Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-11
#istsllausuus Beading.
ACCOUNTS OF GEO. WASHINGTON
Relics In Auditors Office Of National
Treasury.

Treasury.
The hoard Of interesting relics and
documents Of historic significance at
the national treasury seems as mex
haustible as the widows cruise. The
treasury archives are rich in material
showing the steps in the growth Of a
great nation, and additional treasures
are always coming to light. =.
An auditors office is rarely the shell
ter for anything more lively than dry
as dust papers, wearisome columns Of
figures and long, dull accounts; but
the office Of the auditor of the treas
ury, says the Washington Post con-
tains some records Of commercial
transactions in the United States which
form fascinating little museum in
themselves.
These various records are in the
careful custody Of Miss Mary n. Bra
dy, who has herself dug many Of them
from the dusty oblivion into which
they had fallen. A cancelled check Is
a mere slip Of paper, generally worth
less and uninteresting, but when its
figures reach up into the multi-mil-
lions and 1t covers the purchase Of a
country or a state 1t is worth a second
look Carefully laid away in one Of
the black japanned boxes in Miss Bra
dy's desk there are several such checks
held by the government as evidence
| Of its big business deals. They are
| warrants for the payment Of moneys
appropriated by congress and they date
back as far as 1924, when 100000 was
paid to Lafayette by the United States
'in consideration of his services and
sacrifices in the War Of the Revolu-
ton" This warrant Is signed by Will
liam H. Crawford. secretary Of the
treasury, and is receipted on the back
by Lafayette himself, in the character
istic French hand.
The next warrant Of importance Is
that which gave the emperor Of Rus
sia S7,2O0,O00 for Alaska under the
treaty Of 1857. It Is pompously worded,
beginning PAY to the undersigned
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary Of his Majesty the EN-
peror of all the Russias." The war
rant is signed by F. e. Spinner, then
secretary Of the treasury. This draft
was indorsed by Edward de Stoecke,
the Russian minister. and was depos-
tied In the Riggs bank, one Of the old
est banks In Washington. It will be
remembered that the treaty under
which this purchase was made was
nicknamed Stewards Folly" The
warrant called for payment in coin and
was so met.
A warrant for a still larger sum and
a far more important territory Is that
covering the Louisiana Purchase, the
amount being ;15,ooo,0oo. This was
under. the treaty Of 1903.
Many people have an idea, too"
said Miss Brady, "that we paid moth
ing for the Philippines. They think
we simply marched In and took the
islands and that that was all there was
Of 1t. Nevertheless. four warrants of
s5.O0O,o0O each. making s2o,ooo.ooo in
all. were paid to Spain. These war
rants were indorsed by Jules Cambon,
the French minister, representing the
government of Spain; this for the rea-
son that a treaty cannot be entered
into by any country directly with one
with which 1t Is at war;"
These various warrants. though can
/ nd
Brady announces ominously that In
case Of their loss the government might
never be able to prove that the moneys
were paid, she hastily lays them away
again under heavy lock and key.
"And now I will show you my jew
els" she will tell you, bringing anoth-
er black box Of ancient cut and time
worn decoration. Peering at fits lid,
you can family decipher some fantas-
tic gold lettering. and you read, guess
ing at It here and there: Accounts.
G. Washington with the United States.
Commencing June, 1175, and ending
June, 1888, comprehending a space Of
eight years"
Inside are three or four battered calf
bound account books, all neatly filled
with debit and credit columns in the
smooth writing of the great American
parent. The rounded letters, with their
gracefully curiicued embellishments,
and the beautifully formed, symmetri-
cal figures, are eloquent proof Of the
| ..,..+at,tno avo ,fpaoS hrou0ht into
play in even the minutia Of his at
fairs. These accounts were kept main
ly while on the march, yet they were
brought up from day to day with the
greatest accuracy, and the recapitula-
ton at the end Of each book is de-
tailed and comprehensive. The ac-
counts cover money Of Washington's
own spent for the government and
government funds expended by him.
His conscientiousness Is shown In
footnote, calling attention 10 par
ticular item which he appeared to have
paid but for which he had no receipt.
This he deducted from his own credit
| until the matter should be definitely
settled.
Some curious little differences In
bookkeeping phraseology are shown
in these books. For instance, the top
line of a column that Is carried for
ward reads sometimes Brought up"
or when he is very businesslike in
deed, ITO foot Of other side brought
up" Occasionally one finds Brought
over from other side,' or "Contra-
credit side" The accounts are in Eng
lish money.
Equally interesting are the old mile
age books, showing the sums allowed
members Of congress for transporta-
ton to and from Washington. Their
travelling was done on horseback or
in stagecoaches and they were paid so
much a mile by the government The
thirteenth session of congress, one OF
the books reads; and one Of its entries,
for 1858 mileage. is receipted in a