The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-12
o. r. Johnston Finds Record Of Time
When U. S. Was Broke" Ac-
cordins to Papers He IN
earthed In Vault.
WARRANT WAS NOT PAID
Was in Favor Of State Of Iowa and
the Amount Was $22e,s73-
Presented in 1856 and
Stamped.

Soohty SA0AA W H. JOAhhcLOh WdS
engaged in storing away records In
in this city, Tuesday morning, says
the Fort Madison Gem City. Reach
ing into dusty corner, his hand
grasped a bundle OF papers. He drew
forth his hand In his hand was a
group Of folded documents. yellowed
with age. They looked interesting.
He decided to examine them. He
opened the bundle Of neatly arranged
papers. Several moments passed be-
fore he discerned their nature He
turned over several pages, then he
gasped, for a warrant on the treasury
of the United States of America In
favor of the state of Iowa, calling for
the amount of $226,873.86, stared him
in the face. Turning over the war
rant he saw written on the back these
words presented the 81 day OF Jan
uary, 1856, and not paid for the want
Of funds" He looked again. This time
his eyes were somewhat strained for
he was anxious to determine whether
or not it had ever been paid. In the
dim light of the vault he could not
discern any marks that stated that
the warrant had ever been cashed.
A few moments later, for 1t takes
but few moments to migrate in such
cases. Mr.. Johnston was standing in
the w,ell-lighted clerks office, peering
over the back of the warrant. His
dispelled suddenly, however. for down
in the corner of the bit of paper wers
the words, paid March s, 1885, It
I, o.. -
the United States treasury was devoid
of funds. or in other words was
broke" This bit OF information killed
his thoughts that the United States
might still be owing the state of Iowa
a fortune, but as he looked further
over the papers he began to realize
their historical value.
The bundle of documents proved to
be as stated, on an explanatory sheet,
"a true statement OF the accounts be.
tween the United States and the state
of Iowa and between the United
States and the treasurer Of the United
States. The date of the consigning
of the documents to Iowa from the
treasury department was April 20,
1859. R
According to the documents contain.
ed in tie bundle of papers, the United
States defrayeH the expense of main
tenance of the public schools of Iowa.
James G. Eads was then superinten-
dent of public instruction Of Iowa.
with headquarters at Iowa City. The
purpose Of the documents was to
show the statements OF the accounts
and the expenditures made by the
government. In the bundle We're two
warrants issued by the United States
one Of which was dated December Is,
1854, and calling for .s54,441.59, paid,
and the other dated January z, 1865,
bearing an amount of $226,s73.s6.
Attached were articles Of explana-
ton as to the reason anG, issuance OF
the warrants.
All Of the papers we're original,
being for the most part in han-.
writing. One or two were signed by
the governor Of Iowa in that day,
Geo. w .MoCleary The capitol of tho
state at that time was at Iowa City.
The documents displayed that the
United States was plainly broke" as
far as ready funds were concerned.
How the documents become stored
in the local county Office is unexplain-
able, that they are papers which rear
ly belong to the state records is the
general belief.