The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1894-08-10
OFFICIAL Rsp rAps.
THE Remarkable sgeurncyinrs of light.
MNIi.ht $40 Ssola,l.rt,r.

weighta aeo Sioidpiree.
Some weeks $50, ii performance O
bis duty Public Printer benedict ex
psgsse,l quantity Of waste tyold leaf /,
the Philadelphia mint, with the redues
that its value NO TO him in rol,
coin He did not advertise the gold lea
Tor sale, as he might have done, bu
preierred 70 deal with unole Sam al
Act In . few days he received b,
express from the mint for che vast,
| gold leaf several bugs Of gold coin, th,
value of which was $l.GlS, 54. He nc
knowledgCd its receipt and at once sont
Il 70 the treasury department to bt
placed tothe credit Of the miscellaneou.
receipts q the treasnry.
The gold coin contained in the bacs
received from the mint was taken out
BY the Treasurer and counted and
weighed, rs the law psescrihes, Ont d
the 81, ,6la. 54 one $40 goldpiece, accord
ing 10 the Treasury scales, was exactly
Sl.25 light Treasurer Morgan wrote
the public printer to that effect and II,
questad that be at once forward 81. a5
y make good che shortage Of the $40
golapieca
The public printer did not propose ia
| pay tlie Sl.95 ont Of his own nooket,
50 he wrote to Superintendent Town
send uf the Philadelphia mint, inform.
ING him that one $40 goldpiece was
short sl, 25 md to please forward that
amount This was done. In his letter
continuing the H. % shortage Suparin-
tendent Townsend expressed regret TINT
ti'e public printer had not returned The
original $40 goldpiece
Alr Benedict on receiving the 81. 2S
sent Il to tine treasury department aad
got u receipt fun it. This, he thought.
would close the transaction. But ii
didn't, The treasury officials, it seems,
were not satisfied Several days after
ward the public printer received the
$40 guldpiece stamped across ia face
light 81 %, with the request TINT he
return to the department $iS. as, So as
te make his account balance, tho de-
partmant having received s1a5. This
was q surprise to the public priutar, bur
as ha was dealing with government ofIl. !
oials he Thought he could stand the
racket If they could lie sent the light
s2O goldpiece to tha Philadelphia mint,
With the request that they forward
Treasurer Morgan a certified draft fnr
$l5.75.
After lapse o. nearly week he re.
aelYed a communication from Suparin.
ielldent Townsend stating that he had
Che disputed coin, and that he
found shortage Of hut 81 and request,
N the public printer to return to him
ine W cents he had paid out in excess
a demand was made on the treasury
af ~ cents X was received, and in
urn Public Printer Benedict forwarded
: to the mint.
This ended the transaction, but the
Iuestion arises, Who made good the
hntage in the $40 goldpiece? Did the
uporintentient of the mint at Philadel.
.siia make the shortage good ont Of his
Wn pocket, Or was 1t charged to the ,
oyernmoutS And, again, If the officials !
I the mint weigh the gold coin, as the !
aw requires, how is it possible for a !
ght coin g get ont, and must not some
mag he wrong with the scales used by !
1e treasury department? The treasury :
hieials stamped the coin s1.25 light. !
he mint people say it is but 81 light. !
lad this matter occurred with private
instead Of government Off. :
Ials the private individual would no J
1ubt have had to pocket the loss. - {
3ashingt0n Post.