Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-12-09
A MISSING BILL.


Ct i-oIhls .as the receiver Of the Ma
tiuoal Bank Of Illinois. This is NOT an
ordinary, cheap, everyday s5 hill. hn;
o1e OF great historical interest and was
tie property Of the Chicago Press club
when the bank closed its doors.
Tbs bill! is the first IS green back
tina; wss printed unds. the &c; that was
PASSED during the great civil wsr az
tharizins the United States to Issue
money to ca.-y On the conflict that led
to the crushing Of the rebellion.
This bill was presented TO the Chira.
60 Press club aboat ten years sgo By
George Schneider, who IVES then the
treasure. Of iba club and r,es1dsn. ot
the bank. Being piece ot currency Of
great vain. because of its history, il
wss placed in an envelope and lati with
the hank 10, safe keeping.
Ii was plsoesd in pigeon hoie in the
vaults When the bank closed its doors
and John G. MeKeon took p,rsssissio On SIS
receiver. TIE bill could not te toand,
10y has:i besa traced to this day. Every
effort has been made to discover it, hui
DO elew has developed thst woold lead
TO knowledge Of its posi- tile where
At,outs-
1t was not placed in the bank as
special deposit. but kept there as En- &C.
conmndatinn TO the Press club, which
had no facility for protecting it from
theft.
THAT bill came to the bank" said
George Schneider, in the regular
course of business When saw its in.
pcrtance an6 valae ss a souvenir, pra.
ssn.ed ii to the Press club. Ii was Of
series A, No !, and the first $5 green
tack printed By the government Under
Abraham L.noo.a's administrator. Its
monetary Talpe cAnrot be oom patad,
b1i It's rarity and historical value car
not be aaes.io ne3.
When / gave i: TO the Press club, l
was asked TO Keep it in the bank vaults
ia. safety, as the club had 10 way o!
p,otecling ii, and ii Was Of too great
value to be publicly exposed Therefore
l had it placed in al envelope and
ses.e3 and placed it in g pigeoahols in
the vaul; q. ihs tank. No, ii was not
marked, e5the. as 10 lis ownership az
its contents, but kept so as to ba reo@s-
ujza bile whenever it should he demanded
BY its owners don't believe there WAS
any record of it CD on. books OF srtcla!
6euas;ts. NOR was there a ,neularaDdrm
REGARDING il. in the papers Of the bank.
81 have 10 Idea what has become OF
tie valuable piece Of currency. Int l
assure Won efforts are masking to d5scoF-
er its wherez bouts That bill belongs to
the Press club, and regard it IS a most
valuable sssei~
I'VE have made search for that bill, -
said John @. Mcheon, vice president OF
the Conaue-cisl National bank and
former receive. of the National Bank OF
Illinois. "tnf we could find no trace q.
il. high or low. / had every box ano
paper opened when / took poss s's'sion OF
The hank a. its receiver, but no such IS
hill eve, YVES discovered. ! have nof
given I'd hope yet that the bill VIII oe
fnnpa far ;;svalne TO collectors Of these
things is too great for it long to remain
hidden"
General MoNu,,a succeeded Mr. Nc
Keon as receiver, and his assistant, L.
Allen Frost. has also tried to get trace
OF that IS hill II could find no RECORD
of it," said hs. nor have seen suoh
thing among the papers. and l have e1'
au,;ned them all. 1t is mystery to NE
where it could have gone 1t would Do
the holder no good, for i. be offered II
70. ss,e it would at once create publicity
and would naturally return toihs hands
Of it's owner. ! believe the bill Will YET
be found.
A coin ard currency dealer told a re-
po,ter that be would give $5, 600 in
cash for soch q rare bill, for the green
backs had all been called in, and NO
~ ,bs frs, series would have value to
collectors of these things that no one
could CONF ute. A oollectcr OF rArat'ei
of this snri would no doubt be glad to
give $40, 600 for snch pr'Ss. ho,'
them" the dealer continued, "nias
must be perfect, as in a piece OF real e.
,a,s Ii would tie hard to dispose O. IN
less the person selling could prove aS
salute ownership"
And the question still remains Wht
has the IS bill, series A, No. i, OF ths
isspe Of 1862 The Chicago Press cans
would like to know.-Chaoaso In Dune