Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-11-29
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UNCLE SANS
BILLION COUNT
Two Months Job Made AaGss-
SaIy by Change Of Treasurer,
NO SHORTAGE IS LIEaG

Methods Of Stealing,
Uncle sam Is nolng about the count.
iug ot his money, something more than
Stpo00o0000,a and that it will not1bs
enlirc'y "easy day work may bn july
ed by tine fact tlat IL viii emhny
ahaat twenty husky lahofefs, besldes
committee OF treasury odicers. ,f3t
probably more than two months.
This count is nude necessary on
ciAny by the cfiange or United states
Treasurer Lee @cClung being sueceede
cd by Carmi Thompson OF ohio. When
the formal transfer is made the new
treasurer WIN give a receipt 20 tho
outgoing treasurer fsF more than ST.
0oo,Oo0,00o IL gold and silver coin Rnd
paper money
All OF the paper money Is couitted
piece by piece Much Of the gold n
counted IN that way, hut practically
all The silver and some OF the geld iife
counted by weighing the sealed bags
containing them on scales that are arfk
cately poised so that the slightest Va
a bag Of coin would be accurately re-
corded. The silver and gold coin IL
kept la sealed bags, ~
Tossing Around Money.
II requires some physical effort, 10
count these. They are heavy. and edch
one must be handled separately. Taken
from the pile ia which IL is stacked by
a laborer a bug is tossed TO another
laborer. who passes Ii before the etsui-
mittee OF inspection. The committee
after weighing the bag passes it ow-ts
other laborers. who put II back in the
symmetrical pile until the next connt
Ia ordered
Men have been permanently injured
by accidents In handling these bags of
coin. There are a number Of men now
being carried on the rolls OF the treas-
ury who have suffered spralhs or bro
ken limbs or been injured internally
through being hit with money bags In
the course Of the ottieini count
The committee which supcrviscss the
count IL usually composed OF three per-
sons. all officers Of the treasury.
These counts. often as d change In
tte rrcasnrer's office has required them
haFe almost invariably shown the
stock of Uncle SAINTS money in fIse
treasury TO be intact. but once there
was a shortage II WINS In 1885, when
the Democratic party succeeded I'd
power In the government after years
spent % the political wilderness.
Iltsss4n ut AZ IAr1
from campaien oratofs that the boolss
Of tue treasury be opened and the cash
counted 80 flie country was .aSt
wholly unprepared TO hear that the OH
ciat count ~ the Billion or No III Tao
traa3urer'a office Ind disclosed a short.
age. ,sne
Shortage Caused Surprise.
There was really some surprise,
though, at the size of she deficit. 1t
was only 2 cents ID,
Republicans throughout the country
rallied heroicnliy % the relief Of their
party. A perfect shower Of two cent
stamps fell upon the United states
treasurer, coming through the mFriis
from ain sections Of the country, bateft
was not necessary 10 tHrn 70 private
authorizations 10 make un tie deilnyh
Two DAYS after the official count ended
the missing > cents were found rs inc
result Of moving 4 desk. .yaa
SO fur as the meninry Of the present
officers OF the treasurers staff goas,
this IL the only shortage that has ever
been disclosed BIZ any count Of tleas-
ury cash. although It II possible that
there may have been some other4
There have been losses and tlefts from
time 10 time. ..~
One United States treasurer in re-
cent years made the discovered TINT
a thousand dollars was missing. The
sum was represented BY single bib
He made good the loss, and congress
later reimbursed him.
Several years ago a negro laborer
managed to make away with several
hundred dollars while engnged In the
work Of handling bags OF silver Te