The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-02-14
SILK THREADS IN GREENBACKS.

The Trouble the Government Has Had
with the Man Who Invented the Paper.
There, I guess that will finally set
tie that annoyance.
The remark was uttered by an official
of the Treasury as he signed his name
to terse official document.
ITO what annoyance do you allude?'
inquired the Journal correspondent.
ut is long story, but if you are in
terested you shall have it. Yon have
probably not noticed the two silk lines
running through all United States bills.
No? l thought not. I noticed that a
writer in one of the New York dailies
the other day made the assertion that
there were not a thousand men in New
York who had ever made the discovery.
Such is the fact, however. And draw
ing from his pocket a five-dollar legal
tender, he pointed out, besides the silk
scraps of thread scattered through the
body of the note, two perfect threads of
silk running through the entire length
OF the paper, and about an inch and a
half apart.
about thirty-five years ago." he con-
tinued, "the English Government aban-
doned the practice of Incorporating silk
fiber in its bank-note paper Some years
after that an Englishman named Hay
ward came to this country and took out
patent for the manufacture of this pa
per. He tried for years to get the Govern
ment to adoptit, without success. Five
or six years ago the Treasury decided to
abandon the use of the distinctive bank
note-paper formerly used for securities
and advertised for samples and pro-
posals for new paper. A large num-
Der of bids and samples were received,
and after an investigation all were re-
iected. Among the bidders was this
man Hayward. He had induced a
paper firm to make samples for him,
and the Government paid 81, 100 for the
samples. Other proposals were invited,
and the bid of Crane q Co., of Dalton,
Mass, was accepted. The paper which
they were to furnish contained few
pieces of silk threads scattered through
it, and in order that it might be still
more distinctive, it was decided to run
two threads through each bill as have
shown you. Hayward was not satisfied.
Although his patent had expired several
years before the contract with Crane e.
Co. was made, he persisted that he
should have had it, and that as it was
not awarded him, he should be paid for
his trouble and for the use of his patents.
For five years or more he has bounded
the department. His claims are simply
stupendous. He has written hundreds
of letters and hundreds more have been
written by his friends and attorneys.
The Presidents life has been made mis-
cradle by this persistent bore, who has
no more right to dollar than you have.
Recently he obtained the support of Mr..
John j. Knox, formerly Comptroller of
the Currency, and lately Mr.. Knox
opportunities have been added to his
own. l have just answered his last
letter, and hope and pray it will end
the case"
"How did you answer it?"
81 told him that he had failed to make
out claim, and that all correspond
ence on the subject would be unprofta-
BILE, as the department has fully de-
cided not to pay him dollar. 1t was
as | signed the letter that made the re
mark. " Washington Cor. Indianapolis
Journal.