Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-07
EYED WITH SUSPICION
New TWenty-DoIIar Gold Piece
Gets Cold Reception.
|STOREKEEPERS ARE SHY
Not Disposed to Part With Goods for
High Art Money.
MISS LIBERTY SEES THE CITY
She and the Eagle Have a Busy
Time After Leaving the
Treasury Vaults.
MISS LIBERTY SEES THE CITY

Art-Art with a capital "A"-went on a
personally conducted tour of Washington
yesterday, in charge of Star reporter
and more different things happened to
it than have ever come into the chaste
young life of a twenty dollar gold piece,
either real or spurious, since the double
eagles began flying. 1t was bitten,
scratched with a penknife, slapped down
on store and restaurant counters too
numerous to mention, "rung' with other
coins and subjected to all sorts of tests
calculated to prove its genuineness. Be-
fore the day was ended even the brazen
lady on the diverse side of the coin had
been stared out of countenance, and the
eagle, on the reverse side, seemed dis
posed to flap the ambient atmosphere in
search Of some less exposed place
Every one to whom. the new coin was
rendered in payment for merchandise took
at least % cents worth Of looks at it,
Half dozen storekeepers or their clerks
declared 1t wasn't American money.
Others jumped at the idea that it was one
of the jamestown fair medals, and a
majority of the purveyors of wet or dry
goods took turns in gazing at the coin
and its custodian, trying to determine
whether or not practical jokes Of some
kind were intended.
Thought It Medal.
The legend United States of America
and the words twenty dollars seemed
to afford the most assurance to the score
or more of business men as they stepped
bravely toward their cash drawers and
faced the contingency Of exchanging
1895 in real money and loaf of bread
or some kindred commodity, for the
medals" None of them was sufficiently
enamored of Art to manifest undue eager
ness to possess the new gold piece. Twice
the legal tender was refused absolutely,
and demand was made for money
When the gold piece started out on its
tour 1t journeyed first to one of the nearby
and-up-and take-a-grab lunch rooms.
Jaw, that amt money" asserted the
proprietor. after he had seen a piece of
his pie and glass of milk vanish. Take
1t back and give me 10 cents
Didn't Have the Change.
A cigar was the next step on the pro-
gram. and the clerk insisted upon know
ing what the medal was good for In
digestion superinduced by the lunch coun-
ter pie necessitated potion in the next
drug store. but the cashier didn't have
change"
rendered in payment for a ton of coal
the most beautiful coin ever minuted''
urew only the remark, Gee, but that's
hard-looking money" The owner of the
coin succeeded in buying a handkerchief,
a magazine, some candy. peanuts, three
fingers" of spiritus frumenti, a loaf of
bread, more spritus frumenti, three
games of pool, and other items in the re-
freshment and entertainment line, but
everybody insisted upon closest inspection
Of the coin and upon securing the opn-
ions OF friends or business associates be-
fore accepting the new piece as money.
Startles a Conductor.
'Oh. me-" a conductor on the Capital
traction line fairly whistled as he received
afternoon.
What is it," he asked.
Money" was the reply.
How much?''
Twenty dollars" And the dull routine
of gathering fares was for the moment
forgotten as the man behind the bell
rope gazed enraptured upon the bit of art
that had just drifted into his life.
That amt twenty dollars" asserted
the proprietress of a grocery store in
Southeast Washington. And she preferred
to lose a sale rather than be separate
from a cake of laundry soap and bunch
of the familiar long green
Changes Hands at Last.
The manager of caravansary on 14th
street declared fatty that he would not
accept the piece as money after two tur-
key sandwiches and several glasses of
liquids had been consumed by the coin
purveyor. Occupants of adjoining tables
saw the joke. and pushed it along. The
manager tested the ring of the coin
with his pocket knife. and carried it to
the nearest electric light for closer scru-
tiny. He was finally satisfied that it was
good and produced nineteen dollars and
some cents in change, and the new twen-
ty-dollar gold piece made its way into
general circulation.