The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-08
JACKAss ON TEN-DOALAR BILL.
Appears on Treasury Note Series of
1850.

1850.
From the Springfield Republican.
An interesting story comes from Chi
cago which every citizen who has a
treasury note of the 1880 series can veri-
fy. He holds a "jackass BILL" 1t ap-
pears that the government was made the
victim of practical joker in the Bureau
of Engraving. and the staid, serious
money of the country has become the
vehicle of a puzzle picture. The treasury
officials have omitted to place an inscrio-
ton on the bill, Find the jackass." The
absence of this has kept the matter a
government secret for some time. AL
though the ''Jackass bill'' has been In
existence for several years, it was first
discovered the other day by a bank clerk
in Chicago, who thought it was a coun-
terfeit and reported its discovery to the
sub-treasury officials. They had been
ignorant of the puzzle picture and sought
information from Washington. The an
swer received was not made public ex-
cept in so far as the bill was acknowl-
edged as genuine. The full text of the
message from Washington, it is said,
was to the effect to keep the "jackass"
quiet and not let the public hear its bray
ing.
The jackass shows as plain as a life
like portrait when the bill is turned up
side down. On the face OF the bill is an
American eagle in a little engraving to
the left OF the seal, and between the
names of J. w. Lyons, register of the
treasury and Ellis II. Roberts, treasurer
of the United States. There is nothing
peculiar in the eagle until the bill Is
turned upside down and the eagle be-
comes jackass, perfect in outline The
jackass' picture is on one of the most
common of the $40 notes in circulation
The surprising thing is that the puzzle or
Joke on the eagle was not discovered long
ago. None of the serious men who han
died the money at Washington
ever thought OF turning bill up
side down. The men who examine de-
signs before they are committed to the
engraving machine and the engraver
passed the double tender, as 1t was face
trously termed. The bills had gone all over
the country when the artist who perpe-
trated the joke In spirit of malicious
ness and revenge sent word to the Treas
urer Of the United States to scan the
portraits on the treasury so bill when
held upside down The jackass was found,
and there was conservation IN the de-
partment. For the best interests Of the
service and for the sake OF the reputa-
ton OF the department It was decided 70
alone, In the hope that the public would
never notice the picture
The story that comes from Washington
IS to the effect that an Englishman work
ing In the Bureau OF Engraving was dis.
charged for having opinions counter to
those OF the Republican par
". Having been given the
usual months notice, he decided upon
a coid-blooded revenge upon the imperial
eagle OF Mckinley. lie was working upon
the new plates for the $40 bill and by
deft handling OF the lights and shadows
Of the eagle he produced the iackass.
From an artistic point Of view his work Is
excellent II is the perfection Of puzzle
creation. The head and neck OF the eagle,
which has peculiar left twist, furnishes
the head Of the Jack The light shading
at the base OF the wing becomes perfect
eve from the other view point. The thighs
OF the eagle form the ears Of the Jack.