Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09

whisky from which It has yet to recover.
whisky having been knocked out of time
the two great tea firms had it all their own
way Tor short period, one firm handing
over a sum of f16 S47 9s Id. in one payment
for the clearance of over 1000 tons of The
afternoons chief solace, a quantity that
would keep the whole of the united king
dom In tea for week. This sum a year
later was beaten by the rival check signer
VINO did not fail to let the public know that
If all the chests containing the leaf upon
which ,S62 S.. Sd. duty had been raid
were placed in one long line each touching
tne other they would extend for nineteen
ana one-haf miles. At the moment of writ
ing Tea Is apparently gathering up fresh ca
ergy or waiting to see which way the Calls
ilKely 10 Jump when the means whereby he
nation can be carried on are discussed next
HlohLh. IN any case the energy required in
order to beat the present record duty check
VIII nave to be considerable, for runor
mas 1t that tobacco entered the lists some
niue lIihe ago and eclipsed all the efforts
OF poor tea with a check for 100000
The first known example of an English
check Is, We believe, dated 1911, and was
Drawn on an ordinary piece of paper after
ward torn at the corner to signify 1t was
cdnceied, upon CHARLES Duncombe a gold
smith . confidential clerk for the sum of
tiS9. With this fact to guide one, it is not
dlfncult to assign a date to the story of
the young lady who replied, when informed
that crossed check could not be paid over
D.
pose L shall have to come round the other
sue 10 get 1t. When the De Beers Dia-
mond Mining Company paid the sum of
12'5SS. 200 In one check to the liquidator of
the Kimberley Central Diamond Commence
in 1889, the check was doubtless to order
ana crossed, but had it been payable to
bearer we very much doubt whether it
would nave been presented for payment
over one counter, in view of the fact that
the gold 1t represented would weigh over
forty tons, while IL taken in ffve-pound
notes burden of over a ton would have to
be laced. 1t was not however on account
or the weight of the bullion he would have
had to bear away with him that ex-Presi-
oeht CleVeland' some three years ago, fall
ed to present check for the balance of his
salary as President that was issued from
the United States treasury, for 1t was found
when the books Of the nation were over
hauled that the United States of America
was indebted to Mr.. Grover Cleveland to
an extent of one halfpenny, and in order to
set good example of debt paying to sis
ter republics in the western hemisphere the
treasury issued a check for that amount,
which. having been duly examined, ap-
proved, countersfgned and Endorsed by
at least dozen officials, was forwarded
to the White House by special messenger
Perhaps with the idea of STRENGTHENING the
financial stability of the United States. the
ex-President decided at once that ne would
rather forego all the delightful possible
ties that one glance at the check conjured
up than present ii for payment: at all
events, 1t serves as a memento of his dis
interestedness, for 1t is now in his possess
sion duly framed and glazed and NAV in
years to come excite as much interest as
similar relics Of the author of "Pickwick,"
which were put up to auction last June
The checks in question We're signed by
Charles Dickens on January H. 1867, and
Halluck and TO the great author respect
lively.