The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-30
Millions in Paper Currency
That Is Not Redeemed.
First Lighthouse at Minot's Ledge
and How 1t Was Destroyed.

wear, and tear and in a hundred and one
peculiar ways Especial attention has been
drawn TO the matter just at present be-
cause Of the recommendation of Senator
Pasoo on behalf of the committee on
claims, TO pay claim amounting to $500
which has been pending against the
| government since 1869 The claim Is for
| the redemption of five United States
treasury notes which were found in a
rats nest in one end OF an old box car on
the Louisville and Nashville railroad,
back in 1868, by carpenter named John
Veeley of Louisville The notes were
badly mutilated, but the numbers of the
series, date OF issue and denomination
were decipherable, and Veeley tried TO
have them redeemed, but failed in the
attempt. At last, however through
special act of Congress, he may get the
money.
Had Veelen gone properly about the
matter of having the notes redeemed he
would in all probability have received
his money at once. liz is "a simple matter
60 have "a mutilated bill redeemed at "A
sub treasury and 1t is done nearly every
day. An official at the sub-treasury in
speaking of the matter recently said:
1--WE have application to redeem mutt
lated bills about every day. The system
is simple. If person presents three
fifths of bill it iss redeemed in full. If
n half of bill. one half of the full value
is given, but if only small part of the bill
Is presented, proof must bo given that the
remainder of the bill has been absolutely
destroyed before il will be redeemed. The
government requires IA responsible person
Ia vouch for the fact / have seen pieces
of bills saved from fire scarcely larger
than mans thumb redeemed at full
value. Frauds are very seldom attempted.
That is, few persons try to secure the
full value on several pieces Of a bill. 1t
don't pay, for they never succeed"
Some idea of the enormous sum of
paper money which the government never
has to redeem may be had from the fact
that there is at the present time between
$l5 600, 600 and S16, 900, 600 in fractional
currency, such as was used in war times,
five, ten, twenty-five and fifty cent bills
outstanding OF this amount the govern
ment recently charged off S. 900, 600 rs
never likely TO be presented for redemp-
tion. The remaining 81, 600, 600 or $s, 000,
600 worth are said To be held by collectors
A sub-treasury official who has been in
the service of the treasury department for
over 80 years, said of the peculiar ways
paper currency is mutiatOd: Il have
known bills too be redeemed which had
been chewed up and swallowed by
animals. One case know of where n
man died from swallowing paper money.
He was cut open and the money re-
deemed. Bills found i'm rat and mice
nests all torn into pieces have often been
redeemed but fire wipes out more than
anything else. l have heard that gov
ernment expert i'm Washington figured
cut that the government is ahead SIS 0OO
600 to $50 600, coo in paper money which
has been destroyed during the past 33
years. One would think that paper
money would be more popular than It is,
for banks which issue notes are naturally
benefited to some extent by the destruc-
tion of bills issued as well as the gov
ernment.
John NJ Ellicott. u. s. N, has written
very interesting account of the first
lighthouse at Minot's Ledge and its de-
struction. The first lighthouse at that
point was built in 1913. 1t was an octag-
onal tower resting on the tops of eight
wrought iron piles eight inches in diam
etor and sixty feet high, with their
bases sunk five feet in the rock. These
piles were braced together in many WAYS:
and, as they offered less surface to the
waves thnn solid structure, this light
house was considered by all author
titles upon the subject to be exceptionally
strong. Its great test came i'm April
1851. On the 18th of that month two
keepers being in tho lighthouse, an
|
force. People on shore, and no doubt tho
keepers themselves watched the heavy
seas sweep harmlessly through the net
work of piles beneath the house, and
feared no harm. On the 18th however,
the wind and sea had greatly increased,
and the waves were flung higher and
| higher toward that tower in the air.
! Yet all thought they surely could not
| reach sixty feet above the ledge
The night was ono Of the keenest
anxiety for the gale still increased; and
all through that dreadful, driving storm
and darkness, the faithful Keepers were at
/ their posts for the light burned brightly.
! On Wednesday, the 18th, the gale had be-
| come "a hurricane, and when at tines
the tower could bo seen through the mists
/ and sen drift 10 SCENE 10 bend 20 the
| shock OF the waves. AT O'Clock that
| afternoon an ominous proof of the fury Of
! the waves on Minot's Ledge reached the
! shore-a platform which had been built
! between the piles only seven feet below
! the floor of the keepers room. The rag
ing Seas, then, were leaping fifty feet i'm
| the air. Would they reach ten feet highorl
| --fOi II so the house and the keepers were
| drowned Nevertheless when darkness
| set in the light shone out as brilliantly as
ever; but the gale seemed, II possible then
/ 10 increase. What agony those two men
mus have suffered How that dreadful
abode must have swayed in tho rrcsist.
iblc hurricane, and trcmhlod at each
crashing sea- The poor unfortunates
must have known that II those sens. leap
! ing always higher and higher ever reached
| thCir house, ~ would be flung down into
the ocean, ana they would bc buried
| with it beneath the waves. To those
| hopeless terrified watchers the entomb-
ing SEA came at last. At o'clock I'm the
morning the lighthouse bell was heard by
those on shore to give mournful clang,
! and the light was oxtinguishcd It was
| the funeral knell Of two patient heroes
| NoXt dnN thero remained on the rock only
! eight iaugcd iron stumps