The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-12-06
INA We JOBS
ODD OCCUPATIONS oF oovERN,
MkNT EMPLOYING. NJ
.chlss PoIsonsr" Has Important Work
In the National Mussum-Mll. . NJ
Hons Of Dollars Worth Of
Old Money Destroyed. I Sc

While the ordinary work Of gov.
eminent clerk at Washington is that
Of showing the pen." yet there are,
nevertheless, many peculiar occupa.
tons carried on there under the direc
ton Of Uncle Sam.
Thus. for instance, how many have
ever heard that the government has ii
It's employ q chief ,potsoner."" Start
ling as it may seem, such. however, is
the fact And what does this poisoner
poison? Persons guilty OF leses maj
este? Not yet. This genial poisoner is
attached to the stan of the National
museum. In this building there are
valuable exhibits. Because Of their
character It is necessary that they
should be preserved from vermin, rust
and decay. For every class Of exhibit
the chief poisoner has different
preparation Of poison. The books, the
stuffed birds and animals, the histori.
cal exhibits, and, in fact, everything
fs deadly poisoned. Even the show
cases are treated with some sort of
preparation, and woe be it to the bold
cockroach or inquisitive ant or mouse
that should wander into the National
museum. II they should happen to run
over the cases they would certainly
think they were crossing the hot
sands. Besides being preventive the
poison is 80 adapted that It also acts
as preservative for the articles poi
soned.
One would hardly think that money
would be wi1lfully destroyed. Yet such
is the case in Washington, and the
government even pays to lave 1t DONE.
They may have money to burn in
many of the cities Of the United.
States, but at the national capital they
do not believe In this erematory fad.
and so simply tear IT UP. Thus, more
fully, there are several men in the
treasury department whose exclusive
duty it is to see that all old, Cancelled:
and condemned money Is destroyed in
the immense mascerator, which is To-
Gated in the cellar Of the building.
Thousands and even millions Of dol.
lars are thus destroyed by these men
who make it their duty to deliberately
destroy money and get paid for 1t, too.
The pulp of the destroyed money is
sold and from it is made souvenirs of
Washington. Many Of these souvenirs
contain thousands and thousands Of
destroyed money. How would. you. like
to be the money smasher?
Have you any idea what the "Imi.
tator" does? Els name really tells
the story. 1t is his duty to make an
exact limitations of anything the Ma
tional museum may need. Thus fruit
of every description, fishes, models
of Indians, ETC., are made to! order in
after the closest examination. A. story
is told of the marvellous skill of an
old imitator connected with the mu.
scum, but now dead. It appears that
this artist invited all of the museum
officials to his birthday party. There
bountiful repast awaited them.
There was the finest beefsteak, vege-
tables Of all kinds, delicious, fruits,
wine. cigars, etc. But what was, the
dismay and establishment Of. the
guests when they discovered: that; this
entire repast throughout was all arti-
flcial-imitated:, They were made out
of clay, plaster, wax. ETC.. but copied
so lifelike that even the museum Of.
ficials, accustomed as they were to
such limitations, were themselves fool.
od A1<ho,,Ul q v,ool rono az xuoo oRfov.
wards served, they nevertheless felt
chary about eating, not knowing
whether this modern wizard might not
have played pranks even with the food
they ate.