The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-04-17
"THE WATCHDOG OF THE
TREASURY.


constructing specimens of that mys-
ferrous signature which ornaments
all our paper money, aud is to most
men riddle more ansolvable than
any that the Sphinx ever PROFOUND
ed. Translated, it is f. E. Spin
ner. We observe that tbs pen with
which it is written is of peculiar con-
struction, 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 al
height Of which we would be incred-
ulous had we never seen it, and
which. having been seen, renders us
more incredulous still. This de-
ightful quality in the ink, the mes
senger informs US, is produced by
long exposure to the atmosphere in
an open vessel; to be accurate, in an
old pitcher with broken nose. 1t
is astonishing, we are further told,
to note the number of people, prin-
cipally from the country districts,
who stray into the Treasurer's room
during the course Of a year for the
purpose of shaking hands with
''the man who makes that funny
signature" and of looking wonder
ingly on 10 see how be makes it.
We are quite sure to be affably re-
ceived, unless some circumstance of
an unusually disturbing nature has
occurred, for "the General" as he
is Familiarity called, Notwithstanding
his reputation for the use sof strong
words, is really a man of uncommon
good-nature. Even when provoked
to one of his ebullitions Of righteous
wrath, his bark is proverbially worse
than his bite, and the goodness of
his heart usually leads him to make
PREPARATION 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 gentle
maR's peculiarities, that it is a fa-
vorable circumstance that 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, penitenceI
for undue harshness will lead him
on second consideration to grant
their requests. Not even the Gen
erar most ardent admirers-and no
man has more-will claim that he
is a handsome man. And even
should they have the hardihood TO
do so, the vignette on certain fifty
cent notes, of which there are many
still in circulation, would furnish
a complete refutation of their asser-
ton. But, to be fair, the shin-plas-
tiers do not do him justice. There
is an expression of honesty and
openness of nature about his homely
features, and twinkle Of humor in
the eye, which the artist has failed
to reproduce, and which render the
face, like Lincoln's kind and genial
and far from unpleasing. A grizzly
mustache, cut unreasonably short
at the corners of the mouth, does
not help to supply the lack of beauty
in the features. The wide, deter
mined mouth, and the square, heavy
chin, suggest the irrevent idea that
personal appearance, no less than
Watchful care, of the nations treas
ure may have led to the bestowal
of the sO6riQUet of ''Watch-dog of
the Treasury" by which the faithful
Treasurer is 50 well known.
The room is 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
10 the Treasurer comfort. A door
opens into still smaller apartment
in which the Treasurer sleeps. The
responsibility Of the safe-keeping of
hundreds of millions is too great toI
be devolved upon others, and the
General therefore rests where he can
In moment assure himself that the
public treasure in his keeping isl
safe. Once, before he began sleep