The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-04-29

WASHINGTON, D. c., April "a, 1886.
Monday will be great holiday here
for the young and for the old folks as
we'll. The custom peculiar to Washing
ton of trolling eggs" will have full sway,
and no doubt the White House Grounds
will be as in times past besieged by a
large crowd. Every year for the past 20
years the grounds have been favorite
resort for "Young America" on Easter
Monday, and until lately the Capitol
terrace. also furnished amusement for
thousands. But Congress has prohibited
children from using the terraces for their
sport, and restricted them to the White
House grounds. President Cleveland,
fortunately for the young folks, takes a
great interest 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 resolution
to adjourn. The Senate, in anticipation
of the adjournment, disposed Of a large
amount of business, and passed 500 pen
sion bills, which has almost entirely
cleared its calendar of that class of busi-
ness. This spasmodic 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, aud bis declaration to
resign from the. Pension Committee un-
less hearing should be given the COM
mittee.
The military captured Washington the
past week and held high carnival. The
famous New York Seventh had 500 men
in line, and they together with the many
friends who accompanied them on their
march on Washington made the halls of
the Government buildings buzz with the
merry voices of peace soldiers and their
lady friends employed in the Offices. The
scene was in striking contrast 9Th the
exciting warlike scenes Of '61, when the
same regiment first visited the city in
response to the Presidents call for is, 1000
men. The soldiery bearing, fine march
ing, and gentlemanly department of the
gallant Seventh won the admiration and
praise of our citizens and the hearts of
our 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 Secret Service
Bureau in the Treasury department. In
its rooms may be seen the photographs
of nearly all the noted gangs" who find
it profitable to spend their time in coun.
terfeiting the currency of their country.
The groups of pictures hung around the
walls contain every imaginable type of
countenance, from the most repulsive
looking individual to the handsome young
man and most beautiful of the fair sex.
Here are exposed for the benefit of the
public the pictures of girls, young moth
ers with babes in their arms, old women,
young and old men, and even the inuo-
cent but industrious Chinese, who have
sought to defraud the Government by
counterfeiting the national currency.
The tools, dies, moneys, bonds, etc.,
which have been captured from the
counterfeiters, are kept in large iron
safe at night and displayed in cases to
the public gaze during the day. In this
museum the government will soon have
varied collection, constituting a second
Patent Office for the exhibition of Amer.
ican genius. Inquiry of Chief Brooks
reveals the fact that counterfeiters are
most numerous through the North aud
West, and instead OF prosecution crushing
them out, it only seems to serve to give
them renewed life and increased vigor.
National bank notes are much more
counterfeited than U. S. notes and GER
tifcates. Coins of all kinds aud of every
denomination have been counterfeited.
The most dangerous counterfeits are those
struck from steel die, and are priuci-
pally limitations of the gold coins.
Moulds of various kinds are extensively
used in counterfeiting gold, silver. and
other coins, but these counterfeits are
much inferior to those made from dies.
The principal metals used are platinum,
silver, copper, brass, antimony, zinc, type
metal, and their numerous compounds.
The standard silver dollars are extensive.
ly counterfeited, and are composed Of
antimony and lead, heavily silverplated.
The cent nickel coin is very dangerous
counterfeit. 1t is struck from die, and
is made of the same metal as is used by
the mint. The cent, made of copper,
nickel and bronze is counterfeited to 9
small extent; principally to fill cabinets
ofnumismstics, particularly the old dates.
Such information as the above is given
by the obliging attendant in charge of
these valuables, and instead of tiring in
telling to the many visitors the history of
each counterfeit and the ingepiously
contrived tools on exhibition, he seems
to become enthused on the subject and to
call to mind some "blood.thrilling" event
omitted by inadverteuce in parrating the
story to some person who has left the