Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1901-05-09
sl.00 A YEAR.
An EngIishman's Joke.

An interesting story comes from
Chicago which every citizen who has
a treasury note of the 1880 series can
verify. He holds q ',jackass bill" 1t
appears that the government was
made the victim of practical joker
in the bureau o: engraving, and the
staid, serious money Of the country
has become the vehicle of puzzle
picture. The treasury officials have
omitted to place an inscription on the
bill, Find the jacksss." The absence
of this has kept the matter a govern
ment secret for some time. Although
the "jackass bill has been in exist
ence for several years, it was first dis
covered the other day by bank clerk
in Chicago, who thought it Was a coun-
t.rfeit and reported its discovery to
the subtreasury officials. They had
been ignorant of the puzzle picture
and sought information from Wash
ington. The answer received was
not made public except in so far as
the bill was acknowledged as genuine.
The full text of the message from
Washington, it is said, was to the ef-
feet to keep the "jacksss" quiet and
not let the public hear it. braying.
The jackass shows as plain as life
like portrait when the bill is turned
upside down. On the face of the bill
is an American eagle in a little en-
craving to the left of the seal and be-
tween the names OF J. w. Lyons, reg
ister of the treasury, and Ellis II. Rob-
erts treasurer OF the United States
There is nothing peculiar in the eagle
until the bill is turned upside down,
and the eagle becomes a jackass, per-
feet in outline. The jackass picture
is on one Of the most common OF the
$40 notes in circulation.
The surprising thing is that thepuz-
zle or joke on the eagle was not dis
covered long ago. None ofthe serious
men who handled the money at Wash
ington ever thought Of turning bill
upsi lie down. The men who examine
designs before they are committed to
the engraving machine and the en-
graver passed the double tender, as
it was facetiously termed.
The bills had gone all over the coun-
try when the artist who perpetrated
the Joke in spirit Of mallciousness
and revenge sent word to the treas
urer of the u nited States to scan the
portraits on the treasury $40 bill when
held upside down. The jackass was
found and there was CONSERVATION IN
the department For the best inter-
ests of the service and for the sake Of
the reputation Of the department it
was decided to let the combination Of
eagle and jsckass alone in the hope
that the public would never notice
the picture.
The story that comes from Wash
ington is to the effect that an English
man working in the bureau Of engray-
ing was discharged for having opin-
ions counter TO those Of the Republl-
can party. Having been given the
usual months notice, he decided upon
a cold blooded revenge. He was
working upon the newplates for the Ten
dollar bill, and by deit handling Of
the lights and shadows ofthe eagle be
produced the jackass. From an artis-
tic point ofview his work isercellent.
1t i. the perfection Of puzzle creation.
The head and neck ofthe eagle, which
ha, peculiar left twist, furnish the
head Of the jack. The light shading
at the base of the wing becomes per.
feet eye from the other viewpoint.
The thigh, of the eagle form the ears
Of the jack.