River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-10
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.
4 Visit 20 the Old Lady of Thread
needle Street.
Ffonesthe London TeIe0ranb

Ffom-the L )ndon Telegraph.
z The old lady of Threadneedle street
has been putting her house in order
Whether under the influence ola spirit
of rivalry engendered by the new build
ings and fine machinery of kindred es-
adjustments on Tower Hill, or whether
entirely stimulated by the exigencies OF
increased business, need not to be deter
mined; but the bank of England is just
now the scene Of unusual hustle and &C.
iivity. What is practically a fine new
entrance into the building has been &C.
gently opened up from Princess street.
II has been described as a new doorway
1t is hardly this. however. Tie door
has ALWAYS been there. and some Of the
osd sIa4eTs IN tie establishment can re-
member its having been opened.
4 good lnany years ago, however.
during some time Of popular turmoil,
this entrance was pra tieally abolished
by building up inside of it ponderoIs
Tnass of brieb-work and masonry. This
has been removed, and access to the in
terror Of the bank may now be lad on
the western side. Inside the bank, too,
there has been considerable readjust-
laent Of offices. Tile public drawing Of
flee, for Instance, AMI the branch bank
office have been transferred to the
handsome and spacious room which
formerly WA the accountants bank note
DBiCe-the qiiiGe, that Is 70 say, in which
old bank notes are sorted and regis
tered before being stored away in the
dark vaults Of tie bank, where for five
Years they lie PACKED away in little
wooden boxes. something like plum
boxes, ready To appear like 50 many ac-
using angels against any body who has
made them the means of fraud. 1t Is a
little irregular to have got
down into this neither world
IT peCunary ghosts 50 early in
The course Of an inspection Of the
bank, but, now that we are here, it may
ave coming down again If we look about
as little. There are probably people
H7Out 10 whom region OF yeritabie
ghosts would be scarcely more fearsome
t.an these gloomy, silent avenues, piled
Eu hIgd on either hand with these little
@o4den receptdcles.
It is rather a startling idea that very
possibly flashes upon the visitor as
lac moves amid these silent witnesses to
many monetary transactions that If dur
ny the past Use years he las scrubbed
his name and address across a Bank Of
England note, probably that signature is
here, and that somebody may some day
bring into the bank up-stdirSa note bear
ing the same number as that which he
signed. SuppOsiQg the new arrival is
sufficiently genuine in appearance 70
pass usISteT-uO doubt, Father Il far
fetched snppositiOn, unless It really IS
etnuine-withr q feW hours q clerk
wall take down as queer q looking ledger
RS ever went under the name, aud viii
proceed to post the note. Then it
will be seen that the proper space for a
note Of that date and that number has
already been filled IN. Something must
he wrong The new arrival may be
good note. In that case the other must
be forgery, and auybO Y whose name
appears On 1t may expect conmunica
lions. Any day something Irregular in
Ie'histOry OF one OF these notes may
bring down upon any o. us the a'ten
tions of detective, Just as MIR. Payn, in
his Lost SIR MussiHgup - makes the
famous old Bow street runner Townsend
SHonp down upon the simple old farm
er who has uuite iuu9cantly taken one
or two OF the notes traced to him from
these gloomy wants.
A conscience is Il pleasant possession |
AS one tmdges through these dark |
avenues by the "imuer Of an old FASH |
ioned iaGtern. And yet a rogue misht |
persuade himself that he is safe enough |
amid this amazing store. The |
officials give you n little printed slip |
from which it appears that IN the course
of i've years tine paid notes amount to
1910 in number, and that they fill
II, 4O0 boxes, which, II placed side BIZ
side would reach Is miles ii the
boxes were placed in pile they would
reach to a height of 5 > 3 miles, or if
Joined end 10 end they wouid form
Iiuhon II, 10 miles long. Their super
fetal extent IS SAID to he rather les5 than
that of Hyde park. They weigh over
10 2-3 tons. and their ofiglna. value was |
over q 100 G2B o ~. the greatest of |
rogucs might be inclined 10 frd some |
comfort in the extent and Intricacy OF /
such store of old paper. Of course.
however, they are most systematically
arranged, ana any note Of the seventy
seven millions may be bounced upon
with the utmost CELEBRITY and precision. |
At the end of five years these Cd notes |
are thrown into a furnace specially con-
structed for the purpose and burned.
1t is Il curious lact, however, that so
firm in texture is the paper o! agenune
Bank of England note that burning alone
can hardly destroy it. fine aulho.iues
have in little glazed frame the rem
EantS of note wnlCG WAS IN the great ire |
If Chicago. Thou IA completely ctarred
and the printing OF the note is said to Dc
sufficiently legIbe TO establish its genu-
inness and To warrant is hCi =
CusIIed. There are some other notes
here that were cashed after having gone
down with the EurydiSc few years
ago, and reduced 10 little better thar
pulp Indeed, the scraps and fragments
which sometimes come into the bank tC
be cashed, have a really ridiculous APP
la ItA an fhf
visit. for instance, the officials had |
under examination number o
fragments Of di-Colored paper, none |
much big rer than SlXuence, and when |
put together presenting, t0 the UnSkiled
eye not the slightest reese hlanCe to |
nUle. And yet it WAS pretty confident |
~ asserted that the paper would IT,
,ashcd. 1t Is beneath the dignity ofth,
bank of EuA land AXE, % even .
appear to take, advantage OF accidents
t. their notes, and if there is any posi-
biiity of establishing the identity of one
OF them, it is sure 10 be dG'y hon0red.
Even where note Is entirely destroy
ed, proper evidence OF the fact OF de-
etructiOu Will be accepted and payment
ma lie. 4 lost note viii in some cases be
paid. and there is one occasion recorded |
upon which the liberal attitude OF the
directors in a case Of this kind involved
hem in a loss of 5000. A bank di-
.ectnr declared that he had lost note
Tor that amount, ami, upon his giVihgan
Indemnity for the sum in the event OF
the note turning u2, the money was paid |
90 him. MANY years alter his deata an IN |
known person presented the lost note. |
The paper was undcuiably good, and
the bank had no alternative but to cash |
il, as it was p4vahle TO bearer on de- |
mand, and, as the heirs of the hank di- !
rector who had lost 1t repullated all ia |
bility, the morev could not be recover
ell The collection OF forged notes
which have beeu stopped at the coun- |
ters ard have been accumulated In 4 |
kind of sCrap-book is very interesting
even 10 those VINO nave no iutCntlOn OF |
eubsr.ing in this line of enterprise. |
To the great fraternity of iorgers-s ~ |
to have been entirely evolved so far A.
bank notes are concerned since the year
175S probably no volume extant would |
afford hall the interest of this curious
collection. BUT we are fairly above |
ground again. and somewhere nearer
tne point at which any methoiieal ac- |
count of the banks paper currency
ought 10 have commenced.
However int tl3udjcallY disposed NAV
te the stranger who should thoroughly
INSPECT the bank of L. gland, he wall
probably soon reiinQulsh All attempts Al