The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-08-22
ROMANCES OF THE BONDS
UNEXPECTED FORTUNES WAITING IN
THE UNITED STATES TREASURY.

Securities Yellow With Age That Prove
NaluRble-LarGe Sums or Money For
People Who Do Not Call For Them
An Indian Ignorant of Money.
An old United States Treasury Of
fetal, one who has been so long in his
particular bureau at Washington that
1t would be almost impossible TO fill
his place scceptably, said There is
any amount OF money due people who
do not call for il in the United States
Treasury. You see, there have been
ten great loans made 70 the United
States in the past sixty years. The
Oldest l ever had anything TO do with
was that maturing in 1887, I think it
was. 1. Is about all paid, but there
is still nearly Clio, 900 in principal
and interest due to somebody. l.
will probably never be called for.
And, speaking of that loan, there was
a curious incident connected with nv
last reference to the old books relst-
ing to it. It was while Juige Folgcr
was Secretary. one morning an old
man came in. He was from a New
England State, and said that some
years before he found some old stocks
or bonds among the papers of an
uncle. He mentioned the name of his
uncle, who had been man ofnational
reputation for ability, aud had O com
Portable fortune for those days-thst
Is, from 1920 10 1870. He had come
TO the United States Treasury to find
out If the old papers wero worth any.
thing, az they seemed to be United
States bonds. 1 looked at them; they
were ten of the old debt bonds, and
were indeed curiosities. They were
old and yellow from age, but were
worth, principal and interest, $40, 900
in gold, for there was ten years inter
est due on them. You can imagine
the old mans smszement when I told
him this
Why, would gladly have taken
$4,000 for them, said he, and Of
fered them to a Boston banker for less
than that, but he rather superoilf6usly
and contemptuously declined TO buy
them at any figure.
Il took the old man in to see judge
FOlger, who was very much Interested
in the matter when I explained it to
him. He had never seen any of the
old loan securities, and after these
were paid and cancelled 1 believe he
directed that one of them be framed
and preserved. Well, in less than
half an hours time the old New Eng
lander walked ont of the building with
a check in his pocket on the New
York Sub-Treasury for $40, 600 in
gold. How that smart Boston banker
must have cursed mis- own ignorance
and stupidity when he learned what
he had thrown away.
"a circumstance very similar to
this occurred in relation To some
Texas indemnity bonds the next old
est OF our national loans. when Mr.
Morrill, was Secretary of the Treasury.
prominent Southern man, who had
held high com maDd in the Mexican
War and was q Confederate general
officer, left among mis- papers certif-
cate Of Texas indemnity stock, as il
WAS called, for $40, 900. His widow
visited here soon after her husbands
death and, being very much reduced,
was consulting the late George Riggs
concerning the disposition Of some
Texas lands. Knowing that her hus-
band had been a large holder OF
these securities, Mr.. Biggs said
Mrs. -, what did General
do with his Texas indemnity STOKE
4 really don't know, the lady an
swered. L never heard of any such
things. BY the way, said she few
minutes later, L saw in an old enve-
lope 1 found among his papers not
very long ago something which had
the words Texas indemnity on at,
but ] thought it was only an old re
ceipt for taxes paid on the Texas
land
"Do you think you can fud it
ageinY said Mr. Riggs. without tell e.
ing her anything which would create
expectations that might never he re-
allied.
"'Oh, yes she replied. L remem.
her perfectly where l put it..
Have it sent 70 you here. was
the next suggestion OF the banker. 1T
is as we'll TO have all IL papers relat-
ing TO this land together
Tn the course OF the next fort.
night the lady came into the bank.
and, handing Mr. Riggs a paper, said .
Here Is the tax receipt ] told vou OF. O.
Instead OF being a tax receipt, how
ever, it was $1,000 Texas iudem-
nifty certificate, on which FIVE years
interestwas due. and theiutense graft
dcation OF the lady may be imagined
when she was told that the old yellow
bit Of paper would add s12. 800 in
gold to her worldly goods. IL came
just I'm time, too, for she was able
With the money to save q valuable es-
tate in Arkansas, which would have
been sold 20 foreclOse q mortgage
overdue. Nearly all Of the Texas in
demnity has been paid long ago. and
/ do not think there can be more than
So, 200 which has not been called for.
OF course, interest has ceased 20 o.
crue.
The next loan was that known i'm
the market "a the J-2O, a bond that
could be paid in five years or i'm twenty
after its maturity, as the Governs ut
might choose. IL reached the limit
two years ago. and has nearly oil been
paid II was largely held in Euroue
There is only about half million ont.
standing
What percentage OF bonds do You
estimate will never be presented9"