The Ely miner., 1899-04-12
SPLIT BANK NOTES.
The Remarkable Feat That Created
Fear in Financial Circles
in England.


Some years ago the commercial world
was taken aghast by the announcement
that certain scientific gentleman
could actually split bank note SO ex-
actiy into halves that it was impossible
to distinguish the separate pieces of
paper from genuine notes.
The authorities of the Bank of Eng
land took alarm, for it appeared that
this invention would speedily open the
way to a new kind of fraud. The imi-
tation of the engraved plate, however
well performed. was always discover
able by experienced eyes, and he must
be good forger indeed who could pre-
pare the paper on which the plate was
printed so as to initiate the peculiar
water marks on the Bank of England
note with anything like success. But
here was discovery which set tatnaught
the precautions of paper-makers, en-
gravers and printers.
1t was really a serious matter. A long
correspondence ensued between the
proprietor of the secret and the Off
cials of the bank, the former asking
large sum of money for his knowledge,
and the latter requiring actual proof
of his ability to perform the alleged
feat
Paragraphs began to appear in the
newspapers, and public attention was
drawn to what seemed a very eXtraOr-
binary fact-that the thin tissue paper
of which a bank note was composed
could really be divided into two leaves.
1t became necessary to test the truth
of this remarkable discovery, and so
it was arranged that trial should be
made with an actual note of the Bank
of England.
Preliminaries were settled, and note
properly marked, so that it might be
afterward identified, was submitted to
the inventor. In the course of two or
three days back came the note to the
owners, actually split in two. 1t was
eagerly examined, but in little time
the bank officials ceased to feel any
alarm. and confidence in the CONNER
cial world was quite restored.
1t was true the bank note was COM
pletely split, but it was also true that
on only one-half of it was the printed
impression sufficiently plain to allow Of
it's being circulated. Any attempt to
pass the other, or back half of the note,
would, it was declared, be Immediately
detected.
STILL the discovery was curious, and
might lead to disagreeable conse-
quences should any persons attempt to
increase their wealth by means of split
bank notes. Another kind of ink was
therefore ordered for the future to be
used in the printing of the bank Sc
curities, so that in case anyone chose
to try the experiment the one-half
would be left blank.
The secret, however, did not long re-
main hidden from the world. Indeed,
its very simplicity seems to have pre-
vented it's being discovered by the clever
men who felt so much anxiety about it.
The method of splitting paper is just
this-two pieces of calico are firmly
glued to the sides of the paper, leaving
the ends of the calico loose, and the
whole is perfectly dried. By gentle
and equable pull on each side the pa
per is split completely in halves, one
of which adheres to the calico on one
side and the other to the opposite.
The fact that the adhesion between
the paper and the cloth is greater than
that between the surfaces of the paper
to each other is the cause of this phe-
nomenOn.
Having now divided the paper the two
halves may be removed by dampening,
and so loosening the glue between the
calico and paper. What was once a
great and puzzling secret is no longer
in the possession of one person. Those
happy individuals with bank notes to
spare may while away winter even
ing in trying this Chicago
Chronicle.