The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-05-31
A WAGON LOAD or PENNIES
HOW SLOT MACHINE OWNERS
GET RID OF THE coPPERs.

A Ton Of Pennies Piled High In .
4 Wagon l. no Uncommon Sight Y
New York city-Not Counted, 4u'
Are Weighed on Special Scales.
i A ton Of pennies piled high in one
wagon-load is q unique, but not un
common. sight on lower Broadway
To an unenlightened observer the
], wagon and its burden present no UNI
usual appearance. The pennies are In
twenty well-filled canvas sacks. The
vehicle trundles- along as jauntily as
If loaded with salt or onions. or any
other commercial commodity.
Back of the bulky accumulation Of
| copper coins is the curiosity of the
i American public. Trifing tributes
to the number of 1860 dropped in SOC
| slots go to make up the load, which
after all. is somewhat of an embarrass.
ment of riches
Pennies in any great quantity have
but one outlet the United States Sub
Treasury. Unless they have been
previously counted and wrapped in
paper. banks refuse their admittance.
Obviously, with so great an accumula-
ton of coin this is impossible. 1t
would necessitate. the employment of
too large force of experienced
clerks. Whatever profits might &C
crue from the machines would be seri-
ously curtailed.
For long time this counting Of
pennies was serious problem for the
various penny-in-the-slot machine
| manufacturers. At last It was solved
by the construction of special scales
which weigh the small copper pieces,
not in pounds and ounces. but In dol
lars and cents. OF course the &C.
curacy of the process depends en-
tirely upon the weights. Six months
of careful experimenting was done be-
fore satisfactory results were attained.
The smallest measured weight is fifty
| cents; the largest 81. In appearance
the scales are not unlike those seen
on any ordinary grocery counter.
A copper penny is seemingly piece
within the limits of even the hum
blest purse. Yet the tricks people
resort to in order to delude the in
genuous machines arc unbelievable
An odd thing about It. is that their
efforts are usually barren of results.
The wheels obstinately refuse to go
round unless they are fed with genu-
inc penny or counterfeit of the same
size and weight.
After the accumulated mass has
been collected from the machines. and
before it is weighed. all apparent re-
/ fuse matter is carefully sorted out.
Because of the extremely dirty condi
tons of the stuff, as well as to escapA
infection from germs, the boys who do
the sorting wear antiseptic gloves.
The refuse itself is valueless. except
as anexampleof the small meannesses
Tor weaknesses) inherent In human
nature. When the real, natural-born
cheat desires to swindlc any person
or institution, instinctively he uses
as first means an article closely re-
sembling the genuine. Barring the
fact that some may be dropped in the
slot through ignorance. this peculiar
ity accounts for the hundreds of Ger
man pennies found in tie machines.
Only carelessness can account for the
valuable objects. such az small gold
pieces. antique silver coins, and bits
of jewellery which are now and then
dropped into the slots. Bangles. gold
and silver. of all sizes. nearly always
bearing tender inscriptions, such as
Darling" or Dearest" are often
sorted out of the original mass.
The percentage of loss from waste I
matter Is small as compared with |
that resulting from the immense num-
Der of counterfeit pennies in existence
whose genuineness can be established !
only by the Treasury experts. Manu- |
featuring queer" cent pieces is a
profitable industry. A pound OF cop
per costs sixteen cents. It's value
made into pennies is $1.47. The
probable cost Of making is forty-seven /
cents, clear profit of eighty-four
cents.
Detection of these coins is difficult.
1t is only by the exterior finish it can
be done at all. The copper used in
their manufacture is identical in quail
ity and gauge with that used at the
United States mints. 80 chemical an
alysis is of no value. even the Treas
ury men themselves are often mixed.
Persons in position to know say that
D goodly amount of honest coin is each
year chopped, acidized. or otherwise
mutilated in their jealous efforts to
establish its genuineness.
Be that as 1t may, the fact remains
hat one per cent of the pennies in cir
culation are spurious. The Bowery,
'or example. far outclasses all other
New York districts In this respect.
being only excelled by Coney Island
when the season is on, where the per-
,entage of spurious pennies is often
.wo per cent. of the gross. II
What is probably the finest counter
'eit cent ever made is very much in
circulation at the present time. 1t Is
In excellent imitation in all respects
otherwise than the nose q the Indian,
which is decidedly aqDiine and typ
cal, while the redskin on the genuine
DIN is almost Greek in profile-a fact
which argues that the artist who drew !
he counterfeit presentment knew .
more of Poor Lo than did the man
Who designed the original. 1t is curl
JUS to think what will happen II any /,
ever exactly initiates the
lies used in the mints. Should this
yer occur, 1t seems more than likely
he government output Of these small
st of coins must cease.-Harper's
Weekly.
Ma a. IL