The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
THE MOST VALUABLE ASHES
THOSE OF BURNED PAPER HONEY
OF TIE GOVERNMENT.
wenderrui skill In ndentiryinG the Nearly ne.
atroyed Hills BY tho 1nk TracinE on tho
Ashen Y~iIm-Aahes BETTER Thnn Amdavits.

ETOm inc CNtcupo fhtoT OCtuWN
WASHINGTON, Jan. g. There arc many people
In this country who accept the theory that
greenbacks, Treasury notes, and silver certih-
Gates ore only Government promises to pay, In
its full Significance. They have boon told that
these arc Uncle Sans ~. o. u" notes, and
when thoy lose these or have them destroyed
they think they have the same right to come to
the Government and demand now notes or tho
payment of the same us one man might go to a
noighbor and tell him he had lost the pronis-
sorry noto that had boon given for n debt and
ask him to make out another. These people
TAXI for granted that since tho Government has
in its vaults gold and silver represented by tho
! paper money it must DO conscious OF the debt
owed and stands ready to pay it on demand,
even though the note has been destroyed.
Senator Cullom has a constituent OF this kind.
He Is as earnest and honest as any old farmer
in Illinois, no doubt, and his case Is one that APP
peals for sympathy. but he is unable to under
stand why the Government cannot reimburse
him for the loss'of about 81, 900 by fire when he
makes affidavit to the fact of the destruction.
This Ia not q new case. The Treasury Depart
ment and the President have been appealed to.
and q score Of letters have been written to the
old gentleman explaining why the Government
cannot accept his word or oath for the debt
owed and pay 1t. These letters have been I'M
able to convince him Of the futility Of his effort
to secure u return of his money. He is now
writing to Senator Cullom and the Senator is
trying In patience and sympathy to explain that
he is powerless to help him.
The case is that of F. ]. Bisscli OF Fountain
Green. Hancock county. Mr.. Bissell mad the
misfortune to burn about ~. 200 in grcenbacks,
Treasury notes. and silver certificates last
spring. He tells how it was done. and there is
no doubt that II is a very sad case. Mr.. Bisscll
is u farmer. and after selling. some land last
spring, instead of dcpositing his monev in II
bank, he hid it in an unused flue. He had, ac-
cordinK To his own statement, s. 400 in q box,
which he wrapped In an old carriage curtain
and deposited it in the bottom Of this unused
tiue in a storeroonl. Last March no returned
from helping a neighbo- with his butchering,
and as he neared his own house saw that the
room and tried to get out his treasure box, but
the dre was very, hot and all he could get was
silver pieces. which were stuck together. But
he makes affidavit to the fact that there was in
the box. besides the $500 in gold, g, 1so in pa
thago and showed 4 to a banker Of that city,
wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury and
made affidavit that the box contained SiOO in
Silver. He sent the lump Of gold to the Treas
ury and a check for 800 was returned to him
l for the gold old. i 1t ;n was c also explained exp s a that the
cy unless it could BIO identified: Mr.. Bissell
had not even sent the ashes of his currency to
~ toooup AS hou ohhy sOhb ho ahiudNlJ
Mr.. Bissell would not accept the check for
Government to satisfy his claim for $foo:' He
returned 1t to the United States Treasurer and
there 1t Is now, waiting for him to claim it.
There has been much correspondence with Mr..
Bissell, but the Treasury officials were unable
to convince him that he had no claim upon the
Government. He wrote to President McKin-
ley. and to Secretary Gage, and they answered
his letters, telling him that only Congress could
make good his loss. Then he wrote to Senator
Cullom and he has kept up quite n correspon-
dence. Tho Senator realizes that it is "a very
Bissell's savings for ycars. He has an aifiictei
son, and is in sore need of his money, but Sena-
tor Cuilom can do nothing for him, as Congress
cannot appropriate $1,000 to pay for money
burned without having the evidence that it
was, burned. An. affidavit, cannot establish
make make It. i tn present. ss%s' {, % @ SGpi gisss'i Or Sti %a%yb oaS
1t never has passed such an appropriation bill
and probably never will. 1t would be a very
to come to tho relief Of every man who loses his
money or has 1t burned. There would not be
money enough in the United States Treasury
to pay all the CLAIMS that would be presented.
Mr.. Bissell, however, argues that the real
money is In tho Treasury. and that what was
eminent. He writes: II intend to have it, for
II IL nll In the Treasury and nowhere else.
then it would have been my loss. But It Vas
nothing but paper stamped as money, and. the
Treasury has it there sure and certain and
he writes: Some may be skeptical, but l want
nothing but right and honorable dealing. This
backs and Treasury, notes and silver bills, and
only allegations OF the United States Treasury,
gold it would not have been destroyed. 1t
would have been like that which | sent to the
s nFSadi@ such A ha%1. it No Is p i%p%ss oh aa 5Sr ca pnG &c tho 5S
impossible. We must leave that to our great
Creator"
This shows what effect the financial discus
sion has had on the mind OF this old farmer in
his losses, He believes that the United States
Treasury has the gold and silver represented
by the currency burned in his chimney, and here
he is correct. But he also believes that the
notes %Sss' for that 'f burh seds as ni Would neT his sF1 neiESScyy
under similar conditions. What no fails to
understand is that the Government has out
many millions Of these notes representing the
coin IN the Treasury and 4 cannot redeem them
except on EVIDENCE: These notes We're all
he might be able to make II case, but with only
his affidavit that 80, 100 was burned he cannot
make Il case. Senator Cullom can do nothing
for him, however much he might desire.
There arc many cases like that OF Mr.. Bissell,
though few that seem SO plain and appeal for
officials do not doubt Mr.. Bissell's word. They
grant that he tells the truth, and nothing but
They admit. that the Government is in all prob.
ability VI, 1870 better of because Of Mr. Bisscll's
fire. and thai his money is in the Treasury and
can never be redeemed. But that does not alter
INC situation. 1t Is estimated that ! per cent.
for Hs 'r red paPeri currency As th 1sSa total + OF fe All p prssen eaTi
lNINA va
Gency outstanding Dec; 81, 1897. was s l,l09,.
OBJ, $50. tho estimated amount of this that
has been destroyed and will never be presented
for rSdemntion is little more than " DOC, 900.
Mr.. BIS sells loss goes into this unknown d.
stroyed" currency. The Government has the
coin represented by 1t. but 1t cannot make good
loses like those Of Mr.. Bissell. simply because
IL has no means OF knowing that the currency is
destroy ed and will never be presented for re-
dcmption.
As M, example, the Government during the
war and Immediately following issued $685.
100000 OF fractional currency, commonly
known as shinplasters. This fractional curren-
cy was called in many years ago. but there Is
still outstanding $l5, 363, 64O.47 OF such money.
with no likelihood Of very much OF it ever be-
ing redeemed. Last year the Government re-
deemed $3,4s2 OF this fractional currency. 1t
Is believed that this came largely from people
who had preserved pieces Of this old money of
shinplaster days as souvenirs. but were forced
to use them in the hard times of last year. In
one presentation for redemption there was a
fun and uncut sheet Of thrce'cent shinplasters.
IT. had been preserved for many years; and then
amount OF currency never redeemed is lost or
burned just as Mr.. Bisso!l's money was lost. II
was either utterly DESTROYED or was so burned