Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1895-10-11

est; but the work of the experts is al
ways conscientious and earnest in the
efforts to save the people from losses by
misfortune.
During the civil war the government
issued SAT- ,000,0 900 in small notes. They
were for 8, 5, 10, Is, 25 and so cents each,
and were commonly called ''shinplas-
ters" in those days The records of the
treasury department show that more
than s11 100000 of this currency was
never sent to the treasury for redemp-
ton, and Uncle Sam was just that much
ahead in the transaction. It is pre-
sumed that nearly all Of it was destroyed
in various ways during the war.
1t is estimated that the government
gains little over per cent. on all of
its issues of paper currency by coutrac-
ton in various ways. The stoves Of
the country play an important part,
but there Is a great deal of money in
paper boarded every year by persons
who die without revealing its where
abouts and much Of 1t is never found.
Sums in this shape are often dug up on
the persons of corpses exhumed for
other purposes. Not long ago the body
of murdered man was discovered in
the woods near an Ohio town badly de-
composed and with a pocketbook filed
with greenbaclzs. The latter were sent
to the treasury here for redemption,
which did not prove in this instance a
pleasant task for the experts in the re-
demption division. Nearly all of them
are ladies.
The greatest gain to the government
was made from the fractional currency
of war times, mentioned above. The
first issue of these small notes was
made in 1868, and of the scent notes
then put forth nearly one-half-more
than As per cent, accurately speaking
has never been asked payment for.
The same thing is true of 80 per cent.
of the 10-cent notes, 90 per cent. of the
25-cent. notes and II per cent. of the
5O-cent notes It is shown by the fig
ured treasury total that of the 800, ,000,-
600. worth of these little notes first
issued more than $4,000, 900 still remains
outstanding, and it will probably never
be presented for redemption.
While the government gains by rea-
son of the losses sustained by individ-
uals in the destruction of paper money,
the treasury is slightly depleted by the
wearing away of gold coin. Every
gold r.ece is of course alloycd, for, as is
well known, gold is such soft metal
that it could not be used for money
without amalgamation with baser met
ais. The gold in the vaults of the
treaSIry department lies untouched for
months, and some of it for years, en-
cased in small canvas bags With
every change of national administra-
tion a new treasurer is appointed, and
then every dollar is counted, so that
the outgoing treasurer can receive re-
ceipts from his successor showing that
his accounts are correct. 1t is singu-
lar and commendable fact that treas
urers of the United States have been
exceptionally honest and capable. On
one occasion, in 1885, when the treasury
cash was counted, three pennies were
missing in sum total of hundreds of
millions of dollars These pennies were
afterwards found on the floor Of one of
the vaults. They had fallen out of an
old and worn out canvas bag. Although
the coin is seldom handled, the govern
ment loses something every time by the
friction of the gold, but the loss is
almost infnitesimal, as compared with
the gains which are made on the issues
of paper money. SMITH d. FRY.