Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-29
WAR MONEY.
A UNIQUE COLLECTION OF DYKES PROM
EES HELD BY UNCLE SAN.
History Of The Isus-Ths Last Check Book Of the
Confsdwacy-How the Notes and Bonds
Of The Rebellion We're
Countsrfsited.

NUIILLE HMllA NV FNtE
looked into. says the Washington oI0F'
Though nothing more or less thsn a
~scrap-book, it is filled from cover WIN
money. Altogether 1t holds not less
than 500, 600 The contents are reAl
currency OF legitimate issue, ana YET
whole OF them would not buy q Dag OF
-four or a box Of soap. This IS because
Confederate notes and bonds, which
composed the collection described, are
worth at present nothing more thar
there value as waste paper, q IN so
far as certain specimens are In demand
bv collectors. Nevertheless the volume
is extremely interesting by reason OF
the fact that 10 represents the most
complete existing assemblage or the
ssshfnplasters' put In circulation as
PROMISES TO pay by the government OF
the South during the wal OF the re-
bellion.
Looking over the pages OF the scrap
hook. the various issues Of currency De-
ing arranged in chronological order,
one follows from start TO finish the his
tory of the greatest civil conflict that
the world has ever seen. The story or
a nation is always told most interest
inglv by its money. 1.-TWO years after
date the Confederate States promises TO
q reads the inscription on the earli-
est notes, but very soon this was re-
placed by a mere conservative legend,
setting the date of payment at "six
months after a ratification Of 7peace be-
tween the Confederate States and the
United States" and this latter FORM
holds uD 70 the end OF the war. Inc
money is patterned pretty closely AFTER
Uncle Sans but the clear lines OF steel
engravings are feebly initiated BY the
processes Of photO-lithOgraphy. Why
this method OF printing was employed
is quite an entertaining anecdote IN
itself.
THE FIRST SUPPLY OF CONFEDERArE
NOTES.
II will be remembered, perhaps,
that Charles G. Meminger, OF South
Carolina. on taking Office as the nrst
Secretary OF the Confederate Treasury
made a contract with the American
Bank Note Company Of New York for a
supply OF paper notes for sl'OOO, SoOO'
500 and $50. The order was filled, a
considerable quantity OF the currency
beinQ shipped 10 Richmond and safely
delivered. The goods being Iouad
satisfactory the Bank Note Com
Dany was requested 10 send on the en-
Qraved plates. This was done. but the
United States Government was on d
alert and succeeded 10 capturing the
mates on board of the vessel which was
conveying them to Richmond. A few
wears later this matter was brought up
in Congress very effectively as an argu-
ment against employing the American
Bank Note Company TO print United
States money, Its action In lending
such services 20 the Confederate Gov
exnQaent bling denounced as disloyal.
ANow. at the time when the war began
The American Bank Note Company had
a branch establishment at New Orleans,
which was conducted by q man named
Schmidt. Subsequent 10 the event just
described plates for 500, $50, $40, and
IS notes were engraved there and print
ed from. This did not last long, how
aver. BlAntOn Duncan, lieutenant colo
of a Kentucky regiment, started q pri-
yate establishment at Richmond Tor
producing paper currency by ithogra-
phy, obtaining contracts TO supply the
Confederate treasury. Other shops
WEIE sEN uu A4NAA VI - Na1 N&eN- E"A
pose, and the rivalry for government
contracts being very great, they all
united against Schmidt, AT that perl
cd any northern man residing In the
South was an object Of suspicion and
hatred. being regarded as an enemy
and presumably IN abOlitiOntst, which
term signi6ed everything that was de-
testable and discreditable 70 manhood.
Accordingly the Governor Of Louisiana,
Welding to public sentiment, swoOped
down upon the branch Office OF the
Bank Note Company, and coniscating
all the material In the shape Of plates,
tools, ETC., distributed it among the
photographic printers.
HOW TIE NOTES WERE SIGNED.
About half a dozen Of these litho-
graphic establishments az Richmond
and at Columbia, 5. c., continued 20
print paner money for the Confederate
treasury up to the end o. the conflict
not far from 81, 500, 600, 900 in ~shlnplas-
ters of various denominations were
turned out and put into circulation.
Looking over the curious scrap-bOOk de-
scribed one notices that each note is
actually signed in pen and ink with the
names OF the treasurer and the register
OF the treasury, the serial numbers being
put on in like manner. This.waS accom-
plished by employing clerks TO sign
for those officials. They were arranged
TO work in pairs, one signing for the
Register and the other for the Treas
urer. The numbers were added by a
third person. AT the beginning this
work was performed by men, but they
were in such demand for fighting pur-
noses that women were substituted
later. Altogether pa women and 6S
men were engaged in this task during
the rebellion. They did the signing
and numbering OF the notes by sheets,
which we're afterward cut up.
One complaint that was made against
Schmidt was that he was horribly slow,
and this was q very serious matter
where there was an immediate necessi-
" for almost unlimited supplies of a
eQotiable medium. The photographic
Establishments imported the paper and
5ther material In immense quantities by
y blockade runners from England. They
also obtained from Great Britain their
workmen, nearly all OF whom were
Seotchmen. The firm of Keatings &
Rall. survived all the other money print
ing concerns, and toward the end Of the
war they had ali the contracts and were
the official engravers for the COnfed-
crate treasury. Their factory was de-
I stroyed by General Sherman on his IA
mous raid Of 1865. In 1864, because Of
he continued Quarrels among the diff
rent people who did the printing o.
h currency. the treasury appointed
nmcar With the titIa OF s-nnarintand-