Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-04-17
aeliseellaneous &sading.
UNKNOWN OWNERSHIP.
United States Money Awaiting the Proper
Claimants.

| Claimants.
An old United States treasury official
now living in New York, in relating
his experiences, says:
"There is quite large amount of
money due people, who do not call for
it, in the United States treasury. You
see, there have been ten great loans
made to the United States in the past
sixty years. The oldest 1 ever had
anything to do with was that maturing
in 1861 think it was. 1t is about all
paid, but there is still nearly one hun
dred and ten thousand dollars, in prin-
cipal and interest, due to somebody.
1t will propably never be called for.
"And, speaking of that loan of 1886,
there was curious incident connected
with my last reference to those old
books relating TO that claim. 1t was
while Judge Folger was secretary.
One morning an old man came in 10
me who was from a New England
State. He said that about twenty
years ago he found some old stocks or
bonds among the papers Of an uncle
(mentioning his name). He had been
man of national reputation for finan-
cial ability, and made comfortable
fortune for those days, that is, from
1920 to 1910, and he had come to the
United States treasury to find out if
these old papers were worth anything,
as they seemed to be United States
bonds. l looked at them. They were
ten of the 'old debt bonds, and were
indeed curiosities. They were old and
yellow from age, but were worth,
principal and interest, seventy thou
sand dollars in gold, for there was ten
years. interest due on them.
"You can imagine the old mans
amazement when I told him this.
'Why, I would gladly have taken
five thousand for them,' said he, 'and
| 1 offered them to Boston banker
for less than that, but he rather super
ciliously and contemptuously declined
to buy them at any figure
II took the old man to see Judge
Folger, who was very much interested
in the matter when I explained it to
him. He had never seen anything of
the 'old loan securities, and after these
were paid and cancelled I believe he
directed that one of them be framed
and preserved. Well, in less than
half an hours time the old New Eng
lander walked out of-the building with
check in his pocket on the New
York sub-treasury for seventy thou
sand dollars in gold ! How that smart
Boston banker must have cursed his
own ignorance and stupidity when he
learned what he had thrown away.
ga circumstance very similar to this
occurred in relation to some Texas in
demnity bonds (the next oldest of our
national loans), when Mr.. Morrill, was
secretary Of the treasury. A promi-
nent Southwestern man, who had held
high command in the Mexican war
and was Confederate general officer,
left among his papers a certificate of
Texas indemnity stock, as it was
called, for ten thousand dollars. His
widow visited here soon after her hus.
bands death, and being very much
reduced, was consulting the late MIR.
George Riggs concerning the disposi-
ton of some Texas lands.
"Knowing that her husband had
been large holder of these securities,
Mr.. Riggs said:
"'Mrs. -, what did General -
do with his Texas indemnity stock =" 4
really don't know the lady answered.
Il never heard of any such things
"'By the way she said, few mill
utes later, Il saw in an old envelope l
found among his papers not very long
ago something which had the words
"Texas indemnity" on it, but l thought
it was an old receipt for taxes paid on
the Texas land DO you think you
can find it again p said Mr.. Riggs,
without telling her anything which
would create expectations that might
never be realized. 'Oh, yes she re.
piled. Il remember perfectly well
where put it, Have it sent to me
here,' was the next suggestion of the
banker. Itis as we'll to have all the
papers relating to this land together
"In the course of the next fortnight
the lady came into the bank, and hand
ing Mr.. Riggs a paper, said, "Here is
the tax receipt However, it was
ten thousand dollar Texas indemnity
certificate, on which five years. inter-
est was due, and the intense gratifica-
tion of the lady may be imagined when
she was told that the old yellow bit of
paper would add twelve thousand
five hundred dollars in gold-which
was then at small premium--to her
worldly goods. 1t came just in time,
too, for she was able, with the money,
to save a valuable estate in Arkansas,
which otherwise would have been
sold to foreclose mortgage overdue.
Nearly all the 'Texas indemnity bonds
have been paid long ago, and DO not
think there can be more than twenty
five thousand dollars which has not
been called for. OF course, interest
has ceased to accrue.
"The next United States loan was
that known in the market as the 5-2O,
bond that could be paid in five years,
or in twenty, after its maturity, as the