The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-06
OLD BILLS MADE NEW.
Uncle Sam Is q Very Honest Old
Gentleman.
He viii Give Crisp New Notes for Old and
Mutilated Currency-Even Money To-
tally Destroyed Is Sometimes
Made Good by Him.

yearly All OF TINS Is q clear gain TO the
government. If z man throws TWEEN
ty-dollar- bill into the fire with lot OF
paper, and realizes too late that flames
are no respecters of persons or papers.
he may tell of it as rather rough joke
on himself, but he gives il up as lost
nine times out of ten, and pays no more
attention to it. If he saves small
part of the bill he may perhaps think
it worth something and goes to inquire
about it, If he does he stands good
chance of recovering his entire loss
The law upon the subject is quite
plain. and one that people ought to be
informed upon. The paper issued BY
the government and called money is of
course merely a makeshift A gold
certificate for ten dollars is merely a
promise on the part Of the government
at Washington TO pay the bearer ten
dollars in gold when he presents that
certificate at the treasury Office. II
that certificate is never presented and
no demand is made for the gold it rep
resents the gold remains in the vaults.
and the government is ultimately that
much ahead. When bills become worn
or in any way unfit for circulation the
treasury or any of the sub-treasuries in
the country are not only willing but
glad of the chance TO make an ex-
change, and thereby put good bills in
circulation. United States notes, frac-
tional currency notes, gold certificates,
silver certificates and treasury notes of
1880 are all redeemable by the United
States treasurer. The assistant treas
urers at the different sub-treRsury
Offices are also authorized to redeem
these bills, provided the bill retains
three-ffths of its original proper
tons. II, however, more than two
fifths of the bill is gone the assistant
treasurers have no authority to act,
and the matter must 20 before the
treasurer. If two-ffths of the original
proportions of the bill remain and
possibility exists that the remainder is
still in existence, then the United
States treasurer Will redeem the mutt
lated currency at one-half the face
value.
There are circumstances, however,
under which the entire sum lost will
be made good by the government if
the treasurer is thoroughly satisfied
that the bills have been entirely de-
stroyed. This fact has to be made
clear by the party asking for the re-
dempt.on of the destroyed money;
detailed description OF the circum-
stances must be given; it must ali be
sworn to, and the good character of
:, H.,
must be satisfactorily shown By some
officer with a seal. Even after all this
is done, the matter IS still left discre-
tionarv with the treasurer as to
whether he will make the loss good or
not. The wording Of the law closes
with the provision that The treasurer
viii exercise such discretion under
this regulation as may seem TO him TO
protect the United States from fraud"
These provisions do not refer to the
national bank notes, which, when less
than three-ifths of bill remains,
must be presented to the bank OF issue.
The main reason for this law allow
ing the redemption of mutilated cur
rency is that the government loses
nothing by it. As already stated, the
piece of paper is simply promise TO
pay, and If this evidence of nations
Indebtedness is entirely destroyed the
government, as o matter of honesty,
will give the owner a new evidence of
the same Indebtedness. The former be-
ing destroyed, there would be no pos
sibility of the government having 20
pay the same debt twice. The same
reason applies to the redemption of
bill with part torn off. II can be re-
deemed at its face value only when
clearly three-ffths remain, and Il any
one should present the other part
(Which IS less than three-ffths) he
could get nothing at all for It unless
showing clearly and satisfactorily that
the first portion had been destroyed. In
this way the government protects itself
entirely, and at the same time does
what IL can TO shield it's creditors and
protect them from loss
Very few people know the law on
the subject, the general opinion being
that when money is too badly used up
10 be kept IN circulation IL is practi-
caIly useless A man came into the St
Louis su treasury not long since AID
showed a number Of badly used-up
bills, as lie asked II they were worth
ANYTHING. The officers were busy a
the time, and. as the bills were quite
badly mutilated, he was told 10 come
back al Eve O'Clock and the matter
would be looked into. As be went oU:
the door ne remarked to a friend that
II -r,xsEaa :. j. -
probably wouldn I amount TO anything.
aud so he never cane back The same
sort Of al incident came under the Oh
servat.on Of r Barlow, the notary
public II Cashier uavcs' Office ~ the
post CH5ce, about a month ago. A gen
tIenan who had fallen into IT, river
had so completely saturated bis clothes
that when &c vas P-llInT some paper
ont q ore q his pocGets forgetting
thirty dollars IN Currency he tore ths
money al 70 pieces ard had only vet,
sozTv mass eft Re was referred by
tae treasury department % Ar. Carlow
n order 20 furnish = necessary aida
VT, AID. when he found e would take
some little time. work aud patience. be
SAID he wAntcG % start 70 Philadelphia
that night. AID Ae guessed be wouldn't
take the trouble On the sin chance %
getting anything IN ibls and az s.za-
liar cases TIE real feeling q the GpPli-
cant almost invariably Is iAAt sny e.
fort 70 regain what : lost Is sizapiy
tine thrown away. AID SO lie d.sZiSses
the matter
NJ Barlow. neEticue1 above as be
inG eQnBseted With .le GAMERS Gee