The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-05-22
ATTEMPTS UPON TIE
TREASURY.

ihEfNSl W
OF course, every precaution is had
against fraud. Quite often II woe-bc-
gone piece of Il note will be sent in, and
after the crucial test will turn out to
be the relic of Il counterfeit bill. Some
times the aflidavits accompanying II
fragment of what was once II greenback
are manufactured. In such cases the
replies that the sender gets to his request
for redemption are more pointed ihan
polite. Very often the simplicity of the
affidavit and the accompanying state
ment of the facts would be alone sulli-
cicnt to convince any one of their genu-
ineness without the additional safeguard
of character" from some responsible
citizen. The pieces of notes that pass
muster are put into a machine for the
purpose and ground to II pulp. chemicals
being used in the process. When taken
tar. 1t is sold, when dried, to paper
makers. The redemption of mutilated
notes amounts to about million and II
half a month. Naturally there are some
rather curious cases found in this million
and half. Playful dogs, hungry cows,
mischievous children, fire, water. rats,
mice, pigs, horses, lunatics, pure. acci-
dents, and all, play their parts in pro-
viding work for the some fifty men and
women in Mr.. Davidge's division.
| THE POOR OLD WOMAN OF PHILADEL-
PHIA.
Among the curious cases was that of
the poor old woman in Philadelphia.
She was saving up her money in order
to accumulate enough TO secure her ad
mission to some charitable institution.
She had raked together S65. Distrust-
full Of savings banks, she put her money
on a shelf, well concealed. 1t soon dis
appeared. She was certain it was stolen.
Some of her neighbors persuaded her to
tear up the floor. She did so, and, after
close search, the fragments of her sos
were found in rats nest, the proprie-
tors of which had been exercising their
nibbling propensities on the money. She
gathered up the fragments and sent them
to the Treasury. Most the money was
in national bank notes, which were
mutilated beyond the possibility of
recognition. For them she could regain
nothing, OF the legal-tender notes but
SO could be redeemed, so the old lady
lost S57 by rats.
THE CASE OF THE ILLINOIS FARMER.
Another case in which there was a
distrust of banks was that of n farmer
living in Illinois. He always kept his
money in the house or about his person.
A short time ago he had Sll, 900 in ready
cash and carried it in his coat pocket.
He went to bed, leaving his coat on Il
chair. His wife complained of the cold
ness of the room, and he got up to stir
up the fire. He had been back in bed
but Il short time, when the room filled
with smoke and the well-known odor of
something burning" He jumped up
to find his coat pocket burnt out and his
$1,000 charred mass. Fortunately
there was enough distinguishable about
the notes to secure him, upon sworn and
attested affidavits of the facts, Il new set
complete. He may patronize banks
hereafter.
TIE CLAIM OF THE GEORGIA LAWYER.
There is Georgia lawyer who is not
yet satisfied with the action of tho
Treasury toward one of his clients
This client had 1865 burnt up, and re,
liable witnesses to prove its total de.
struction. He wrote to tile department
about it, but was informed that nothing
could be redeemed in nothing only. de-
spite the acknowledged fact that thcr,
had once been something out of whicl
the question grew. The lawyer wa,
then applied TO, and for the past fouu
months has been trying to convince the
Treasurer and Mr.. Davidgc that til,
government is the unlawful gamer by
the destruction of the money, and tha
not to replace it is but the most bare
faced of swindles. He quotes law, boil
statutory and moral, and spins out hi
arguments at length. He has not mad,
any perceptible headway in behalf of hi
client.
THE REMARKABLE CASE OF THE NEBRASKl
BACKwOODsMAN.
+ Perhaps one of the most remarkabl
t cases that has ever come before the re
t demption division was one last week.
( was a Nebraska backwoodsman, a cam
fire and one hundred dollars. Til
' backwoodsman dropped the pocket
D book containing the 800 into The cam
fire. Before he could' get il out, til
heat had so acted on it that the bool
had shriveled up into hard burnt ball
He did not attempt to open it, but sen
it on with statement of the facts
, The ball was cracked just as hickor
: nut would be in order to get at its con
: tents. Inside was found, perfectly in
tact and undamaged, the twenty and ten
dollar bills that went to make up til
backwoodsman' one hundred.
THE CHARRED MONEY FROM THE CHICAG
FIRE.
a 1t was rather curious also about til
money resented by the banks of Chi
cago for redemption after the great fire
Banks keep their money in packages un
folded. The banks which were burn
out in that fire lost most of the note
they had on hand. In some instance;
= however, their replacing was possible
. Sometimes the notes in the vaults had nc
: been wholly destroyed, the metallic sub
= stances which enter into their compost
. ton being left. These were found i
block form as the notes had bee
packaged. They were forwarded to tn
redemption division. The thin layers {
notes, the division between which wa
almost imperceptible, We're separated
1t was neat work. Then the denemina
tions and the numbers, though wit
: much difficulty, We're picked out in til
almost airy and black framework {
what was, once a note. One hundre
and sixty-five thousand dollars in thi
way came from the Chicago fire. {
this amount Sl26,QO0 was identified an
r new notes issued therefor.
NOTES FLOWED UNDER.
An Ohio farmer lost $3.50 while plow
ing his fields year age. This year i
) blowing the same field he turned til
pocketbook containing that Sl6l
Though il was almost deeomposed b%