The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-08-20

isn't exactly in our line Of business but we keep
it for people to look at. i guess that was the
largest successful raise of the kiE ever done
in this country. check was drawn by Wins
low, Lanier & Co, the great New York brokers,
on the Third National Bank of that city for
Si51 Two weeks later the same check, raised
to 6.968.75. with date and everything changed
except the signature, was presented at the bank
for payment The signature was genuine.
Checks as large as this, and larger, were mat
ter of every day occurrence with this firm. 1t
seemed to be straight and it was promptly
paid. The payee was identified to the teller
by confederate in the scheme, who had been
doing business at the bank for few days, de-
posting and drawing checks daily, doubtless
for the very purpose of getting acquainted.
During the time siuce the 'doctored check
had been given by the firm the consecutive
numbers upon the checks had advanced some
hundreds, and in order to get current number
to put on the re-dated check they secured that
day a small one from the firm. This enabled
them to fill in number corresponding to those
in use on that day. The raising was done by
the same process / told you about in the case
of bank notes. Ordinary writing and printing
ink is very easily removed by acids. The bank
had TO pocket the loss as the shrewd perpe-
traitors of the swiHdle were never caught
These are a lot of counterfeits of the old
scrip issued during the war. You see they
run even down to the 5 cents. At one time
revenue stamps were largely counterfeited,
chiefly those for spirits and tobacco. This busi-
ness was almost entirely broken up and very
little OF it is done now. These penny stamps
for matches are the smallest counterfeit we ever
had-in fact the smallest we could have. One
would hardly think that would pay"
FLASH" MONEY IN THE ARMY.
The flash notes heretofore spoken of will
recall to many the practical use made of such
stuff among the Southern people by many of
the soldiers during the later years of the war.
1t probably was not right, judged by the stand
ard of the Decalogue, but when the boys were
hungry and wanted something to cat they did
not stop to settle in their minds nice questions
of moral philosophy. Their consciences were
not particularly troublesome, and were easily
quieted by the reflection that it was "all for
the Union" So they would take these adVer-
tisements, or anything that had the seductive
appearance of money, and with it they would
buy" pigs, chickens, honey and whatever else
could be found to tempt the appetite. Trans
actions of this kind were so much more pleas
ant and satisfactory than Stealing" the COW
eted edibies! Few of the "poor whites" could
read, any way. and they never knew the diff
ference until they tried to use their money"
Large quantities of this currency were sent
down from the North.
All the old soldiers, whether they were be-
guiled into using any of it or not, will remem-
Der the fac-simile" Confederate money which
a very poor imitation-was printed by the
bushel in Cincinnati and elsewhere and sent
down to replenish the depleted exchequer
of the soldiers. 1t could be had in any
quantity for from one to three cents ON the
dollar. This was often used by the boys in
poker and other sinful games, and bets were
made with the most reckless extravaganza. The
backwoods people of the South bit" freely.
1t looked about as well and was worth about as
much as the genuine Confederate money, which
was poor stuff in every sense 1t was a com
mon basis of exchange, and was the medium
through which was carried on q very general
transfer of commodities from the farms, pig
pens and chicken houses to the camps Of the
Union armies.
One day in East Tennessee some soldiers
bought" succulent young steer from lank,
slab-sided native paying for it a fabulous price
in fac-simile" money. The man was pleased
with the bargain, and as he stuffed the roll Of
bills into his cid wallet he thought he had
found q good thing. The steer was soon eaten,
and few days later the boys went out to ne
gotiate for another They selected fat heifer
and said they would take that at the same price
as the other.
Wall now, look a-hyar." said the Tennes-
seean, " low that eff you-all Yanks are bound
to have that air critter you'll have 'er anyhow,
but dang my buttons eff I want any more of
that dog goned fack simi-lee!"
HOW PRISONERS TRADED MONEY.
Some of the Union prisoners at Richmond,
Savannah and other places exercised their in
genuity by making an imitation of greenbacks,
which they would "trade" with their rebel
guards for Confederate money at the rate of
five or ten dollars of the latter for one of the
former. These exchanges of genuine money
were often made, as the prisoners could use the
Confederate bills to better advantage, and the
rebel soldiers were always glad enough to get
greenbacks The practice was at length for
hidden by the rebel officers, but continued to
be carried on surreptitiously. prisoner
would ask guard who was within speaking
"Want to trade some money!"
Don't keer if do. How much yer got ??
"Ten," says the prisoner. showing him $40
greenback. How much IL yer giyeT
Ten for one"
"All right; that's gow
Then the rebel would walk off and presently
come back with his hundredsdollars rolled in
wad and wrapped in paper. The prisoner
prepared for the exchange in a similar way,
although it was not impossible that he might,
with ways that are dark and tricks that are
vain," have substituted for the $40 81 green
back, or perhaps one of these manufactured
ones, stained green by the juice of grass. Nei-
ther would trust the other and throw his pack
age first. so at the word "one-two-three p
they fired at each other and the transaction
was complete. If the Johnny" found that
he was the victim of Yankee trick he would
make q good deal of noise. threatening to
shoot and bayonet the whole crowd if his
money was not returned. He was not likely
to get it. He had no redress, as he dared not
report the case for fear of punishment for DISC
bedienee of orders 1t may be safely presumed
that the consciences of the prisoners did not
suffer to any great extent by reason Of these
thrifty schemes
eorxNn,s Wonderful Eva.