The Washington times., 1904-12-04
Only Three Coins Were
Sold in Four Hours
of Effort.
Amusing Experiences of.
Vendor of Nice New
"SimOleOnS."
Nearly Everyone Refused
Best Bargain They
Ever Had.
~ EAL silver dollars for 25 cents
- apiece and no takers.

- EAL silver dollars for . cents
- apiece and no takers.
Surely William Jennings B.
has been backed OF the boards
when the public turns down silver at
that rate a
The Washington Times offered silver
dollars for sale at % cents each on the
principal business streets of this city
last Monday. The dollars were hawked
about Pennsylvania Avenue. + Street,
ard Seventh Street from 30 O'Clock in the
morning until in the afternoon. Dur
ing this time hundreds Of intelligent and
weil-dressed persons were approached
by Dan Rice, jr., an eX-clOwn, who Of
fercd the silver coins for sale. Out OF all
the hundreds. only three men bought
silver dollars AT & quarter Of their ac-
tual face value
Apart from It's a-nuslng side, two facts
OF especial Interest were developed by
this experiment Of The Times
First. the percentage Of intelligent clti-
zens-it is assumed that the citizens of
Washington are as intelligent as those
OF other cities-in the United States who
know and can recognize the almighty
dollar is inhnitesimaL and yet the al
mighty dollar. IL is claimed. rules the
bought dollars acknowledged they did
not buy them because they actually
recognized the genuineness Of the money.
but because they were quick-WiJted
enough 10 suspect a put-up Job. had
enough sporting blood in their
veins 20 take q chance. or had
read OF similar schemes being
tried elsewhere, In spite Of tRs
cir.
rounded the offered money. the fact re-
mains that the people OF the United
States do not know their own money,
their standard coin. when they see il.
II they cannot see that genuine coins
are genuine, IL must follow that they
cannot see cOunterfeits are couuterfelts;
yet experts say there are many ways OF
- recognizing false money Immediately
American Fear Of Ridicule.
The second fact made apparent by The
Times endeavOr 20 dispose OF silver dol
lars at a ridiculously low price was the
fear hatred. call IL what YOU will the
American has of being taken in" Fa-
nous throughout the world for a sense
OF humoF nevertheless. the American
has a deadly fear Of appearing ridicu-
lous. This fear. even more than possible
chance OF a buucO game. made many
brush BY quickly when offered a shining
dollar. Others liked the looks OF the
coins. weighed them IN their hands. bit
them, rang them on the sidewalk, but
could not overcome the idea that they
might make themselves ridiculous if
they gave a quarter fer "a dollar. or
what was apparently a dollar. To put il
IN the veTnacular. nobody wanted 10 De
the goat"
Easy Money.
Here was a chance to get money
easily and quickly. a chance 10 increase
capital so per cent II they had only
known n, the followers Of the races AT
Benning could have placed a few bets
al odds OF 10 I and been sure OF a
killing, but while they were willing 70
let their dollars roll into the pockets OF
the b00kmakers and take chances on
horses that stop 20 nibble a bunch OF
grass as they come into the back
stretch. they could not for a minute
look into this get-rich-quick scheme. II
Vas too easy. too simple. for them 10
understand.
Immediately before the dollars were
uut on sale a visit was made 10 the
cash room or the United States Treas
ury. when The Times purchased-at a
dollar each--a number OF shining brand
new silver dollars. They really looked
..too good 10 be true" as one man who
failed 10 buy said. They We're beautiful