The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-29
TREASURY RELICS
Historical Treasures on File In
the Auditors Office.
ACCOUNTS OF G. WASHINGTON.

these cover Period OF Eight year
and Are In the Handwriting of IN
Great Patriot-Reeeipts Signed b.
oanielSWebster and Henry Clay.
The archives of the United States
treasury are rich with relics. In tn,
files Of the office OF the auditor of In,
treasury department may be seen tn,
Cancelled check showing the payment
TO Lafayette in 1924 of 100000 10y tn,
United States "in consideration Of his
services and sacrifices I'm the war OF
the Revolution" William H. Craw-
ford, then secretary OF the treasury.
signed the warrant and in the char
acteristic French handwriting on the
reverse is the Endorsement OF Iafa-
! yette. A Cancelled check or warrant
for Sl5,0oO.O0O represents the payment
! for the Louisiana purchase under the
| treaty OF 1903
The purchase under the treaty. char
acterlzed at the time as Stewards fol-
ly,' of Alaska is evidenced by war
rant for $7.2OO0OO. signed 10y f.. T.
Spinner, who ut the time was secre.
tary of the treasury. The wording of
the warrant begins aud runs. PAY to
the undersigned envoy extraordinary
and minister plenipotentiary OF his
majesty the emperor OF all the Rus
sias.' This warrant called for pay
ment in coin and was so paid through
the Riggs bank, then "A private bank.
Ing institution OF Washington. after
being Endorsed by Edward de Stoecke.
the Russian minister at that time
Tie purchase OF the Philippine Is.
lands from Spain is represented in the
important financial transactions Of the
government by four warrants OF So
100000 each. AS n treaty cannot be
entered into 10y one country directly
with one with which ii is at war. the
warrants were Endorsed 10y Jules Cam.
bon. the French minister. who had del.
egated authority to represent the Span.
ish government.
The Panama canal purchase repre-
scented the largest financial transaction
or the government The payment was
made by common draft. payable to
d. PlerpOnt Morgan n Co., special dis
bursting agent" through whom il was
PAID 10 the French company. the for
mer owner The late j. Pierpont Nor
gan himself indorsed the draft A
snort time previous there had been is !
sued q warrant for $4,000. 600, cover.
Ing the cost of the canal zone. an area /
OF ten miles on each side Of the canal. |
AS these cancelled checks are held as |
receipts, it could happen. in case of !
their loss. that the government might /
not be able TO show that the moneys |
were actually paid.
Not less interesting as relics are "Ac.
Washington with the Unit
ed states, commencing June, 1873. and |
ending June. 1888, comprehending Il
space Of eight years" Under the cap
ton are three or four dilapidated calf |
bound account books in the handwrit-
ing OF the great American patriot
These accounts were mostly kept while |
he was on the march. but they were /
brought up with great accuracy from l
lay TO day.
At the end of each book there is a
recapitulation Individ-
lal money and funds of the govern
nent expended by him are specifically i
Indicated. In footnote he calls at
ention to a particular item which he
appeared to have paid. but for which
lie had no voucher. He deducted the
mount Of the item from his credit
Until the matter could he definitely set II
led. All of his accounts are express
ID in English money.
contemporaneous account book kept
~ Caleb Gibbs shows the personal cx-
lenses of Washington aud his military
family" meaning. no doubt his i'm
Mediate staff. The entries are usually
Ieaded. Headquarters. ON the march,"
FOR the most part they cover purchases |!
f food supplies, but now and then are
UGH entries as:
ITO cash for broom that Peter
fought some time ago. siXpence."
Cash paid for mendng the chariot,
shilling"
agreed with Peggy for shlllngs I
'er month for the generals washing
nd shillings per dozen for the gen
lemen of the family"
Among other things of interest in the
uditor's office are books showing al
Dwances to members OF congress TO
nd from Washington I'm the Thir.
eenth congress $9G3 for mileage is re-
eipted I'm n faint. uncertain hand I'D.
Webster" A payment of $500 for I'll
lays attendance is shown 10 have
'een made to Henry Clay. - Harper's
Weekly.