Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., April 81, 1856.

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folks as well. The custom peculiar
to Washington of trolling eggs" will
have full sway, and no doubt the
White House Grounds will be as in
time past besieged by large crowd.
Every year for the past 20 years the
grounds have been favorite resort !
for "Young America" on Easter Mon
day, and until lately the Capitol ter
race also furnished amusement for
thousands. But Congress has pro-
hibited children from using the ter
races for their sport, and restricted |
them to the White House grounds.
President Cleveland, fortunately for
the young folks, takes a great inter-
est in the children, and last Easter
held quite reception in the East
Room, the little ones crowding in by
hundreds when it became known
that the President would receive
them.
Out of respect TO the holy day the
Senate adjourned over Good Friday,
but the House refused to adopt a res
olution TO adjourn. The Senate, in
anticipation OF adjournment, disposed
of large amount of business, and
passed SEQ pension bills, which has
almost entirely cleared its calendar
of that class of business. This spas
modic generosity must have been
brought on by the sharp structures of
Senator Blair in the early part of the
week on the action of the Senate in
putting off from time to time the
consideration of the general pension
appropriation bill, and his declara-
ton to resign from the Pension Com
mittee unless hearing should be
given the committee.
The military captured Washington
the past week and held high carnival.
The famous New York Seventh had
1900 men in line, and they together
with the many friends who accompa-
MED them OIL their march on Wash
ington made the halls of the Govern
ment building buzz with the merry
voices of peace soldiers and their la
dy friends employed in the offices.
The scene was in striking contrast
with the exciting war-like scenes of
I'll, when the regiment first visited
t lie city in response to the Presidents
call for $1,000 men. The soldierly
bearing, fine marching, and gentle
manly department of the gallant Sew
enth won the admiration and praise
of our citizens and tie hearts Of oul
beautiful girls, and the soldier boys
left for home in high glee and with
unbounded praise Of the reception
given them.
One of the most interesting places
to visit in Washington is the Secrtt
Service Bureau in the Treasury De
partment. In its rooms may be seeI
the photographs of nearly all the no
ted "gangs" who find it profitable t
spend their time in counterfeitins
the currency of their country. Tit
groups of pictures hung around The
walls contain every imaginable typ,
of count nance, from the most rel u
sive individual to the handsome
Young man and most beautiful of tIt
fair sex. Here are exposed for thu
benefit of the public the pictures Of
g rls, young mothers with babes III
their arms, old women, young and
old men, and even the innocent but
industrious Chinese, who Lave
sought TO defraud the Government
by counterfeiting The national cur
rency. The tools, dies, moneys, bonds
etc, which have been captured from
the counterfeiters, are kept in larg,
iron safe at night and displayed il
cases TO the public gaze during TIN
day. In this museum the Govern
ment will soon have varied collec
ton, constituting second Paten
: Office for the exhibition of American
; genius. Inquiry Of Chief Books re
= veals the fact that counterfeiters ar
Q most numerous through the Mort
s and West, and instead of prosecution
crushing them out, it only seems t
{ serve to give them renewed life an
: increased vigor. National bank note
: are much more counterfeited than [
!, S. notes and certificates. Coins of a
c kinds and of every denominatio
G have been counterfeited. The mos
i dangerous counterfeits are. thos
a struck from a steel die, and are prir
C cipally limitations of the gold coin
g Meulds of various kinds are extel
j. sively used in counterfeiting gol,
g silver and other coins, but thoi
Il counterfeits are much inferior
:. those made from dies. The princip;
y metals used are platinum, silver, col
e per, brass, anthony, zinc, type NETT
J. and their numerous compounds: I'll
70 standard silver dollars are extensiv,
2 ly counterfeited, and are composed {
IS anthony and lead, heavily silveI
l. plated. The Scent nickel coin is
II very dangerous counterfeit. 1t
r struck from die, and is made of I'll
Y same metal as is used by the min
g The cent, made of copper, nickel an
= bronze is counterteited to small e.
IS tent, principally to fill cabinets of nj
It mismatics, particularly the old date
G Such information as the above is giv
n en- by the obliging attendant in chare
It of these valuables, and instead (
V firing in telling to the many visitor
the history of each counterfeit an