Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-21
Hiding Silver.

THE STORY OF THE $4,000 RECENTLY DEPOSITED
IN PITTSBURG-THE ECONOMY OF THE EcoNo-
MITES.
At the beginning OF the war some OF the wise
Old men OF the Economic society concluded
that devastation and anarchy might follow the
bloody struggle then pending, and concluded
10 lay away large sum OF money in coin for
contingencies About sI5, 900 in silver were col
lected and buried in secret place, only few
OF the managers of the society knowing any
thing Of the matter. Up to within few weeks
the coin has remained Secreted. During the
war II went up and up In price, until at one
time 240 could have been obtained for it, but
this enormous price only served TO make its
owners more confident in their judgment in
secreting 1t. After the war things moved on
quietly. The owners had no need OF money,
and it still remained buried. A snert time ago,
when silver began to depreciate, and 1t became
apparent that with the quantity coined it would
still further lessen i'm value the economies con-
cluded it would be best to get rid Of the horded
wealth. They sought the services of broker
of this city, who agreed to take it at m lrEet
value, but was asked to try and m Ike special
sale. knowing hat many Of the coins were of
rare GATE, this gentleman Shrewdly concluded
to try what could be done with the numtsma-
lists. Some OF them in New York publish a
pamphlet In which prices Of pieces OF certain
dates are given, and according to their schedule
quite hand ome advance over the face value
Was promised. The broker found he could not
deal TO advantage with these parties, they not
being willing to take the coin even at par. In
the meantime some one sent one of the se pam
ph'ets to the Economists, who, noticing the
prices indicated, concluded they would reap a
rich harvest. From long burial the coin was
ruSted and some OF it almost illegible, but their
patient laborerS set to work to Scour and
brighten up the whole OF it. Tine labor can be
imagined and their disappointment also, when,
AFTER the work was completed, they learned
that the values named in the pamphlet were
selling prices, and that the securing had been
In VAIN: That Is Why, as recently noted by a
81. Louis paper, the coin sent for sale at that
city was SO new and bright in appearance.
There Is another interesting circum stance
connected With placing the coin On the m lrhet
Ii was niece ,sary to transport it, and to bring
portion OF the amount TO this city the Econo-
miStS took an Old-faShiOned caSk, with slaves
no one knows how many inches thick, and
which lad been dusty in their possession for no
one KNOWS now many years, and filed il up
with the coin. 1t was got down TO the station
and onered to the express company, bit the
agent thought 1t too heavy to be handed es-
pecially as the Economists would not say what
was In It. 50 they waited until the local ac-
comm dalton came along when it was rolled
into baggage car, and one OF the Old gentle.
men peTching himself upon it, rode to the city,
where 1t was hauled to one of the city banks
and placed in the vaults. Under the agree
ment between the express company and the
railroad company the latter is debarred from
carrying money as freight, that being left for
the express people, who charge a hand some
premium for the duty. They having heard the
story OF how the silver was brought here are
now making 1t warm for the railroad people for
violating the agreement Pittsburg Cnntmer-
cid{ Gazette