Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-17
THE LUCKY PENNY.
Some OF the PeculiArfties OF Mem and
Women Who Garry Mascots.

Some OF the Peculiarities OF Mem and
Women Who Garry Mascots.
The cherished preservation of odd or
particular coins as pocket-pieces is an
old and harmless sort of idolatry fire.
quently indulged in by large percent
age of humanity. Such souvenirs often
possess intrinsic value as well as le-
gendary importance, but, whether rep
resented by broad piece of gold or
battered copper-token, all have associa-
tions or little histories of peculiar in
terest to their owners. When these
treasures are under inspection in .
social way, remarks of the following
tenor are frequently heard:
This is the first bit of silver earned
when I left home"
81 found this half-penny near Shake
speare's tomb
Daniel Webster gave that Spanish
quarter to my father when boy for
holding his horse"
Here" said a man, noted for his un-
thrift, '.is the only money ever saved.
and wouldn't have saved that were it
not made of German silver"
1t is the custom for many kind old
persons to say, while rendering bright
piece of silver or gold to an emigrating
lad or lass: keep this in your pocket,
and you'll always have money"
The present and injunction are, per-
heps intended for practical suggestion
OF thrift, although in most cases the
lesson is likely to be disregarded. Few
people possess the quality of economy to
an extent that will allow them to join
Shylock in his boast of ability to make
coins breed.
A large number of these coins strug-
gle into the hands of New York money
changers, whose locations give them
daily opportunity of dealing with emil
grant arrivals. While speaking of this
incident in the business, one broker
said: 1T used to give me q pang when
some poor fellow or woman would un-
wrap time-smoothed piece of foreign
money or remove a perforated one
from chain or faded strip of
ribbon, and tearfun offer it for
sale or exchange. But one soon
loses sentiment in this business,
and in a matter-of-fact way, I simply
pay for the weight of most of such odds
and ends as you see heaped in that
tray. I've had cases wherein persons
who had struck prosperity have returned
after long time to see if their keep
sakes could be identified and recovered,
but the crucible of the Assay Office had
generally put them beyond hope"
Sometimes special piece of money is
kept sight of with almost religious in
terest. Instances are known where
pawn-brokers have made advances often
enough on a revered coin to make the
interest exceed its nominal value many
times over. 1t is case of indescribable
horror when the owner of a metallic
mascot or priced talisman has paid it
away in some unguarded moment. Hal
lowed heirlooms thus have been ruth
lessly swept into the Golfers of an un-
sentimental railroad or more profane
tills- This risk is always likely to pre-
vail, regardless of the many ways of
safely storing such precious things.
Nine out of ten of the devotees of these
little gods would decline the use of
safe-deposit boxes or bank vaults, be-
ieving as they do that the luck or
charm chances of the object only be-
come potent by personal contact--N.
Y. Tribune.