Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-23
DAMAGED MONEY.
Interesting Work Of the Govern
ment Redemption Bureau.


mont Redemption Bureau.
Singular Ways IN Which Treasury Notes
Have Been Lost or DestrOyed-Fsw
Attempts at Fraud-A Persistent
Pennsylvania Correspondent
When small portion of United
States note is returned to the Treasury
with sufficient proof that the remainder
of it has gone out of existence. the
Treasury will give the fun value of the
original note. Naturally the greatest
destruction of money is wrought by
fire, and bits of bills with charred
edges are constantly coming in for re-
demption.
But several instances have occurred
where men. in their desperation at
their loss, have simply boxed up a lot
of ashes, in which there was not the
slightest trace of the original material.
and demanded hundreds and thousands
OF dollars for them. Such requests are,
OF course. refused, and the senders are
informed that their only recourse is to
ask Congress by special act to indem-
nifty them
The extreme limit in this direction
was reached in recent case which is
still pending. A Texan wrote to the
Treasurer that certain large amount
OF money belonging to him had been
burned and that he had forwarded the
remains by express in box. The
box came all right. properly wrapped
and with seals unbroken. but when it
was opened. there was absolutely
nothing but air inside of it. Evident
~ that was all that was left of the
mans money. but the department sent
hin a letter inquiring whether that
was his meaning of it or if he had for
gotten to put in the pieces. His reply
has not yet been received.
Next to fire the young baby is put
down in the department as the most
destructive agent Innumerable aft
d2vits are received in which John
Jones. or whatever his name may be,
':heing duly sworn. deposes and says"
that his infant son did chew up and
swallow the missing portion of certain
IS bills, and that the said missing por-
tions were thereby wholly destroyed
and are now no longer in existence.
The fashion of keeping small pet
dogs has often been the cause of many
solemn affidavits being scnt to the de-
partment Your pug and your poodle
seem to take especial delight in masti-
eating the fruit and the reward of the
many days of severe toll of the head
OF the house.
The fancy of mice for $40 bills as
lining for luxurious nests has been
impressed upon the redemption bureau
by a long series of examples. Only a
few days ago several hundred dollars
worth of nest lining was redeemed for
q Southern man who had for many
years given up all idea of finding his
missing treasure. There was 500 of
at in the first place, notes of almost the
first issue made by the Government
early in war times. 1t had been
hidden away in a place supposed to be
secure and had disappeared. A quar-
ter OF century later. in repairing the
porch of the Old house, the nest of the
wealthy mouse had been discovered,
and enough of the fragments recovered
to secure more than half of the orig
inal deposit
Also from the South come most of
the mouldy, worm-eaten bills which
have been hidden in bottles or buried
in the earth for years There are not
so many savings banks in the South as
in thrifty New England, and hiding
places are used.
But the habit of using the parlor or
kitchen stove as safety deposit vault
Is not confined to any one section OF
the country. Neither is the custom
OF burning up this treasure by some
other member of the family who is all
unaware Of its value. Years ago the
clerks in the redemption bureau
ceased to declaim upon the stupidity
OF such people. 1t has become q mat
ter Of course with them. and they ex.
poet about so many letters every week
from people who have warmed 81 pair
OF hands with $1,000 worth of silver
certificates
Evidence of family row crops out
In queer way in the bureau occa-
=sionally. Mr. Blank sends on the halt
of \ SO note with torn edge and IN
affidavit that the remainder of the
note has been destroyed. Presently
comes the other half with q CORE.
spondingly ragged edge and an affida.
vii from Mrs. Blank that the first hall
has been destroyed Then the re.
edsaption bureau people know thai
there has been an exciting time over
SmOney in the Blank family. and there
Il before them . vivid picture Of Blank
Nifnging 70 one end Of the note and hil
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