davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25
TIE NEW MrRcHAyrs' KgrDcr,

The new bridge was first proposed as far
back as lSSd. Ii came up prominently IN tho
transportation committee OF the Ne fchants'
Exchange during the presidency o. 5. W
Cobb and on the Recommendation Of tho
COMMITTEES the board of directors Of the ex-
change appointed committee of III rteen to
take charge of the project. Ot tins 'smniit-
tee seven gentlemen made up b ard OF
directors and carried ths plan throGg - the
point of securing tie charter from { lie gov
eminent and the railroad franchise from the
city. They then discovered the fact Aat tia
Merchants Exchange could not ban III, own
or operate a bridge or railroad Thy then
offered TO surrender the charter Al 81 fran
chise, ard asked 10 be relieved, bl Z veTs
requested 20 continue their efforts to nccom-
plish the desired results simply AZ In I.vlda
ais This they did, so that the bull ling
the bridge is entirely independent o. Abe .
change, and is the result Of the eIoT, = a
number OF the enterpriSsng citizens II lie
Mound City
The bridge people, Of course, id no sup
pose that a man like Jay Gould, who iis No
largely interested In the old bridge, ' ,ould
Ike 10 have a new one built, end thu de-
prive him of good share of tips profit re-
sulting from the traffic, but they rrlie on
their financial status 10 carry them throJ gh.
Now, however, that the bridge has got -
far along, it Is claimed that Mr.. Gould sas
put his financial finger in the pie and ev d, si-
cate uauiuulatiOn has arranged matters %
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25

ship is not at all an HENRY z pIEDzRIcH.
unpleasant post. Appointments have often
been made of literary men, who. while sery-
ing their government with good sense and
zeal have found time TO write their books
and enjoy life immensely. Nathaniel Haw-
thorne was at one time a consul and W. d.
Howells served in that capacity in Venice
for year or two.
The post at Leipsic, Saxony. to which Pres
ident Harrison has appointed Henry W
Diederich, of Indiana, is one OF the most i'm
portant of them all. Leipsic is in many ways
a great city. II is center Of learning:
it is the headquarters Of the book trade
containing the enormous publishing houses of
Brockhaus and Tauchnitz; It's thee annual
commercial fairs are tie most important In
Europe. and its Importance as a manufactur-
ing city is considerable.
Among other appointments made by tho
president that Of Professor Thomas c. Men
denhall, also Of Indiana, as superintendent Of
the United States coodetic and coag. survey
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25
TIE NrW CrUR VOvrSr

A regular meeting fell on the date Of June
I last The members gathered early in the
vicinity, as the usually placid Potomac had
changed into g raging torrent, and the sight
was well worth seeing Suddenly there was
a crash. The whriing water had caught the
Aualostan club house and washed it away;
not vestige remained.
A meeting was called which most Of the
members believed would end with the dis
solution Of the club. \ decided spirit
TO maintain the organization was evil
denced, however, and before adjournment
1900 had been subscribed toward a new
house. A site was selected where there would
be no repetition of the former disaster, and
plans prepared.
The new building viii rest on stone piles.
It viii be frame structure, = by 20, on
plan. The first floor VIII be L feet above
low water and viii be the boat room The
main stairs viii be on the south side, and
viii have a long gallery at the half sorry
height, from which the view VIII sweep the
whole river. The second fight VIII lead I'D
to a hallway il the second story, which di-
vides the locker room from the assembly
room Over this hallway and looking into
the assembly room viii be a musicians gal
lery, with store ana janitor's rooms on either
side. The assembly room viii be 20 feet wide
and s. feet long, with q balcony in front I6
by IS feet.
The lscker room IS arranged TO obtain as
full and free circulation Of air as possible.
The Sides Il the honse Will be weather
bearded and the roof shiDgied, and the ex-
terror viii be stained. not painted The in
terror EilI be wainsco:ed with yellow pine
ind cypress, finished il bard oil The cost Of
the structure VII be Il tie reighborhood Of
SGn10
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25


Pete used to travel aoout the country Civ
ing lectures On How to Detect Counterfeit
Money at the same time working queer
stuff off on his audiences at the box Office.
he owns farm ct Mattoon, Ills, and is
rich enough to quit the business, but | sup
pose the passion is too strong. A year or SO
ago he was discharged from Michigan City
penitentiary, after serving eleven years,
In a few months he was caught at one of his
tricks in New Orleans and sent up for dozen
years more. This time he was taken in for
raising ono dollar notes to fifties cutting the
word fifty from the old fifty cent shinplas-
tiers and the vignette from two dollar note
He is very expert at this, and at an expense
of 50 each he managed to make and pass a
large number of the pasted notes.
'AlI the counterfeiters now out of prison
know of each other, but they are very sIs-
picious of new corners. If one man goes to
another and applies for a partnership, the
chances are that he will not be welcomed till
after be has proved his character. You see,
they are afraid of the secret service men,
who often, for their own reasons, turn coun-
terfeiters. Now here is this old man briggs,
whom we have just captured out in Ohio.
He is what we call a capitalist or wholesale
dealer. The money recently found in his
possession he never made, nor did he ever see
the plate from which it was printed. The
story OF this gang will illustrate as clearly as
anything the methods of the counterfeiting
PATERNITY. In 1851 q man named Boudry
got hold Of the plate known to the secret SER
vice as the Webster head plate. He was
pinChed, and while in jail told another crook,
Cuyon, where the plate and SIC, 900 in money
were secreted.
He proposed to Guyon that If the latter
would get the plate and take care Of ii till
Boudry could get out of Jail he would give
him half the money. Guyon found the stuff
all right, but refused to give up the plate
when Boudry came out of Jail some ten months
later. That, mind you, was in 1881. The
secret service knew that plate was In exist
ence, and knew 5000 of money had been
printed from it, But when year after year
passed and none of the stuff made its appear
ance on the market, the officials naturally
concluded the money had been destroyed
Yet this samo stuff was q short time ago
placed in the hands of old Nelson briggs,
who is now 10 years old, and part of it was
worked off by him and his young wife. He
was the wholesaler, and he supplied the stuff
TO thirteen paSSeTs, all of whom We have cap
tured.
Here are portraits of five of thenl--three
as ugly looking brutes as you ever saw, one
dandy fellow who worked restaurants and
candy stores in which young women were en-
ployed as cashiers, and one pious chap who
used to dress himself up like minister and
shove the queer on anybody and everybody
briggs personally had nothing to do with
these thirteen fellows. He dealt with Riley,
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25
The Curfsw Bell

An interesting bel ringing custom was
that Of ringing tie curfeT, modified form
os which I'll exists IN this country and n
England Curfe-, Of which Gray sJ,saks 30
feehngly IN lis elegy, was estah.issed in tie
year IG5s By william tie Conq1eror, or. as
the Euslash people more freq1ently say, wal
ian tbs Norman, and WAS partially ABOLISHED
about To rear 100 The czrts~ b11 was
runz promptly al 3 ?. II, at which tin. TIE
people we're compelled 70 PIT cut o. cover Up
their fires AID Blow on. their cazdles Henry
Hxed tie matter in tie year AS. mentioned
50 as 20 &c. absolutely prohsb4; lighted can
dIss until after the ninth hocr. TIE czrfe-
tel ~as ring liz order 70 compel every ooe.
high or low. 20 cover Up and pu, or. tie a-..
NAsch n tsns@ early days Wa n hoe IA
he cent<r Of tie bozs>-a hole being cot n
the roos 20 allow tie smoke 70 .raIe
IN. word '-curfs~~ a q ccTxp.Sor 9, two
words cO1Trs tsu, literally COVER Ere, ths
custom being 70 cover TIE ho.s IN TIC soor
with large "a: rock Or metal haka NAE
tor thss purpose. As IOzz - irsss o1ssoGzs
were strictly s1heTet 20 ETeA: cozs.gTss-o1s
~s-. tac7shs 20 - vel aixh impossible Be
tbs - Il may, To- people id a0s iosf upoa
l. Ia Dat hset, they oniy tcc1ss; q ;as rissa
sway Il tes ecDe1sro-.
Taozsca tk-S es&crib<s tAs sses-ss q Ia
co1g21ed ceork vic ws.s .Crcs1 % -. ozs
theSressesfal kro By '-tcr~Sr z'.1es
he sxsvxl,x WRECKS. ., Ia c-yS-~ Eas-=1
DsesnsA MA ts.e ss<s srrt14 e>tA
AnA. ;Apszxs -. DSr-s-i rssx= & neSs-- sz--sA.
xzs'1 go ~ t=aAz- q s><-<r
-Lo1n Is wr1gAc : s.. I4cza DeY1s--e.
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25
TWO RECENT APPOINTMENTS.
Professor MendenhaIl on the Coast Survey
and Mr.. Diederich to Ielpsic.

The position Of consul for the United States
at foreign city is not the most important
in the world, but at the same time circum-
stances sometimes arise which prove-to the
entire satisfaction Of the consul, at least
that the job is no sinecure. The duties Of
Uncle Sans consuls are many and various
For instance, q consul to a country which is
only partly civilized, or where legislation has
been imperfect or the administration Of laws
lax and ineffective, Is often vested wi h GER
tain judicial powers, authorizing him TO set
tie disputes between citizens Of the country
which he represents But the every day
work of consuls has a tendency toward hum
drumness. He has jurisdiction only over
commercial affairs.
The authorization of a ships papers is an
event in the official life Of the ordinary con-
sui, and the necessity for taking charge Of a
sbipwrecked seaman or two and shipping
him back to Ysnkeeland at the expense Of
Uncle Sam creates a very perceptible hutter
under his vest. Speaking generally, the con-
sui is supposed to exercise kind OF fatherly
care over citizens Of his country during such
tine as they may abide in his consulate, and
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25

PROF. EESDHSRALI- and mechanics IN
Ohio university. BE remained there Until
1873, when he went 10 japan O. professor Of
physics il the Imperial university a, Toxic.
During his stay be organized the general
meteorological system Of tue imperial gov
eminent, and he was also one O. the organ
ize1s q tAe 5eismological society Of Toxic
In 1881 he returned % the United Stated and
resumed his old chair IN the Ohio STATE univer-
s.ty. He organized the Ohio state weather
bureau service in 1882. and subsequently, de
vised a system OF y ,ather s.g1Als for display
on railroad trains Mr.. Ne1denkall became
professor In the United States signal service
in 1854, and established stations IN TIE United
States for the sys.snat.c observation Il
earthquake pheoonenA- Re resigned from
the government. service % accept tie pres4-
dsncy % the Pose Polytechnic i-Et!:-te, II
Terre Esu:s, Ind
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25

vice in Ohio, had obtained their money in a
manner which involved the bureau Of print
ing and engraving in huge scandal "a
plate was never stolen from the govern
ment," added the chief The nearest APP
proach to it was the game played by a man
and his son, many years ago, shortly after
The government began printing paper money.
They were both employees of the bureau of
printing and engraving when the bureau was
located in the loft Of the treasury, and they
brought into the shop a thin piece Of lead,
and on that stamped an impression of one Of
the greenbecks. From this lead stamp they
madean electrotype plate and had begun the
printing Of fair article of bogus money,
when the secret service nipped them. Every
once in while this story about a stolen plate
makes Its appearance. 1t has been said TINT
Brockway, the daring and slliIful forger and
counterfeiter VINO is now in Chicago selling
lead pencils and little patented articles in the
big Office buildings, once had a stolen plate,
but he never had anything of the sort.
"Tbe facts are that 1t is impossible for any
body to steel plate from the bureau of en-
craving and printing. To persons who don't
know anything about the circumstances it
seems an easy matter for a counterfeiter to
get employment in the money mill and watch
his chance to make way with genuine plate.
Bat the system of checks used over there is
such that no man could steal plate, nor
could he surreptdtiousiy print money and
smuggle il out of the building Every sheet
Of paper that comes into the shop, worth a
mere fraction of a cent, is subjected to no
fewer than ffty-two counts before it goes
out bearing four notes each, perhaps, of the
value of $4,000 In these days it is impos-
sible for counterfeiter TO make a good ar
ticle of bogus money without the distinctive
paper which the government uses, or an imi-
tation thereof, and the government takes
precious good care that not a scrap of this
special paper shall fall into the hands of the
Philistines. The paper Is made by Crane 81
Co., at Dalton, Mass, and there the govern
ment eyo is on all processes of the manufact-
ure and Shipment A correct account of the
number Of sheets run through the machines
each day Is kept and forwarded TO the secre-
tary Of the treasury The finished sheets are
afterward counted by women experts and
piled Ia stacks Of 100 sheets, each package
marked with the name Of the counter.
lyon can imagine that the women who do
tho counting are careful about their work, for
q mistake would cost them their employment.
I have never heard Of their making mistake
even of a single sheet. This paper Is sent by
express to the secretary of the treasury under
seal, and by him delivered 10 the bureau of
engraving and printing.
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25

class. It Is the poets manners ana customs
which give 1t its individuality. 1t is under
stood that visitors do not disturb the great
mans ways, and that he behaves In precisely
TIE same manner when be has company as
when he has not. Every morning. in hail.
rain or snow. the post dons his frowyy cap
and his trowsier slouch hat and promensdes
for an hour or 50, none daring todisfurb him
Every day at dinner bottle OF port is placed
before the host, and Tennysoa retires with il
generally when dessert comes on and leaves
his guests &C the table The poet is 10 be
found in his study, with his bottle by his
side and huge dock glass holding pint
This is filed half with port and half with
water, and the bard solemniy fills and realls
till bottle and glass are empty.
Among the visitors Henry Irving. the
actor, has long been most welcome Upon
one occasion Tennyson pressed Mr.. Irving TO
take glass of his precious port. Mr. Irving
did as be was desired, but not being a port
wine tinker, slipped ii very slowly Before
he had finished it the decanter from which
the bard had been automatically replenishing
his goblet was empty Lord Tennyson babe
the butler bring fresh supply, and. turning
round to his guest, said dryly, do You al
ways drink bottle Of port, Mr.. Irving, after
dinnerF'
The laureate, however, though endowed
with an appreciation OF wine, has always
partaken sparingly Of it. He has not prac-
ticed and does not practice now similar
abstinence in the matter OF tobacco. He
smokes perpetually-a pipe always-and by
preference long pipe OF the kind known as
''churchwerden, +" and at each Of his houses
be possesses a divan, specially conceded 10
himself, in an upper story, whittier he some
times invites friend 70 smoke and hear him
read. No mans habits cculd vary less.
After an early breakfast he devotes an hour
TO his correspondence, with bis eldest son.
Then he smokes, meditates, writes, and occa-
sionally strolls in his garden till lunch
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25

the plates so that little lines were printed on
the notes to represent the silk threads The
fraud was, however, easily detected, for the
reason that one could take pin and scratch
note, and If thread did not make its APP
pearance the spurious character Of the note
was at once made apparent In all this time
there was but one successful attempt to imi-
tate the paper, and that was with note Of
the denomination Of 500 on the National
Bank of Commerce Of Pittsburg Since 1850
there have been but about twenty-five at
tempts to counterfeit the national currency,
in two or three of these the paper being inli-
tated by taking pen and ink and marking the
notes.
AT the present time fifteen of the most
skillful counterfeiters in the United States
are in prison. Not more than six or seven
really dangerous men are outside prison
walls. Probably no more than two or three
Of these could make plate that would print
notes Of a deceptive character. When l
speak Of counterfeiters in this sense | mean
the counterfeiters of paper money.
There is On impression in the public mind
that al the chief counterfeiters in the coun-
try know each other and work together
This is not strictly true, though there are
many facts in favor OF the theory. For in
stance, old Pete Mccartney, whom unhesi-
tatingly call the king Of the koniackers, has
at one time or another been connected with
nearly all the leading counterfeiters Of the
country. He worked for some time with the
Reno gang at Seymour, Ind. He married
Martha Alderman, whose father died in
prison for counterfeiting, and vince step
father, John Trout, served several terms for
the same offense. His brother-in-law, John
Boyd, was q noted engraver of counterfeit
plates Old Pete was also connecAd with
Fred Diebusch, wonderfully skillf en-
graver, and many others Of a like cha er.
THE king Of the counterfeiters has had &
career worth writing up IN a book He is
now more than 60 years old, and has been
counterfeiting since be was a boy Before
the var he counterfeited no end Of the old
state bank notes. He escaped from officers
IN 1864 by jumping from Pennsylvania
railway train that was running at the rate Of
forty miles an hour, and ten years later got
out Of jail in st. Louis by knocking down his
guards. At one time there was reward Of
$4,000 offered for him, and half the men Of
Texas were on the hunt. He was finally cap
tured in Cincinnati, but by that time only a
thousand dollars Of the reward was left
standing, and when Pete learned this he
bought his captors off with bride of s., 500.
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25

Now let mo show you how difficult IL
would be for a crook to purloin one Of the
plates. Every scrap of steel, little and big,
is locked up III the vaults over night. Before
these vaults sit during business hours three
custodians, appointed by the secretary of the
treasury. Even tho superintendent of the
bureau has no authority over them-they are
responsible to the se rotary alone These
vaults are time locked and cannot be opened
Till the hour at which work begins. Each
vault has two inner doors, and the comblna-
ton 10 the outer one % these is kept by one
custodian, and the combination TO the inner
one by another Neither knows the others
combination, and nobody elsa knows either.
When the workmen want plates from the
vaults they must present a requisition signed
by the proper officer and give a receipt.
lioreovcr, on each plate as it leaves the
vault Is engraved the initials of the printer
who is 10 use il, and this telltale mark APP
pears upon the margin Of every sheet which
be works through the press. Not only this,
but he must draw his distinctive paper in
the same way, and at the close of business
hours give an account for every sheet or
fraction Of sheet. if any have been torn or
Eoiled. Before leaving the building be must
lease therefor SIS we'll as for the distinctive
paper which be had drawn
As a matter Of fact counterfeiting is not
as extensive an industry in this country as
some people imagine II to be. Before the
war about half Of the bank bills in circula-
ton were suspected of spuriousneSs, but there
were no certain ways OF detecting them, and
no secret service was then az hand TO ferret
out the CRIMINALS, and 50 the people went 70
taking GOOD money along with the bad, as
matter Of habit and necessity. After the
government began printing its own money il
at once tsoE measures to suppress counter
feiSng, cn0 think tho RECORDS will bear ne
CUT il the s1stedaere At couatsrfeiti,- as
Ill indu~e-y heS beeo gradually losing i,
mold In this country. Prior TO 1870 the gov.
eminent used plain bond paper for its notes,
and that was easily couRterfeited, SO far as
the paper was eopcerned. Between 1850 and
1863. 10 couIteTfeiS made their eppsarance
Between 1870 and 1SS, with tAe distinctive
paper in use, there wcre only forty counter
feits, not many Of them dangerous
Only six or seven Of these professed TO De
limitations of the paper, ana In those cases
size paDcr was initiated cisiealY hy SCRATCHING.
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25
DkNDElION GOLD.

Ike bright gold dollars In tie gran
The daadelioas leg
And Il they would Ike dollars pas
know wha. would buy.
4; frss I'd work With al my might
To gather up the gold
And stu1 ny pockets juss as light
As ever they would hold
Then I would find Dame Natures store
CShe has th>e dearest thingsO
Body knock q, the very front door
And ask 20. butterflies wings
Then should want some f1e gray g00
Made out OK Spiders six.
And feathery cloak from breas.s q doFeA
And soft and white as milk
For shoes I'd buy some ny Leaves
wnh snal shell tgrtocs bright
And. made Of thread tie thistle ~esveS
Sore stockings s-owy vsiis
Bu., most Of az. io1S - by
TIE .er moon fo- boat
Thst each night, far down tie sfy.
Among the s:A-S Nigh. Goat
Oh, round aad round the earth I'd razgA
So gisd and free and oold-
Ard never q c-cs Tc asa q change
Ero., t.sasl.op god
-The c1sssge EeasA.
Wichita eagle., 1889-08-25

there is not n word B-MerchAnts Bridge
Of truth in this. and C-Waior "or$s-
in fact he has published an emphatic denial
That Is the way the matter stands nc present.
The new bridge crosses the Mississippi at
the northern limits Of the city, at a point OPP
posite Venice which Is a small town on the
Illinois side OF tbs river At the point where
the bridge is built. the river at low tide Is
l go feet wide The bridge has "A span OF 300
feet, and is fifty feet above the water level,
as required by act OF congress- According %
the plans, the superstructure - supported On
four masonry piers. founded on paenmatio
caiSsons resting on limestone or rock. The
two river piers are - feet thick and * feet
long under the coping. and contain 10
yards 81 masonry each, the caissonN GA which
they are founded being 2STs0 fest and II fees
high. The two shore piers Gre 10 feet thick
and - feet long under the coping. containing
:, 400 yards Of masonry each, and founded oa
calssons 26x70xl7 feet. The upper portions q
these piers have straight SIDES with rounded
ends. The lower portions have the ends
slightly pointed 80 ss % pass the water with
the least resistance The total length II tho
bridge IL a little less than balf inile.
St Louis has another brtilys, which has prob
abr attracted rs much attention as the one ds-
scribcd II IL ia entirely different part % tBs
city and has oeeD erected for different par-
pose. Grand avenue Ia In the western part 81
the city and IL considered. and probably IL.
the most isshionsbls tEoroughfsTs q St
Louis Il Is tie Flf2I avenue q 81 Louis
and ~ is here that. especially on Sunday, all
the wealth ard fashion q the city can 10
seen But Grand aveuuc b cut Ia two by Ito
railroads and tie Grand Avenue bridge has
beea built over them. thus furnishing an TN
interrupted roadway Tor fa5Aions march
The work o. the bridge was begun three
years ago and tas BIT recently aeen finished
The Appearance - The structure rs very
pleasing. coulbiaing pa is plans tnass.vetoas
wita grnce.UL
In its construction only the very bsst ma
farial has b1en Gs-i, AID II Is the equal ia
every way % any bridge q its kind in 10
United StatsS The sup>TEtructurs y q stasl.
with iron foor system. ths zbole resting CA
massive rock faced stone piers c&py@d vita
Missouri gr1si;<- Tho length q TIE bridg-
proper VIII its approaches Is go 'ee. "a
20 feet Ia with. The same Is ths ordinary