The Washington times., 1894-12-26
POETRY on BANK NOTES


Arostrophized the Greasy Sits of Paper
Much of the writing found on old bank
notes IS due to the love of scribbi!ng pos
scssed by many persons. Much OF it is ridicH-
lous rhyme unworthy of repetition, but oc-
easionaily it IS smart and opposite to the pur-
pose of bank notes. On an English pound
note appears the following:
Ye July, dirty little scrap!
70 look al hardly worth rap;
And yet III give my hearty vote
None can produce sweeter note
Another inscription:
1t odd that any m1n should wish
& dirty, crabbit rag Ike this;
\ ct Inony q ane would cut 4 csper
To get a ween sic bits paper.
contribution 90 bank-note literature is
found in Loc&hart'S s Life OF Scott" LADY
Louisa Stuart sent the great nove Isl Il copy
0 some lines which were written on a guinea
note then in possession of Lady Douglas
They were as follows:
Farewell my note, and wheresoe'er We wend
Shua gaudy scenes, and be the poor man 8
friend.
You've lett a poor man; 90 to one as poor
And drive 3espa.r and hanger from MS door
Sir Waiter expressed himself as very much
pleased with these lines Bank notes have
not now so long an existence as formerly;
they are Withdrawn from circulation when-
ever their eXterna. appearance is unSatis-
factory and are consigned 10 the flames, the
close retort being most commonly used in
their destruction. Several banks have big
occasional burnin2s, while others have nu-
merous burnings for similar amounts Wnen
notes are presented ior payment in a deiec-
tive condition from whatever cause it is the
practice of some banks to pay according TO
the proportion OF the note which is pre-
sentsd. Notes are destroyed in various ways.
Dogs, cattle sheep. and eats chew them.
Laundresses have been known to wash their
patrons garments containing notes. reducing
them in the process TO sad state OF pulr.
Hens have picked at them, pigs have gulped
them. mice have nlbbied them
An old story is told by the Banker Maga-
zine in this connection. Not long ago a $50
note was sent 20 the United States Treasury
for redemption. Accompany NJ it was an
affidavit saving that its owner pat it in a
cigar box where mice had got at it and nib
bled it. The note was u counterfeit. Not
only that. but il had peen through the Treas
ury here at some previous time, had been
stamped with the word Bad in letters cut
t out OF the paper. Bat the allege.. mice had
! almost oblitera;ed the letters by nibblinS
/ around them. Il was Il queer way for mice
/ to behave. to say the least OF it. A detective
+ Of the service was sent 20 look the matter up.
+ He investigated the case fully, and reported
/ that if was all right-in short, that the note
had been submitted for redemption IN good
/ faith
/ The owner. it appears, was an Old German
! sailor OF spectabe character. Nevertheless,
he woald 20 on IN occasional spree Waking
up one morning after night of dissipation
/ he found all his money gone except this note
! OF so. Somebody had doubtless passed it OF
on him. He noticed rolhing wrong about it
/ and had put il into the cigar box. in which be
kept not only his ready money, but also bird
/ seet for his pet canary. Mi:e, attracted by
the bird seed visited the box and incidentally
chewed Up the note. On finding it partly
destroyed, the sailor forwarded it to the
/ Treasury at Washington. The case is inter
esting chiefly as an illustration OF the way in
which appearances OF fraud may some times
mislead.