Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-04
EVENING Chat

Harrisburg has at least one mer-
chant who should make study of
bank notes. He raised all sorts of
arguments the other day when a GUS
toner offered one of the new Federal
bank notes. of the five dollar denomi-
nation. This merchant evidently had
not read of the arrival of the new
notes. The customer had made pur-
chase and presented the bill. The mer-
chant looked the note over carefully
on both sides, put on his glasses, read
the numbers and read the inscription
at the bottom of the note. Handing
1T back to the customer the merchant
remarked, That note is no good. 1t is
a counterfeit" When told by the GUS
toner that the note came from a bank
the merchant insisted that the customer
was mistaken, and that no bank would
ever allow note of that kind to go
through. During the argument an
olhef customer came in. OVerhearing
the remarks, the late buyer asked to
see the note. He pulled two notes of
similar design and denomination from
ms pocket compared his money with
that OF the first customer and remark
ed: IF that note is no good, / have
been gold bricked. and by a bank
cashier. | Just had check for one
hundred dollars cashed and here are
few tens and fives the cashier gave
me- The merchant remarked I'm
beat. Thought l. knew all about
money. Guess / bad better study up.
Some fellow is liable to come in here
with real counterfeit and get me-"
Speaking about those new Federal
bank notes, Uncle Sam is in trouble
once more. Many of the first issue
from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve
Bank of fives will have to go back. A
typographical error appears on the
front of the note. and the United
States government will not permit any
money with a flaw to continue in cir
culation. Whoever was responsible for
the error may be hunting job by this
time. The mistake will cost the United
States many thousand dollars. Many
or the notes may never get back.
THESE five dollar notes have been in
circulation for some days and no doubt
have reached States in the South and
West. The defect on the new notes
will be overlooked by ninety-nine out
of every hundred persons. You have
to be shown. The engraver failed to
provide a space between the words
of and America" 1t does not hurt
Il,
Uncle Sam must have his money per-
feet. and banks have been ordered to
return to the United States treasury
all defective Federal bank notes
The filing of expense accounts at the
Capitol has been productive of some
funny things. One man sent a long
statement without swearing to il as
the law required, and another man, Il
gubernatorial candidate, filed a state
ment sworn to. but not signed. One
oil the oldest experiences was with a
man who called up on the long dis
tance telephone and became indignant
when one of the clerks refused to read
the whole report to him over the wire.
Among the Harrisburg boys who are
making good in South America are
two sons of John Paget. the florist for
almost generation at the State Hos
pital in this city. Almost sixteen years
ago one of the sons. John p. Paget,
went with Colonel Francis Skunk to
Ecuador to work on the construction
of the new Guayaquil and Quito rail-
way, a distance of about $50 miles
between the two principal points over
most difficult route. one river being
crossed thirty seven times by Viaducts.
About ten years ago Alfred Paget, an
other son, Joined his brother in Ecua-
uOf ana is now treasurer of this rail-
road company. For years John was
superintendent of the new line otter
its completion, but is now prosperous
contractor on his own account. Both
boys were home last Spring and re-
| turned to Ecuador in June. They have
| mad many interesting experiences.
John was stricken with yellow fever
after being at Guayaquil about eleven
years and was regarded as practically
dead when an American medical eX-
pert arrived and saved his life. He is
now immune to the disease and his
friends refer to him as one back from
the dead, calling him the new John
Paget On their return home about
year ago the young men had as their
guest the minister from Ecuador to
the United States. Thus do Harris
burg boys go out into the world and
make good wherever they go.
Eels are the cheapest dish on the
market at this time. A large bunch of
those caught in the Susquehanna and
nearby streams may be bought fot
10 cents-enough for a meal for even
the largest family. IIels came pretty
near being too numerous to attra ct
buyers yesterday Hundreds Of them
We're sold at the several market houses.
all OF them by men who had takes.
| them from nearby creeks and the
river. The run is said to be unusually
| large this Fall and while the eels are
not very big they average a good size
for the table.
WELL KNOWN PEOPl ?