The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-02-14
GOVERNMENT BONDS.
SOME BUYERS FORGET TO COLLECT
INTEREST OR PRINCIPAL.

Some Interesting Information Expressed
In Large Figures-The Difference Be-
tween Coupon and Registered Bonds.
How Interest Piles Up.
A number Of snug fortunes are lying
in the United States treasury waiting
for somebody to step Dip and claim them.
This money is due on bonds long ago
called in. Some Of them have never
been cashed by the holders. On the
'sold debt" which embraces all loans
made to this government up to 1887,
s121, 900 is still owing. Since that date
more than 100000 has accumulated,
being uncalled for by the persons en-
titled to it. either through negligence or
for other reasons.
A considerable fraction Of this great
sum is now held by the treasurer of the
United States in the shape of checks.
Interest on registered bonds is paid by
check, but as people are constantly
changing their addresses it not infre-
quently happens that track is lost for
awhile of an individual bondholder. I'm
der such circumstances the quarterly in
terest checks are retained as they.fal
due and in the course of time pile up.
They are kept for an indefinite period
and are good forever.
There are such checks in the treasur-
er's Office now which have accumulated
during more than 10 years. On the 9TH
er hand, knowing that they are always
good for the money they represent, peo-
pie often keep these interest checks, put
ting them away and boarding them, j1'st
as if they were so much cash. Only the
other day batch Of 40 checks for 81
each was received at the treasury. The
owner had simply put them away as
they came in year after year.
The millionaire is commonly repre-
sented as engaged in clipping coupons
from bonds. This is an esregious error.
Rich men, as rule, do not hold coupon
bonds. Such bonds are not safe prop
.erty. They are always payable to bearer
like treasury notes. If lost, the govern
ment will not replace them. According
ly, for the sake Of security, people are
constantly exchanging them for regis
tered bonds. The sum total OF coupon
bonds is now about 10000, 900, mostly
in the hands Of small holders.
Registered bonds are rich mems prop
erty par excellence. At present about
5000 100000 worth Of them is held by
private individuals. Of this great sum
ss7 ,OO0, 900, or not far from one-half. IS
owned by 1000 persons, roughly speak
ing. whose holdings average $4,000.
The names of these fortunate individ-
uals are kept secret by the treasury.
Some of the fortunes possessed in this
shape are enormous. Among the great
est holdings are those of the Wander
bilts. Old William II. Vanderbilt had
81, 900 900 in registered bonds at one
time.
About 20 years ago $4,000 worth of
the consols of 1865 and 1867 We're stolen
in Havana. The thief altered them by
erasing the name from the face and sold
them to ignorant persons. They were
for $1,000 each. Ever since then they
have been coming in to the treasury
through banks and otherwise. Of course
they were useless to the holders, being
registered and only payable to the orig
inal owner.
The original owner lost nothing, Of
course. All he had to do was to notify
the secretary of the treasury. .c-iving an
affidavit and bond of indemnity, and
the stolen copsols were replaced. That
is the advantage of registered bonds
The number of such bonds that have
been lost and stolen is astonishing. A
list of them, numbering nearly 1000, is
printed and circulated by the govern
ment.
It is called the ''caveat list and is de-
signed to warn bankers and others
against accepting securities of the num-
bers mentioned. Some time ago report
came from Indianapolis Of bond that
was said to have been destroyed. Afi-
davits, etc., being furnished, a new one
was issued to replace it. Ten years later
that Identical security was forwarded to
the treasury from Holyoze, Mass.
1t had been found in lot Of waste
paper at paper mill. There was no
question of fraud in this case. The own
er lost it and supposed that it had been
burned.
A great many bonds called for re-
demption 20 years and more ago have
never been presented for payment. Some
of them have doubtless been put away
and forgotten. It is imagined that 9th
ers have been lost at sea together with
their owners. The quantity of gold and
silver in coin and bullion sunk from
wrecks in the ocean amounts to many
millions Of dollars in the course Of CEN
tury.
Only about ss,ooO,o0 worth of bonds
is possessed by comparatively poor per-
sons. and these in sums of $500 or less.
About 80 years ago Uncle Sam lent a
lot of money to help build various trans
continental railways. It was understood
that the companies would refund the