The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-21
Shining Silver Come Again.
After Is years of shinplasters, silver

AttcE Id years VI SuiupidsCcIS, SlfcT Is
again coming into circulation. When sill
yer, as change, began to disappear, at the
beginning of the war, in 1861, postage
stamps, gum-stickem and all, were substi-
tuted for small change. Then appeared.
in the summer or fall of that year, postal
currency" printed in imitation of the post
age stamps. This in time was superseded
by the present scrip, and during the inter-
vening time no silver change has been in
general circulation. Previous to that time
the jingling of silver pieces in boys peck.
ct was supposed to contribute as much as
anything else to his happiness. But the
boys of the last fifteen years have mad to
get along without their silver quarters.
How the silver commenced getting back
into circulation, from Uncle Sans treas
ury in Chicago, yesterday. the Post and
Mail tells, as follows:
The United States sub-treasury, located
in this city, was lively place this fore
noon, and the life of it is not extinct this
afternoon, aud, in fact. it will probably re-
sumo to morrow morning. And the occa-
sion of this unusual life and activity in the
sub-treasury is the fact that this is the day
on which the government has commenced
to
RESUME SPECIE PAYMENT
in silver for the fractional currency Of the
country, and everybody wants some. 1t is
one of those glittering novelties which men
run after as readily as women do after the
latest novelties in bonnets and bastles.
The conditions this silver payment are
that it shall not be paid out in sums OF
less than IS nor more than 500; that the
IS muct be all of one denomination; and
that only fractional currency can be re-
ceived 10 exchange forit; greenbacks won
buy it. Still there is way of whipping
this shining silver devil around the stump
You can buy fractional currency with your
greenbacks and then get silver with you,
shirplasters. For, contrary to the genera
suppo3itioh, the fractional is not to be re
tired. The sub-treasury had on hand $50,
600 this morning and will have about
100000 to night. During the run fol-
silver to day, it has suspended payment O.
the fractional, 1t had in its vaults this
morning $SJ, 500 in silver, and 100000 or
the way. 1t does not expect to run out O.
the stuff, though 1920 had been pai(
out at noon.
THE ONLY COINS USED
are ten, twenty, and fifty cent pieces
And these are of the same stamp anC
weight and intrinsic value as those Of ante
war days, though Gholson @. Russell, o
whisky fame, offered to bet that the coin:
wouldn't pass in Canada for their face.
Although the rule requires that no on,
payment shall exceed 800, in order to ia
cilitate the distribution, the banks of tn,
city have been allowed to pay in 80 $40
packages each, and receive $4,000 il
change Sub-Treasurer Bangs isin Wash
ington, but Messrs. Miller and Blount, hi
chief assistants, manage the business we'll
They recognized the First National as tn,
largest disbursing bank in the city, and lie
it have hard pan for so packages Of scril
SIS, 900.
When the treasury room opened thi
morning twenty men were already at tn
door with
THEIR PACKAGES READY TO SWAP.
They wanted their l2 and Is year-old boy
to see what their fathers used TO Jingle i
their pockets.
At first the clerks counted the currenc
: and paid out the hard cash at once. Blu
E the string soon became so long that the
o were given receipts for packages to b
counted, and the coin paid tomorrow
Among those who took some were polio,
man, who got 500 in his hat. Phil Hoyn
got $25 for self and friends. John T
Kedzie took a handkerchief full Of
Field, Letter Il Co. got cargo. Sever
country bankers were in for few hu
dreds. The banks carried off theirs in e,
press wagons and on wheelbarrows.
strong man could carry out $4,000, and I
more. All the forenoon many came in
y see the piles of it on the tables in stacks,
is bags, in kegs of $1,000 each.
For getting little of the old stuff Il
y banks will be found the best place.