Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-07-31

piece" N
But around the edges was noticed
several little blotches of white metal
protruding through the gold. The
piece was nothing more than plati-
mum body with gold plating. It was
worth about two dollars and a half,
that being the value of the platinum in
it. The cost of plating it was about
half dollar, making its entire worth
three dollars. Old Mr.. Dye impaired
this information with professional gray
ity as he took the coin out and, hav-
ing restored it to his pocket, told of the
mischief it had already done.
about two years ago q man, travel
inc in the Isthmhs of California. traded
about one thousand five hundred of
these pieces. to the Captain OF schoon-
er for English sovereigns. The counter
felt was not discovered until the Cap
tain reached San Francisco, when. hav-
inc got into circulation, it was detect
ed by the authorities of the San Fran
cisco Mint" .......
INCREASE OF COUNTERFEITING. I
Counterfeiting has increased to such
an extent that it is claimed the Govern
ment will shortly have to take some
more vigorous measures than it has
ever taken yet toward checking it. The
one drawback the officers of the Secret
Service have to encounter is the small
ness of the appropriation which Con-
gress allows for this particular work.
A less sum is appropriated for this pur.
pose now, it is said. tLan has been a.
lowed heretofore, despite the fact that
counterfeiting has increased just as the
resources and capital and population
of the country have increased. The
sum granted amounts to about $50, 900
annually. Persons who are familiar
withthe extent to which counterfeting
is carried on in this country and have
had long experience in the endeavor to
break it up declare that $3.50, 900 >
year would not be any too much to paw
for securing more perfect means and
facilities for protecting the National
currency. Counterfeiting, by all ac-
counts, was never carried on with such
perfect system as it is now. The work
| the counterfeiters turn out in many in
stances surpasses the work produced by
the Government, and so ,perfectly
have the counterfeit notes been exc
cuted that they have been taken by ex-
perts for good money. The latest
counterfeit out is 800 bill upon the
National Exchange Bank of Baltimore,
printed from q retouched, plate of the
National Bank of Commerce of Pitts
burgh. The only way in which this
bill differs from the genuine is in the
superiority of its Workmanship. Al
though this counterfeit was originally
on the bank of Pittsburgh, as above
mentioned, the plate can be easily mOdi-
fed so as to counterfeit the issue Of any
National Bank. Not only is the en-
craving of superior character, but the
bill is printed on an excellent quality OF
counterfeit fiber paper. There il. not
the slightest clue as to the locality
where or the person. by whom this
work is done, nor is there any knowing
to what extent the Government issue
has been ceahterfeited in this single
case. The only way in which the mat
ter can be remedied, it is claimed. is
1 for the Treasury Department to call in
all the notes of this denomination and
series, thus Withdrawing from circu-
lation the counterfeit rs well as the
genuine. -.
Ia eRowrsG, QUESTION ~
1t has been for some time advocated
by persons who have interested them
selves in observing the extent to which
counterfeiting is carried on in this
country that the Government will be
forced 10 take some steps soon that will
insure the suppression of the business,
not temporarily, but permanently
Some months ago proposition was
made by Tom Ballard, the, skillful and
notorious cOunterfeiter. now serving a
term of thirty years in the penitentiary
at Albany, New York, to impart to the
Government a process by which money
could be made that could not be coun-
forfeited, provided in return the Gov.