The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-09-16

Young Ladies IN the Treasury whe
Have Eyes In Their Fingers.


Young Ladies IN the Treasury whe
Have Eyes In Their Ffngers.
Miss Calhoun, one Of the most expert
money handlers In the Treasury Depart
ment ct Washington, has the remarkable
record okcounting IS 900 coins in single
day, each coin passing through her hands,
and 50 delicate has her sense 81 touch be-
come that should there be 4 counterfeit
coin In the lot she would detect Il even
when counting ct this tremendous rate.
She spreads the coins upon q large glass
top desk and draws them OF with the tips
Of her fingers, one, two, three or four at .
time, as she pleases; for her four fingers
are all equally educated TO the work. Her
eyes have nothing to do with the detec-
| tion OF false coins. Her fingers do II all.
They have become 30 very familiar with
the exact weight Of true coin, the feel
ing OF 1t and the amount Of its resistance
upon the glass desk that piece Of gpuri-
Gus gold, silver, nickel or copper money
attracts her attention instantly.
Theexpert counters Of paper money de-
tect counterfeits more by the eye than by
the feeling, though II the quality OF paper
l be poor they can tell IL BY the sense Of
touch. Mr.. Burnett, the chief Of the re-
demption division, tells Of 4 young lady
who was one day counting money sent in
for redemption, when she threw out .
bill and went on with her count. When
she had completed the count she took up
the rejected bill and examined II closely,
but could see nothing wrong about II.
Her first impression, however, had been
that 1t was bad bill, and she stood by
that impression and gave the bill to the
foreman Of her room. He asked her what
was the matter with II, and she said she
did not know, only she was sure it was
bad. The foreman put It under d glass
and pronounced II good, but the young
lady was 80 positive In her rejection Of it
taht he took 1t to the chief. That gentle
man examined It carefully and pronounced
II good. isA i@N
The chief then took Il to the young
lady and asked her why she had thrown 1t
out. She said she could not tell, but she
knew 1t was counterfeit. Then IL was
sent to the two most expert men In the
treasury department, and one Of them
pronounced II good, while the other,
when he came to 1t In pile of good bills,
with which II had been given to him,
threw 1t ont, saying II was bad
TO settle the matter, the bill was taken
over to the Bureau OF Engraving and
Printing, and the man who had made the
plate applied his infallible test to II and
found that, willis the bill was almost per-
fectly executed In every other respect, one
little line Of shading was abouta sixteenth
OF an inch farther to the left than It
should be.
The young lady's eye had become 30 &C.
customed to seeing that shading In OK
actly the right place that, without being
able TO explain how, she had discovered
Its spurious character; and without being
able TO give any reason for II, she had
stuck TO her FIRST impression. This might
be good case for those persons to spec
ulate ON who enjoy the analysis Of mental
phenomena and the separating OF intui-
ton from the education Of the senses
N. Y. ADVERTISE.