The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-02

ner occupying about eight feet square,
with a bay window in front, in which
he displayed land warrants gold and
| bank notes in a tempting manner. One
| day a debtor of this banker passed by
| in the middle of the street, being some
what intoxicated Mr.. Wood rushed out
| and seized him, throwing him down and
| taking his pOcketbook. After helping
himself to the amount due him he re-
! turned the pocketbook to its place and
allowed him to proceed This was a
novel, but an economical and expeditions
way of making collection-qulte
contrast to the delays which creditors
sometimes experience in the courts now
adays.
Our currency at that time was gold,
silver and paper, but the paper money
we had was mostly issued by banks
either chartered and controlled by a
state, as in Missouri, Indiana and Ohio,
or secured by pledges of state bonds, as
in New York. Illinois, Wisconsin and
some other states. Unfortunately when
the southern states seeded their bonds
deprecated rapidly, in some instances
becoming entirely worthless-and the
currency for which such bonds had been
pledged fell far below par.
When 1 was register of deeds of
Douglas county I recall an instance
where an old gentleman was paid $500
in bank bills, mostly on Illinois and
Wisconsin banks, in satisfaction Of a
mortgage which he held on a farm in
that county. This was in the forenoon.
That afternoon the stage brought the
I,eaVenWorth morning paper, which this
old gentleman was in the habit Of read
ing every day soon after it arrived. He
always came around to the Office to look
it over We had no telegraph or daily
paper in Lawrence at that time. He
had not read many Geographic items
before he discovered quite list OF
banks whose currency was deprecated
for the reasons above stated. He said
he would like to take the paper home
hi nd M d9U he sold the
bank bills he had received the day be
fore at par to Simpsons bank for so
cents on the dollar. and said he was
glad to get rid Of them.
No matter what panic overtakes the
country now the holders of its paper
money. either that of the government
or of the national banks, are secure
against loss on that score. In those
days Thompson's Bank Note Reporter,
issued weekly, was to be seen in every
place of business. No prudent man could
be without it. It described counter
feits. Of which there were great many,
ey-nearly all bank issues being at
discount away from home.
Senator George P. Morehouse of
Council Grove read a paper on the
subject, "A Famous Old Crossing and
the Kaw Trail" which is possessed
of much historical value, representing
the results of a considerable amount
of personal investigation. Senator
Morehouse was reared at Council
Grove and has personal recollection of
the days when the old TRAIL which
forms the main street of Council Grove
now, was thronged with wagon trains
bearing communication between civil
ization and the great west. He gave
many facts about the Kaw Indians,
who used the stretch of timber near
the present town as a meeting place for
their councils and gave it the name
of Council Grove. Senator Morehouse
is a student of Kansas historical affairs
and one of the best friends of the So
ciety in the legislature.
S. J. Shively of Paola presented an