Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-08-23
MUTILATED MONEY.
SAVE THE FRAGMENTS AND UNCLE
SAM WILL REDEEM THEM.

successfulIy Handled by His Ell
Derts-SkillfuI Work In the Trea,
ury Redemption Bureau,
One of the MOST interesting depar
ments in the United States treasur
Is that devoted to the redemption q
mutilated currency. To it are sent a.
varieties Of bills in every conceiyabl
stage Of mutilation. 1t is seldom tina
the experts cannot decipher the burn
ed crisps or piece together the myria
fragments. The collection Is a curl
GUS one, changing every day witt
Kaleidoscope rapidly.
The burning Of note usually bring
out its design in a sort of metallic 70
lief upon its surface. and by means o.
a glass and other implements and ais,
a full and complete knowledge Of thu
Intricate designs, no two denomina
lions being alike, on every note ISSUED
their face value is learned with in
credible dexterity.
Some arrive in fairly good condition
some shrunken and water soaked, 9th.
ers scorched black and twisted out Of
shape; many are merely thin, tiny
black fakes. and In one case now I'm.
der consideration the evidence consists
OF small handful of black powder,
which the attiant swears was SIS, acct
dentally blown into the fire.
OFTEN the mischief has been done by
mice. handfuls of the tiniest Of pieces
attesting the evil ways of the rodent.
Babies are another source of trouble.
maniacs. victims Of drunken frenzy.
plowshares, sawmills-in fact, the
strangest and most unheard of acct
dents are occurring all the time. But
In great majority of cases the money
has been burned, for q common prac.
tice among people who are their own
bankers seems to be the keeping Of
their funds in unused stoves. A cold
day comes, the fire is lighted by some
unsuspecting person who didn't know
1t was loaded" and the owner sudden.
ly finds that he had money to burn in
spite of himself.
In one instance man having $1,000
In government bonds. besides notes
and gold. kept them in tomato can
which he placed In the elbow of his
parlor stove. While he was blowing
his fields company arrived. his wife
had fire kindled. and shortly he made
the unpleasant discovery that his rich
es had taken wings. Had he sent the
money just as it came from the stove,
wrapped in cotton. it might have been
saved. but in endeavoring to separate
it 1t became SO churned and ground up
that the department was able to identi
~ only about $1,000 for him.
An old woman who had accumulated
about 5000 was one night at her devo-
lions, when the candle in some mystic.
rl0us manner was overturned in the
midst of the money. Now, history does
not relate why it was there or whether
She was returning thanks or paying q |
bit of homage to Mammon, but at any |
rate it was destroyed, and as she threw |
the ashes away and at the instigation |
Of her friends picked them out again |
there was only enough left to return
about 500 to her
But much more fortunate We're an
old couple in the west The man had
been a soldier, and by the long accu-
mutation Of years they had saved lit
tie sum, when one day the wife In 60
ing to look at 1t found that the mice
had left only pile of carefully sawed
fragments. Almost distracted, she took
It to the bank, reporting that the last
time she had counted it the sum had
been $21o. mostly in tens and twenties.
1t was sent here, the tiny bits sorted
and arranged as only experts can ar
'ange item. and the necessary three
lfthS of every note was found. But
he best of all was that instead of S275
t was discovered that the old peoples
savings amounted to $3.50, which
mount was finally sent to them, much
o their joy.
Necessary. and the affidavits must
cave no doubt as to the utter and en-.
ire destruction Of the missing parts of
he notes. In one case Of this kind q
armer sent from Kansas some green
JACKS amounting to $50. only half Of
ach note being intact. The rest, he
declared In strong affidavit. had been
destroyed and also stated in what man.
ler but on consulting the books 1t was
ound that one-half the sum had al
eady been paid to another person who
lad sent the other halves Of the notes
rom another part Of the country. Con-
but $25 was returned to him.
Thereupon the cashier who had
transacted the business for the farmer
vrote such an indignant letter. saying
be government had impugned the hon.
sty Of the claimant and that he would
rove him In the right. that the affair
vas put into the hands of the secret
ervlce, the proofs exhibited and the
nprudent farmer fined $1,000 for false .
York Tribune.