Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-15
A Bank Bill that Created Sensation at the
Treasury Department..
paItirrora Eur

Baltimore Sun.
There was received at the treasury de-
partment day or two ago one OF the
most peculiar bank notes ever seen
among the millions upon millions of cur
reuey notes printed by the government.
1t was $40 note or a $40 note, just &C.
cording TO which side was up for by some
remarkable mistake, the one side was
printed with the figures and devices of a
$50 bill, while the other had I'LL the fig
ures and devices of $40.
The note was returned to the treasury
by the cashier of the First Washington
national bank OF Jersey City, who sent
il with a rather sarcastic note, intimst-
ing that his bank was not going into the
freak business, and added that as the
treasury had counted that bill for $40,
he would trouble them to send him an
ordinary 500 note. The affair created e
sensation, for no one had ever seen such
o wonderful note before. The matter
was referred to the department of issue,
from which the note had been sent out
to the Jersey City bank. The mistake
was promptly corrected and an immed-
late investigation begun.
A consultation was held with Gen.
Meredith, chief of the bureau of engrav-
ing and printing. He was at first thun-
derstruck, but his amazement soon gave
way TO intense alarm at the palpable evil
dence Of some glazing oversight some
where. The bureau is considered mar
vel Of perfect surveillance and continual
check and counter check on every little
detail. This mistake having occurred in
one note must have occurred in more.
All bank notes are printed in blocks Of
four on one sheet and $50 sheets In one
bundle, SO that there are always thou
sand notes worked of at one printing.
The thought occurred to him that posi-
bly, the banks might be flooded with these
hybrids, which would mean disgrace and
ridicule on his administration.
A particularly aggravating feature was
the fact that Mr.. Graves, Gen. Mere
dith s immediate predecessor, had been
in the treasury when the mistake was re-
ported aud had learned all about It.
The investigation was prosecuted with
vigor, and yesterday Gen. Meredith
found the cause of the trouble. It seems
that the four notes printed on sheet ars
not al OF one denomination. There are
always three of one kind and the fourth
of another; thus, in this case, three tens
and twenty. It was an easy task to
learn just when this bundle had been
printed, and by which plate printers
They were examined and it was devel-
oped that one sheet of four notes. after
having been printed on one side, had
fallen of the bundle to the floor. The
assistant who picked it up, by some IN
fortunate oversight, turned the sheet
upside down when she placed II on the
bundle.
The rest is easily understood. This
sheet was prin ted on the second side with
20-face on the reverse OF a ten and one
Of the three I0-faees on the reverse Of
the one 20 OF the steel. Hence, there
were two h1o-20s'' in the lot. Thus
the mistake was corrected. But no good
explanation was offered, CT can be Of
fered, why these two bills, passing
through score OF hands, each one of
whom is supposed 10 examine every bill
most carefully, should not have been
discovered. Every person in the bureau
who handles note is held responsible in
the strictest way, and It is almost in
creditable that none OF these people
should have discovered the mistake. In
the department Of issue are not less than
six counters, whose business il has been
for years TO count the notes before issu-
ing them 10 the banks. They are con-
sidered the most expert counters in the
world, and yet all six Of these wonderful
experts allowed such a bill TO pass
through thelr hands. No trace has yet
been found Of second hybrid, so that It
mus he 7Rnderibg around she country.
The zzeasaeT department b snxiouAly
waiting 70 hsar from K. The two notes
VIII BE- 6ept IN the treasarerss Office Is
rare c1rissitics.