The Delta independent., 1889-07-30
MurILArED BANK NOTES,


Strange Adventures Which the
Treasury Can Tell OF Green
backs.
When small portion OF United
States note is returned to the treasury,
says the Washington Post, with suffi-
cient proof that the remainder of it has
gone out of existence the treasury will
give the full value of the original
note. Naturally the greatest destruc-
tion OF money is wrought by fire, and
bits OF bills with charred edges are
constantly coming in for redemption.
But several instances have occurred
where men, in their desperation at
their loss, have simply boxed up 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 send
ers are informed that their only re-
course is to ask congress by special
act to idemnify them.
The extreme limit in this direction
was reached in a 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
r, the remains by express in a box. The
box came all right, properly wrapped
and with seals unbroken, but when it
was opened there was absolutely MOTH
Sng but air inside of it. Evidently that
was all that was left of the mans
money. But the department sent him
a letter inquiring whether that was
his meaning, or if he had forgotten 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 affida-
wits are received In which John Jones
or whatever his.name may be, "being
duly sworn" deposes and says that his
infant son did chew up and swallow
the missing Portions of certain IS
bills. and that the said missing por-
dons were thereby wholly destroyed
and now no longer in existence.
Tho fashion of keeping small pet
dogs has also been the cause of many
solemn affidavits being sent to the de-
partmeut Your pug and your poodle
seem to trke especial delight'in masti-
eating the fruit and 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 i'm
pressed upon the redemption bureau
by long series of examples. Only a
lew days ago several hundred dollars
worth OF nest lining was redeemed for
southern man who had for many
years given up all idea OF finding his
missing treasure. There was 500 OF it
In the first place, notes OF almost the
hrst issue made by tho government
early In war times. 1t had been put
away in a place supposed to be secure,
and had disappeared. A quarter of a
century later, in repairing the porch
OF the old house, the nest Of tho
wealthy mouse had becn discovered
aud enough OF the fragments recover
ed 70 secure more sthan bali of the orig
inal deposit
Also from the south come most of the
.pouldy. worm-eaten bills which havc
Bean hidden in bottles or1buried in the
earth. for. years. There arc 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 saIety-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 una
ware of its value. Years ago the clerks
In the redemption bureau ceased to de-
claim upon the stupidity OF such peo-
pie. 1t has become matter of course
with them, and they expect about so
many letters every week from people
who have warmed $2 pair OF hands
with $1,000 worth of silver certificates.
Evidence OF a family row crops ont
In queer way in the bureau OCCASION
ally. Mr.. Blank sends on the half of a
$40 note with torn edge and an affi-
davit that the remainder of the note
has been destroyed. Then tho redemp-
tion bureau people know that there has
been an exciting time over money in
the Blank family. and there is before
them vivid picture of Blank clipging
to one end Of the note and his vito to
the other end, until it parts in the n,id-
die.
There are not many attempts to de-
fraud the government through the re-
demption bureau, and none have been
successful. The sending OF the two
halves OF a note of large denomination
by different people, each one swearing
that the other half is destroyed and
asking for the full value Of the Hete,
frequently looks like an attempt to de-
fraud, but the officials think tha& in
most cases the senders believe they are
telling the truth.
1Jnc0nn Yolino an IA rv to tho Iaav