would
not be driven away. At last, about two
o'clock in the morning, in order to assure
himself that his impression was at fault, he
arose, hastily dressed, and set out for the
Treasury. On his way he met q Waterman
from the Department, Fastening to arouse
him with the information that the door of
one of the vaults had just been found stand
ing wide open. A careless clerk, whose
duty it was to close and lock the door, had
failed to perform his duty that night, and
the Waterman on going his rounds had dis
covered the neglect. Since that night the
Treasurer has inspected the doors and the
locks of the vaults himself, and has
satisfied himself by attempting to turn
the handles, that they are securely locked.
The inspection is made twice every evening
once soon after the departure Of the clerks,
and again before retiring to rest There
are few public officers whose sense of duty
and responsibility constrains them to thus
sacrifice their own time and comfort in the
interest of the government. The moneyed
responsibility is indeed tremendous, and
such, We venture to assert, as never fell on
the shoulders Of one man before. That we
do not exaggerate is evidenced by the fact
that the notes, bonds, and securities in the
vaults of the Treasurer's office amount on
an average to eight hundred million dollars.
-S0ibners for AprH. H.