Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-11-18

. EF E-rpEt At1AAA lDuLADl StLAE ~ AAt
conscience fund Of the treasury the
other day was the largest, save one,
| that has been received IN seven years.
Just about that long ago the halves Of
/ eight $1,000 bills came by mail with an
anonymous note, saying that the other
halves would be forwarded if ac-
! Acknowledgement OF the first batch was
made in the newspapers This WAS
done and Uncle sam was richer by
/ $500. says the Washington Star No
explanation was offered. aud the affair
/ remains mystery. The exception
above noted was a "wad" OF $4,g9j,
simply folded in a sheet Of paper, with
tue word Conscience" scTawled on
it. On one occasion Postmaster Gener-
| al Wanamaker got a letter with $1,000
IN it and the written words:
This is tie balance OF interest
owe on the sum of money l stole from
the government in 1865. have now
paid principal and interest-in all
1 ST., 800. No man his suffered for his
crime more than l. and now l pray
the Lords forgiveness for my sin"
! Letters with Enclosures intended for
the conscience fund are usually address
| Cd to the secretary OF lhe treasury. By
him they are sent to the public moneys
| division, which makes note OF the
amounts and deposits them with the
treasurer Of the United States The
sums received are almost always in
cash, with now and then a draft
They are never accompanied by the
names of the senders, except once in
\ a while in the cases Of persons who
| have made mistakes as TO payments Of
customs duties The written commmi-
! cations relating to them are very brief
as a rule. If otherwise, they contain
elaborate apologies and appeals.
! Some Of them are funny. For OK
ample, one consciencc-sricGen person
wrp,e not long ago from Suspension
Bridge, saying;
Since the emancipation Of negroes
/ / have taken two pairs Of shoes of
ship that the gunbouts captured /
tuck the shoes while she lay at Key
West"
The letter was signed An Irish
Man" ana with il was iuclOsed $3.50.
Another correspondent sends $500 in
settlement Of incom toX' Ills note
addressed TO the Conscience burough'
of the treasury, explains that when the
tax referred TO was levied be was not
able to state his income without injur
ing his business. Only the other day
. ,,ttt,,,y.. 90 ~ ,,-g 4 ,,.,y.fty-..l r,..,,r
"a man who felt sorry for having beat
On his passage on government train
during the war" Another sum OF 500
came from an individual who regretted
having been a p2rty 10 certain Under
valuations In The matter Of customs
duties. 1t WAS pOStmarked London
and was signed "Oue who is suffering
Wrapping two postage stamps WIS
scrap Of paper with the words, Money
that belongs to the government"
slnaua5sssmEaaacohsutyr, sneta.octao
The great majority Of such contrib
uuons are small amounts To con
sbius" 81 Another persons sends s.
to the "conshous fund. one old sol
der is a regular customer, lie for
wards 50 from time to time ION account
of 500 which l obtained by unfairness
seventeen or eighteen years ago and
which l hope to Equidatc. ! give my
God the bene6. Of the doubt" A draft
for Sl07 on New York, received from
ST. Louis the ether day, and addressed
10 Mr. B. Carlisle was folded in
Sheet # paper which bore simply the
WORT delinquent" 1t was handed
correspondent writes, please credit
the inclosed - cents 10 G. F. and
obhgc" In neat feminine hand is
an anonymous missiye which says: "A
lady who recently swore to a statement
which she now finds to be wrong sends
10 YOU SIT"
On several occasions it has happened
that people have cut bills into two,
sending oue-half to tie treasury and
the other half TO the treasurer Of the
United States for the sake Of safety.
There are persons who do not enter
tain absolute faith In the integrity Of
government officials. One man for
warded $40 TO the conscience fund
Mlllt dEo 81 lA- ~ A4ll~ A47i4tf
where Il belongs and keep your re-
oord Gear 4 repentant HooSier
writes Enclosed ind $40, which
return to the government, having beat
on her out of that amount i'm minor
ways from time to time" II is
French woman, sorry for smuggling,
probaliy. who RENTS SE26. with the
words "C'est pour lie tresorie" scrubbed
on scrap of paper
The person who sent $500 to the
conscience fund the othe- day was
very careful about it, lie mailed at
Tie same time SLJeo to the secretary
If rhe treasury 5000 to the United
States treasurer and 500 to the assist .
amt treasurer Mt New York. lie claim
~ that the sum mentioned completed
q Payment Of $1,000 made by him as
double restitution for $1,000. Of which
De had dcfraudef the government dur
INT the war Whether this statement
,.4s t4.lp or NOT Cln not ug~S hlE up .