Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-01
new NEWS Of YESTERDAY
Ben Butler and the Frame Full of
Shinplasters.
Scrip Issued by the Parker House IN
War Time Made Him an Advo-
cate ofyirrcdeemable Govern
|. ment Greenbacks.
Ry e. J. EDWARDS.

f
group Of what in the early days OF
the Civil war we're called "shinplas'
tiers" has hung now for many years
In a prominent place. These money
tokens consist of slips Of paper lit
tie smaller than an ordinary bank
check. Denominations Of fifty cents
down to five cents are represented.
Each one of these slips states on the
ACE that the Parker House will re.
deem it upon presentation. They
were once good for board and lodging
and were presumably to be good for
hard cash if any Of 1t could be OBJ
tanned
You are looking at what ] always
have believed made Ben Butler a
greenbacker," said voice in my ear
one evening in 1904 when l was
guest at the hotel.
turned and greeted the late
Charles Levi Woodbury.. one OF the
leaders of the Boston bar, son of Levi
Woodbury., who was secretary Of the
navy in Jackson's cabinet and secre-
tary of the treasury in Van Buren's.
Mr.. Woodbury. had for many years
made his home at the hotel. He was
one of the most delightful of story
tellers and his recollections went
back to the time when his father was
one OF the most prominent of Amer
lean Democrats.
-Just after tho beginning Of the
Civil war all OF the banks suspended
specie payment" continued Mr.. Wood.
bury. "The suspension was so com.
plete that even re- MES passed out of
circulation. Why, al that time it was
necessary to use milk tickets and bak.
ers' tickets for small change. / re.
ceived fee of ten dollars in postage
stamps, and the one-cent postage
stamp was the universal substitute
for a cent.
well, now, It occurred to Mr.. Par.
ker. the original proprietor of this
hotel and one Of the great American
landlords, that he might issue scrip,
n various denominations. So he got
Il printer to work out design for
$H,-the same design, to line, that
you see on that framed scrip hanging
there on the wa1l-and soon had his
scrip ready for use. Right from the
start Parker House scrip passed read.
ily into circulation; it became most
acceptable substitute for money, Mr.
Parker paying it out for supplies and
for most OF his minor expenses.
II should say 1t was about year
after the close of the war that Ben
Butler, whose Boston office was in
Pemberton square, on the hill near
by, came into the hotel either on bust
ness or for luncheon. In some way
that frame full of scrip-which, OF
course. by that time had all been re-
deemed, for after the national banks
were established and the government
had also issued small currency notes
in denominations OF from fifty cents
down to three cents there was no
longer any necessity for the use of
scrip--came to Ben Buffers notice.
He was greatly interested in it. He
asked many questions about it. He
wanted to know if the people were
willing to take it for produce or
meats or other supplies. He wanted
to know if, having taken it, they had
any difficulty In passing it along. He
asked how the scrip was redeemed
and was told chiefly through the Of
fering Of it at the cashiers desk in.
the hotel in payment of board and
lodging.
Why, that is all there is to a cir
culating medium Ben Butler said.
All that is needed Is something that
will serve as medium in exchange
of goods. If Harvey Parker, the pro-
prietor of this hotel could do this,
then there Is no reason why the gov.
eminent of the United States couldn't
do 1t. We don't need any other kind
OF money; am In favor, therefore.
Of such issues OF paper money as the
necessities of the government justify
fror' tine to time
"And from that time" concluded
Mr.. Woodbury.. "Een Butler became
prominent as an irredeemable paper
money man and afterwards as an
earnest defender of the greenback--
thereby increasing considerably his
national notoriety in the later years
of his life"
copyright. 1af;, by r T. Edwards. All
Rights Rescrved.l
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