Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-09-27
CORNERED THE COPPERS.
The Ingenious Scheme Of a De-
troit Baker.
His Pennies Being Refused by n Bank
He Collects Barrels OF Them and
Creates n Shortage in tho
Market

rs the western cowboy, who invented
the term, hates to see such currency in
a game of poker. AS n rule there is 4
strong kick when any large amount of
pennies is turned in at once, and some
time ago the local banks adopted rule
not to take, pennies in bulk from MGR
camille establishments. This aroused
the Indignation of storekccpcrs who re-
ceivcd large quantities of coppers from
their customers, rs under the new deal
they were obliged to ship their surplus
to eastern cities or send it to the treas
ury department or to sub-trcasurics at
considerable trouble and expense.
Barrie & Saladin, who run the larg-
est bakery in the city, and naturally
take IN an almost endless number of
cents, were the most seriously affected
OF any firm, and they determined on re-
venGc. just how to accomplish this
was n mystery. If the rule had applied
to only one bank it would have been
easy to get even by transferring business
to another bank, but as all the banks
had united on the Issue this remedy w2s
out of the question. To suspend ali
banking relations could not be thou rht
of. Mr.. Barrie went homo one evening
trying to devise some plan to get even.
AS he sat reading the paper after sup
per one Of lis children asked for Il
penny to put III q missionary box.
a strong hogshcad was secured, care
fully scaled up and placed in the eel
lGr. y slot was cut in the lid and tin
tube placed to run from the slot to the
cash drawer Upstairs. Early in NovCrl
Der tho first penny was dropped into
the hugo barrel, and after that every
copper that came in, instead of being
placed with cash to lie turned into tho
bank, was dropped into the slot. The
barrel began 20 fill and the receiving
teller At The .CitiGcra' savings bank was,
puzzled 1T receiving no more Offers OF
heavy dcpo'i its of cents. Mr.. Barrie:
explained ut the bank that he haG
found Il new way of getting rid of his
pennies.
Bat slot machines, Sunday school con-
fri buttons at Christmas and u hGavy call
by merchants for small change Gurira-
the hOlidGyS exhausted tho viSi5lcSupp;Y
Of the useful coppcrs. and the bu:I:<:,
instead Of refusing to take large Quun
titles Of pennies, were ut their wits
end TO gather enough to supply Their
customers. Merchants who sent to-
banks for five dollars, ten dollars or Ef-
teen dollars worth Of cents were disaD-
pointed. The banks tclc raphcd to
eastern cities, but were unable to get u
supply on short notice. Then the follow
ing appeared in q Detroit paper:
There is Il great scarcity of pennies In
Detroit"
Mr.. Barrie was happy. IIc dropped
Tito his bank and casually asked the,
| cashier about the penny crop. lie then
pleasantly reminded the cashier that
the bank had once sncCrcd 1T coppcrs
On the two days following he Iu;.,tc
similar remarks ut the bank and on the
fourth visit he casually said:
'tI2y the way, guess we've got quito
batch Of pennies up at the shop. IL
| you'll send u man up / can give you
| some. But want premium of one
and one half per cent"
The bank readily agreed, and mos
| scngcr was sent up. When he arrived
| he was told there were more pennies,
than he could carry. If the bank want
cd them all they must send up an cx-
press wagon. The telephone YVES re
sorted to. The bank was delighted
Oh, certainly, it would take all it coulG
| get.
Half an hour later an expressman
called The contents OF the hogshcad
had been cmpticd into three barrels.
which were placed on the wagon and
talicn to the bank. The cashier was,
fairly struck dumb; he had calculated
on half q bushcl of pennies ct the out
sidc-hcre were barrels OF them. He
| telcphoncd to Mr.. Barrie. lie didn't
| want the whole mint.
| Cant help that" said Mr. Barrie.
"You said you'd take all you could get
ut one and one half rcr cent. premium. -
SO the barrels we're rolled into tie
bank and placed in back room, which
| was cleared of all furniture. The thou
sands upon thousands Of coppers were
dumped on the tiled floor. Counting
them was out Of the question, and
weighing was rcSorted to. The aver
! age number of pennies in pound was