Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-11-12
Mlistellameons &eadiua.
COUNTERFEIT MONEY.

COUNTERFEIT MONEY.
Counterfeit Detector Expert Torrey said
that if people could only he taught to know
what good money looks like they would be
less easily deceived by counterfeits. lie
said that the last new counterfeit was of $40
United States Treasury note of the series OF
1880. The genuine note, and, of course, the
counterfeit, both bear the head of Daniel
Webster in the lower left-hand corner. In
the good note the lines that mark the lapel
and the shoulder of Webster's coat are equal
ly heavy; in the counterfeit they are not.
Besides, although the bad note is signed
"B. K. Bruce" and "James Gilfllan," it
does not bear the words "Register of the
Treasury" and "Treasurer of the United
States" and the words Engraved and print
ed at the Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing" are also wanting. Even with these
defects the note is most dangerous, and hun
dreds of dollars in it are handled every day.
The best known SO counterfeit is the
"Webster head" series Of 1873, a marvellous
ly executed piece of work. 1t is estimated
that $4,000 Of them have been offered for
deposit in the New York banks since Janu-
ary l. 1t is a fact that the banks where many
ladies nave private accounts handle less
counterfeit money than the others. Women
expert of the Treasury "counters" in Wash
ington are ladies, but there are counterfeit
fives, tens and twenties in circulation that
battle even their skill.
The best IS counterfeits are the works of
Charles Ulrich and ofhis pal, Irving White:
They are all on Massachusetts, banks, and
they are known as the Massachusetts, coun-
terfeits. These are almost perfect, but to
the practiced eye "counterfeit" in letters an
inch long is printed across the faces. In one
corner is the familiar picture of Columbus
aboard his vessel, gazing at the new world
thatspreads out before his eyes. Where the
taffrail and the rail of the ship join in the
picture there is Il joint in genuine bill.
There is none in the counterfeit.
There is no other counterfeit of bank
note above 800. There is one counterfeit
on a $500 treasury note, that of the issue OF
1860. There are two counterfeits OF treasu-
nv 81, 900 notes, those of1S62 and 1868. These
are admirable pieces of rascalty. There
were some of them in the Treasury OF
Montgomery, Alabama, when the last new
Treasurer came into Office there. He re-
ceipted for them to the retiring Treasurer
and in the course Of trade paid tffem out to
a local bank. They reached Augusta, Ga,
before their genuineness was doubted:
The most dangerous counterfelts of notes
are stolen notes to which the bank officers
names have been forged. Their numbers
always run in series, and only by remem-
bering the numbers can the notes be detect
ed. The most dangerous counterfeit OF a
United States coin is s. gold piece that Is
supposed to have been made through the
rascality of some eX-employes OF the New
Orleans mint. 1t was made with the genu.
inc stamp. The outside is of 800 fine; gold
and the inside of spelter and platina.. There
are hundreds of thousands of them in clrcu-
lation.-Ne,0 York Express.
ANOTHER STORY ABOUT FERDINAND
WARD.-A wealthy resident of some pros
porous New England city called on Ward
one day with a note of introduction from a
mutual friend. In the course of converse
ton he remarked that he had some money
to invest, and asked Ward if he couldn't
tell him of some chance to put it where it
would bring him good margin Of profit.
Ward said he really didn't know OF any
thing just then. He himself had more
money than he knew what to do with, and
besides, he was too busy with some big
scheme of his own to go into any outside
speculation. Of course this only whetted
the New England mans appetite for invest
ment, and in the course of half an hour ne
induced the famous financier to accept his
check for $5S,00O to be used in one of the
"blind pools'' of which Grant & Ward made
a speciality. Three or four months later the
New England man appeared again. Ky
that time Ward had entirely forgotten him
and his check, and it was with great diff
Guilty that he could recall his name and the
amount of his investment. 81 believe there
is something due you," he said after brief
conversation. Taking down large ledger
he made some brief calculations, and then
observed with a pleasant smile, The
amount credited on our books is S102, ,764." ."
Then to the book-keeper, "Mr. Jones. Will
you kindly draw a check to Mr.. Herkin's
order for S102,7G4?"
Ward calmly turned to his work again,
while his visitor sat gasping for breath. In
the language of the day the visitor was "par-
alyzed." 1t was some time before he could
control himself sufficiently to asl, if there
wasn't any chance for him to reinvest his
money and double it again; but Ward
didn't seem anxious, and at last the strang-
er took his departure, got his check certified
at the Marine bank, and returned to his ma
tive town. Three days after he walked into
Wards Office in company with four OF the
Wealthiest of his tOWnSmen. lie had his
certified check-the same one Ward had
given him-in his pocket, and his friends
we're supplied with checks of their own.
They succeeded in inducing the tinancier to
accept about $350,000 for investment in an
other "blind pool" That was exactly one
week before the failure of Grant & Ward.
Mr.. AND Mrs. sM1ru.-The origin of
these titles is not without interest. In the
earlier times of our history the ordinary
man was simply William or John; that is
to say, he had merely a Christian name,
without any kind of "handle" before it, or
surname after it. Some means of uistin-
gushing one John or one William from an
other John or another William became ne
cessary. Nicknames, derived from mans
trade, or from his dwellingplace, or from
some personal popularity, were tackled on
to their Christian names, and plain John
became plain Smith. AS yet there were no
"NIisters" in the land. Some John Smith
accumulated more wealth than the bulk OF
his fellows-became, perhaps, landed pro-
prietor, or an employer of hired labor.
Then he began to be called in the Norman
French of the day, the 'Maistre" of this
place, or of that, or of these Workmen, or of
those. In time, the "Maistre" or "Mais-
ter" as it soon became, got tackled on be-
fore his name, and he became Master Smith
and his wife MaiStress Smith. But gradu-
ally the sense OF possession was lOSI Sight vi,
and the title was conferred upon any man
who had attained social distinction of any
kind, whetherby mere possession of wealth,
or by holding some position of more or less
consideration and Importance. 1t is only
within comparatively modern times that
the term came to be considered an almost in
dispensable adjunct to every ones name
when mentioned in ordinary conversation
or writing. Mastress Smith soon became
Mistress Smith. Exactly how and when
the term got corrupted cannot be said. Mas
ter Smith, however, remained Master Smith
lnnr after his wife became Mistress Smith