Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-14
Millions Of Autographs

Jordan which has been written mil.
lions of times. and years ago the
writer learned to write IL small,
smoothly and without any shading. II
has been printed millions and millions
Of times on legal tender notes. bank
notes and checks. The writer has
been signing it n early all the time for
over a quarter OF century. first as
cashier. then rs a bank president, and
later as treasurer of the United States.
1t now adorns the notes of the West
ern Nation Bank Of New York.
IL found out. said he that it was
exhausting to bear too hard on the
pen, and YOU will notice that this is
written easily and rapidly. and its only
peculiarly is the fact that in making
/ the "a" the pen makes circle twice
instead of I'M up and down stroke.
Years and years ago l found it
necessary to make the work as easy AZ
possible. aud to do it as regularly and
Systematically rs | could. In signing
notes. which as you know. come IN
sheets OF four. | would set my watch
open before me. and if | could not
sign 100 sheets. making 400 : gnatures
every ID m nutes. l knew that |
was running behind hand. | could
keep that up hour after hour and some
DAYS | have done it. | think for nine
hours with only al intermission for
lunch. | hold pen easily. and so
avoid any cramp OF the fingers. but
have had to lay down on the floor and
streech myself 10 get the kinks out of
A fnr inp in i'm
| have found it easiest to sit so that tho
weight OF tho arm rests on the edge
of the table, and the hand works with
the least possible strain upon the mus.
Gle. 1t is possible to get some relief
by turning round. more clearly facing
the table. which gives a little relaxation
to the muscles OF the back and of the
neck.
"The greatest number of signatures
in day? | presume that when | was
signing notes of the Third National
Bank with wh CHI to pay of soldiers
wrote my name between 1900 and
Is 600 times day. The muscle of tho
wrist became a little tired, but the
hand was seldom still though curious
" enough, the sorest place would be
nv forearm, the skin of which would
lie worn thin by the incessant grinding
againt my clothes. OF course The wear
on the sleeve was great deal worse,
but | could stand IL great deal cas- er
than the soreness OF tire flesh. wh CHI
neither vaseline nor cold cream could
alleviate. | used to start IN with n
good supply of pens. and the ink bottle
was duly replenisheL used a smooth.
fine steel pen. and as have said, bore
on it very lightly. As soon as it began
TO scratch took new one. The diff
ference would be percepti BILE after 500
or 900 signatures. In such work my
consumption of steel pens ran from
ID to 80 a day. There would I've very
few left in box after a week s
work
at seems ludcrouS" he continued.
lat this daS to think of General
Spinner and S. Is. Colby under.
taking to sign with pen all postal
currency that was issued. 1t was bad
enough for Mr.. Acton to have TO sign
tho gold cert iicates at first or the
transfers of the 6 per cents. when they
were extended by Secretary Window.
And vet Gen. Spinner actually started
out TO put that cramped signature of
natural consequence was that his hand
began to swell up until the fingers
were absolutely uncomfortable. 1t
was physical impossibility, and he
became incapacitated very much soon
err than lie otherwise would because he
had not adopted signature capable Of
easy and rapid production. One would
not suppose that the amount of ink
used III signing ones name would be
so very perez ptable. but Spinner used
up more ink than any of his success
ors, and | followed line of treasur-
ers who were in the habit OF shading
letters rather heavily. You remem Der
how GilGllan aud Wyman used TO sign
their names. | was rather surprised
when my attention was called TO the
fact that l had introduced a new econ
omy into the treasury department.
was using only about oue-third a. much
ink as my predecessor. This was be-
fore the amendment of the laws gov
erring the treasury requiring the sig
nature of the treasur himself TO so
many routine papers. Before the war
the work was easy enough for one
man. but it grew so that the treasurer
Of the United States probably had
occasion to sign his name oftener than
any other man in the country. In my
time the law was amended permitting
the deputy treasurer TO sign large
number of papers necessarily passing
through the Office of the treasurer. /
have seen it stated that Mr.. HYATT has
adopted n stamp. but l have seen no
evidence of it. | certainly should new
Ell cash draft, pay a check. or respect
an Endorsement that was not written
with pen and ink. "-NeO York World
Critics Of the Press.
Newsnaner renorier-, Womb rnn