Evening journal., 1911-08-04
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Frame Full Of Scrip
That Made Ben Butler a
GreenbaCk Champion
BY Holland.

In the lobby Of the Parker House
group Of what in the early days Of the
Civil War were called "shin plasters"
has hung now for many years in a
prominent place. These money tokens
consist Of slips of paper little small
er than an ordinary bank check. De-
nominations Of fifty cents down TO fivs
cents are represented. Each one Of
these slips states on the face that the
Parker House will redsem It upon pre-
sentation. They were once good for
board and lodging and we're presum-
ably to be good for hard cash if any
of It could he obtained.
you are looking at what ] always
havs believed made Ben Butler a
greenbacker" said a voice in my ear
one evening in 1904 when | was al
guest at the hotel.
I turued aud 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
| Jacksons cabinet and Secretary Of the
Treasury In Van Buren's. Mr. Wood
bury 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 American Democrats.
Just after the beginning of the Civil
War all of the banks suspended specis
/ payment" continued Mr.. Woodbury..
THE suspension was SO complete that
even pennies passed out Of circula-
ton. Why. at that time 1t was necss-
sary 10 use milk tickets and bakers
tickets for small change. I received a
fee Of ten dollars in postage stamps,
and the one-cent postage stamp was
the universal substitute for a cent
Well now, II occurred to Mr.. Par
ker, the original proprietor Of this ho-
tel and one of the great American
landlords, that h. might issue scrip, in
various denominations. So he got o
printer to work out a design for him.
the same design. to a line, that You see
on that framed scrip hanging there on
the wall--and soon had his scrip ready
for use. Right from the start Parker
House scrip passed readily into circu-
lation; It became a most accepted sub
stitute for money, Mr. Parker paying
It out for supplies and FOR most of his
minor expenses
II should say it was about a 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 business
or for luncheon. In some way that
| frame full Of ecrip~which. of course,
by that time had all been redeemed,
for after the national banks were es-
tablished and the government had also
issued small currency notes In denom-
nations 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 ques-
tions about It. He wanted to know II
the people we're willing to take Il for
produce or meats or other supplies. He
wanted TO know #, having taken lt,
they had any difficulty I'm passing il
along He asked how the scrip was re.
deemed and was told chiefly through
the Offering of it at the cashiers desk
in the hotel in payment OF board anO
lodging
Why that is all there is TO a cir
culating medium Ben Butler said. AL
that is needed is something that viii
serve as a medium in exchange OF
goods If Harvey Parker. the proprie.
tor Of this hotel, could do this, ther
there is no reason why the government
of the United States couldn't do it. We
don't need any other kind of money;
am in favor. therefore, of such ISSUES
of paper money as the necessities o.
the government justify from time t'
time.
"And from that time" concluded Mr.
Woodbury.. ben Butler became prom
inent as an irr sdeemable paper none,
man and afterwards as an earnest de
fender Of the grsenback-thereby in
creasing considerably his national no
toriety in the later years of his life
Copyright. 1911 by r. J, Edwards. Al
rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will Eel
SLOW Jenny Lind Helped to Civ
America n lroaf GoufrolfO Singer