The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-03-04
Copper Cent Must Go.


Minor coins of the United States
government may be cast in nickel and
alloy. Recent experiments with alum
mum and various alloys having
proved unsuccessful, the attention of
the congressional committee on coin
age has been directed toward finding
some substitute which would answer
the purpose, it having been decided
unwise to continue the use of copper.
1t is not the intention to use pure
nickel for the coins. The 5-cent piece
really contains only 25 per cent of
nickel, the balance being of copper.
Switzerland is the only country in the
world which uses pure nickel for coin
age. 1t is found in the coming of the
metal there that the operation is very
slow and expensive. This, therefore,
puts an end, according to the belief OF
the coinage committee, to the project
of coming any United States money
out of the metal without allow.
Experiments with aluminium were
not satisfactory, but it is not altogeth-
-er certain that aluminium may not yet
be found useful when combined with
nickel. The metal has never yet found
a place in the currency of any nation,
although there has been any amount
of talk concerning it, and the expert
ments in the Philadelphia mint were
watched with the keenest interest by
the representatives of foreign nations
in this country. Those who caused the
experiments to be made believed that
the very light weight of the metal
would give cents made of it a decided
advantage over coins of copper.
Of the alloys possible from copper,
tin, nickel and aluminium in different
combinations, not more than fifteen or
twenty were found entirely satisfac-
tory. IL is barely possible that one or
two of these alloys may be advantage
ously utilized in general coinage.
With the aluminium, however, great
difficulty was found during the expert
ments, because it was very hard to an
neal. When heated it would suddenly
run like butter instead of becoming
plastic. There was trouble in rolling
it into the long strips from which the
disks were cut out preparatory to
stamping. It was found that, like
nickel, it could not be worked with
sufficient ease and rapidity to make it
practicable for coming on q large
scale.
For long time past. careful study
has been made by government experts
of the coins of various nations Of Eu-
rope to see if in any way the small
coins of the United States might be
improved. Much criticism of these
coins has been heard.
There are all sorts of charges made
regarding them. One in particular is
in reference to the copper cent, which
certain medical experts claim is fire.
quently the cause of spreading conta-
gious Diseases The custom of many
persons of placing coins in their
mouths is far more widespread than
would at first be believed. Investiga-
tion shows that at least 25 per cent
that is the minimum-of the coins OF
the lower grade in daily use: are fire.
,quently held in the mouths of their
owners. This statement is not con-
lecture, but the result of investigation
{: as careful and painstaking as it is
possible for such investigation to be.
The medical experts hold that the
coins of copper offer an unexcelled
avenue over which the, disease, what.
lever it may be, of contagious sort
may move from one person to another.
The bare contact of coin of copper
with the hand of asperson suffering
from q contagious disease in the. first
stages thereof would. hardly. be .silffi-
ccient to infect the coin. II that same
coin, however, was placed in the mouth
oof one whom disease had stricken, then
it is held, the. germs of contagion
would find Judgment and thus be carr
ried TO. fresh Victims This one of
: the causes OF the quiet but determined
-effort,to .legislate the copper cent out
existence as much as possible, and to
substitute for. a combination that will
be germ proof.
Therefore, it is an absolute certainty
that within comparative short time
the experiments will be continued, and
they are not likely to cease until some
thing is found that, Uncle Sam can
coin as cheaply and which will last as
long as the copper cent.
Dangers Of the Grippe.
The greatest danger from La Grippe
is of it's resulting in pneumonia. II
reasonable care is used, however, and
Chamberlain Cough Remedy taken,
all danger will be avoided. Among
the tens of thousands who have used
this remedy for La Grippe; we have
L