The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-20
COST $11.30 TO PASS
THREE SIS GOLD COINS
Difficulties Encountered in Using
the Yellow Money in New York.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
The man with a check and no oc-
quaintances with a banker is not in
nearly as bad a fix as the man who
finds himself in New York with only
gold money. The man with the check
may know a saloon keeper or some
other tradesman who, if the maker of
the check is known to him, or who,
if he trusts the presenter sufficiently,
will turn it into negotiable currency
for him, but the man with S. and $40
gold pieces is likely to be regarded with
suspicion even among his best friends.
AS a matter of fact gold money is so
| seldom seen in circulation in New York
that the public feels afraid of it, No
man who does not see a certain kind
of coin more than once a year or so
feels that he is competent to distin-
guish it from a counterfeit, or that
anybody else is for that matter, SO
that when gold coin is offered to him
even by a person in whom he has con-
fidence, he feels that maybe his friend
has been ibunkoed, and that it is safer
to steer clear of the thing anyhow.
This is a tale of the experiences of
young man who received three IS gold
pieces, and a couple of dollars in small
| change after making a small purchase,
for which he rendered in payment q
$50 bill. The tradesman apologized
| for giving him gold, saying that the
| bank had sent it to him by mistake,
and that he was out of bills The Gus
| toner growled a little about the null
| sance the things were, and then began
| to hunt for a pocket to put them in.
| Obviously they could not go into the
| pocket with his silver change. The
things were too much like nickels for
that, and there was too much danger
of paying them out in mistake. Fl
nally pocket was found, and the man
stepped out of the store. A newsboy
confronted him, waving the latest ex-
| ira. The man took a paper and care
lessly handed the boy one of the coins
he was jingling In his pocket.
Hey mister: OATS a phony nickel,
| said the boy. The man grabbed his
gold coin, tossed the boy a real nickel
and made a rush for the elevated train
| On the way it occurred to him that il
might be just as well to get rid of the
gold pieces as soon as possible, as lie
was sure to lose them if he carried
dow he showed one of them through
The agent picked it up and looked al
| it.
That's a five-dollar gold piece" he
said. as he showed it back.
well what if it is?"
Cant take that money, that's all, .
said the ticket seller, and then becom-
ing more communicative. you see il
| I took il I'd be likely to shove it out
for silver money in the rush hours
| It's good enough all right, but 1 don't
| want it,
We'll if its good money you'll have
to take it,"
mo don't. I'm all out of change
| See"
This experience made the man more
determined than ever to get rid of the
| coins. His business took him into a
residence district uptown, and in one
of the small stores in the avenue he
saw a necktie that pleased him.
Guess I'll 5uy that and get rid of
one of them he thought, and he en-
tered the store. The proprietor of the
store, a woman, looked at him suspi-
ciously when he presented the coin.
She examined il closely and then hand
ed il back
If it's all the same to you" she
said, Il would like some other kind Of
money. This may be all right. but I
never saw one before. and | can't tell
whether il is good or not. You're a
stranger in the neighborhood, aren't
you"
The man paid for his tie from his
stock Of silver and fed. 1t was get
ting near lunch time and he was hun
CRY. He went into a little lunch room
in the neighborhood and ordered a
! meal When he had eaten 1t he pre-
scented one of the gold coins in pay
ment. The waiter looked at it and
tossed II back.
Cant take that here" he said.
why not? Isn't il good?'
1T may be good enough. but we
don't know il" was the reply. The
/
| stock Of silver was getting low, ard he
saw himself stranded in New York
with Si5 in non-neg otiable coin. He de-
! termined TO get rid of at least one Of
the gold pieces, and went into a sta
! toners and bought a magazine Here
] again he was regarded with suspicion
| and the coin was refused. He tried a
! fruit store next door, but the Greek
| proprietor handed IL back with many
| excited gestures, and the mans last
| piece of silver went to pay for his
! purchase here. As he left the store a
! policeman entered. whispered 10 the
| proprietor. and a block further away
/ tai ped the owner OF the gold coins on
the shoulder
You can't work that game in this
neighborhood. my friend" he said.
why. what do you mean; what
game?' the man asked.
Come. now. Don't play innocent. l
have watched you for an hour tryin' 10
4 pass phony gold pieces on the store
keepers. They were all too smart for
you. bur l guess I'll take you along
! anyway"
The man protested. but without avail
When he arrived az the station he ex-
| planned the situation 90 the sergeant.
who listened incrcdulously. lie showed
/ the money and the sergeant took Il
and examined A.
1t looks all right" no said. but