Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-04-27
AN ENGLlSHMAN'S JOKE.
l He Makes n Donkey of the Eagle on
Our Grccnhncks.

Our Grecnbnchs.
An interesting story comes from Chi
cago which every citizen who has n
treasury note Of the 1880 series can
verify. He holds "jackass bill" II
appears that the government was made
the victim of practical joker In the
bureau Of engraving. and the stald, Sc
rious money Of the country has become
the vehicle OF n puzzle picture. The
treasury officials have omitted to place
an inscription on the bill, "Find the
iackass." The absence OF this has kept
the matter n government secret for
some time. Although the "jackass
bill' has been in existence for several
years, II was first discovered the other
day by bank clerk in Chicago, who
thought 1t was a counterfeit and re-
ported its discovery to the subtreasury
officials. They had been ignorant OF
the puzzle picture and sought informa-
ton from Washington. 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, WIS to the
effect to keep the 'jackass" quiet and
not let the public hear its braylng
The jackass shows as plain as life
like portrait when the bill IS turned up
side down. On the face of the bill Is
an American eagle in little engraving
TO the left Of the seal and between the
names Of J. w. Lyons, register Of the
treasury, and Ellis II. Roberts, treas
urer Of the United States. There Is
nothing peculiar in the eagle until the
bill is turned upside down, and the
eagle becomes jackass perfect In out
line. The jackass picture is on one of
the most common of the $40 notes in
circulation.
The surprising thing is that the puz-
zle or joke on the eagle was not dis
covered long ago. None of the serious
men who handled the money at Wash
ington ever thought of turning n bill
upside down. The men who examine
designs before they are committed to
the engraving machine and the en-
graver passed the double tender, as 1t
was facetlorsly termed.
The bills had gone all over the coun-
try when the artist who perpetrated
the joke In spirit Of righteousness
and revenge sent word to the treasurer
of the United States to scan the por-
traits on the treasury $40 bill when
held upside down. The jackass was
found and there was CONSERVATION in
the department For the best interests
of the service and for the sake Of the
reputation of the department it was
decided to let the combination of eagle
and jackass alone in the hope that the
public would never notice the picture.
The story that comes from Washing
ton is to the effect that an Englishman
working In the bureau Of engraving
was discharged for having opinions
counter to those OF the Republican
party. Having been given the usual
months notice he decided upon a cold
blooded revenge. He was working
upon the new plates for the ten dollar
bill, and by deft handling of the
lights and shadows of eagle he pro-
duced the jackass. From an artistic
point OF view his work Is excellent.
1t is the perfection of puzzle creation.
The head and neck of the eagle. which
has n peculiar left twist. furnish the
head of the jack. The light shading Mt
the base Of the wing becomes n perfect
eye from the other viewpoint. The
thighs Of the eagle form the ears OF
the jack.-Irish World.