davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1938-09-25

humble commodity that counterfeiters
have not been able to resist its lure.
For lexical accuracy we have been
talking about copper cent pieces. Call
them pennies, If you will, because,
while Uncle Sam. doesn't recognize
the penny (Which is q British coin
worth about 2 cents Of our money!,
photographers define penny as,
among other things, a coin of in
significant value So If cent is a
penny to you. call it penny and
stick to it. Personally, we don't care
much for the word cent ourselves; it
is too suggestive Of so many things
we don't like-the fishmonger's stall,
the exhaust Of a motor bus-and
halitosis.
Don't be contemptuous of the copper
cent; that little brown prince Of our
coins plays a mighty important role
in the economics Of modern Life.
Think of the newspapers, postage
stamps and funny goods he buys, and
Of the sales taxes he pays in those
States that levy q purchase tax!
lust think Of the Importance Of the
lowly cent in the realm Of adver-
tising and retail merchandising.
Imagine an ad writer trying to arouse
feminine readers interest in merchan-
disc priced in nickels and dimes or
dollars! The odd cents in advertised
prices are a never-failing attention
compeller. Priced for this sale 10
cents, 80 cents, Al cents, ETC." Would
there be any bargain-counter crashes
for merchandise marked prosaically at
40 cents, 40 cents and so cents?"
There have been many changes in
the size and weight Of pennies Half,
2 and cent pieces were discontinued
because Of the weight problem and also
because they did not fit into our coin
age system, which is based on tentfs.
Halt ana Scent pieces were too Light
and 2-cent pieces ware too heavy.
Evening star., 1938-09-25
Government Profit
Rate on Coins
Very High.
By Russell Bailey.

JUST copper penny rolling
across the sidewalk toward the
~ grating of a storm sewer. The
man who dropped it in pulling
a handful of loose coins from his
pocket didn't stop to pick it up. Let 1t
60, it's just brownie" he said.
You have noted similar incidents
many times. Its just cent, hardly
worth the trouble to chase or seek" Is
almost a stock phrase among white
collar urbanites. One reason why
coming presses at the Philadelphia,
Denver and San Francisco mints are
still coming copper cents at the stag
gering rate of 2,871 each minute OF
every working day. Since the Bureau
of the Mint was created in 1892. more
than seven and a half billion copper
cents have been coined. If you want
exact figures, the number as of June
l, 1887, was 1866, ,036,875. The 1898
figures are not yet available.
If all the copper cents coined since
our coinage began were laid end to end
they would stretch to 1858 miles and
would girdle the earth more than three
times. If prorated to us, every man,
woman and child of us would jingle ga
copper cents in his pockets, handbag
or savings bank. AS matter OF fact,
Evening star., 1938-09-25

ued to emphasize knowledge of personal
safety in the water.
3. First-aid instruction that goes
hand in hand with swimming and life
saving is another major phase of the
Red Cross safety education program
District police and flremen are re-
quired to take special courses given
several times each year by the Red
Cross, and are privileged to wear the
Red Cross first-aid insignia by which
they are known to the public as men
prepared to save lives at the scene of
an accident. Many business and in
dustrial concerns also send their en-
ployes to these classes, and hrst-ald
instruction is brought to peopie in
nearly every occupation.
School children take elementary
courses along with their regular class
work, and advanced students are
Evening star., 1938-09-25

The act Of Congress Of April 2,
1892, authorizing coinage of money,
specified that a cent shall weigh 264
grains. January 4, 1893, this was
changed to 208 grains. Another change
on January 26. 1896, specified l68
grains. and finally the present cent,
weighing 48 grains, was authorized
on April %, 1864. No change has
taken place since then.
One of the older issues OF cents
contained SO per cent copper and IL
per cent nickel. % These cents were
called nickel cents and we're authorized
February 81, 1857 They were dis
continued April %, 1864. They
weighed u grains. These changes
were made by proclamation of the
President in conformity with the act
Of March 3, 1895.
THERE were 3,soe,611 half cents
coined before the half cent was
discontinued. Only 80 cents worth,
or 100, of these coins were returned
to the mints. We do not find many
Of them in circulation today. Most
Of the present generation have never
seen half cent, yet there are nearly
100000 of them unaccounted for.
There were 9l,202,oo 2-cent pieces
coined OF that number $4,000, 900
came back to the mints, leaving ST.
600, 1000 still presumed to be in circula-
ton or lost. The Government coined
94,134,s48 Scent pieces. Twenty-eight
million were returned to the mints,
leaving 66,ooo,ooo unaccounted for.
We were most considerate of the
value of the and 3 cent coins and
returned about 100000 Of them
What happened to the 126, ,o0o, 900 coins
Of half, 2 and 3 cent denominations?
It would seem that we would see these
ccins very frequently, since so many
are still unaccounted for, but such il
not the case. These coins, apparently
are almost completely out Of circula-
ton.
Collectors have q goodly number OF
these old coins that are no longer
minted. Estimates do not indicate
however, that collectors have any such
number in their collections as are
known to be outstanding. It is safe
to assume that the larger number, by
far, have been lost. Children, no doubt
lose the largest number of cents. On
their way to buy gum, candy or mar
bles they engage in games or vigorous
play, or. maybe Johnnie's penny falls
through the hole In his pocket, and hi.
precious cent is gone, to be stepped or
and pushed into the ground or go, the
gutter route to oblivion. And cents
wear out.
Your cents will wear out more
quickly II you live in New York City
than II you live in Alpena, Mich. Il
h . known fact that . coin u han
Evening star., 1938-09-25
lowed by kiddies and gone the sewer

lowed by kiddies and gone the sewer
route to oblivion.
Homes burn to the ground and no
one thinks Of saving the child'si bank.
Filling stations burn to ashes and with
them slot machines filled with pennies
that are fused beyond redemption by
the heat. And we once knew a kid
who burned up q fistfull Of pennies
with chemical experiments. This same
kid later revived a blown fuse plug by
inserting copper cent in it, and there
went to blazes another cent when q
bolt Of lightning, finding no Interrupt
ton in this fortified fuse, destroyed
his daddy's shop and just about every
thing therein.
Any one can readily see why Uncle
Sans mints, after all the years and In
spite Of the billions Of coppers they
have coined, are still grinding them
out at the rate Of 2,781 per minute,
every minute Of every working day.
Evening star., 1938-09-25

execution Of forward and surface
diving and floating. Now the swim
mer Is ready to learn life-saving.
At no time in this elementary in
struction Is the development Of parti-
cular swimming strokes stressed. To
paraphrase Red Cross instructors.
swimming, Is practised by man, Is
an art. Man must learn to adapt
himself to water, for he has none
Of the characteristics Of fish, water
fowl and quadrupeds which instinc-
lively swim. Man has had to devise
and learn swimming methods. The
experience has enriched him not
tread water. To this Is added in
struction on where and when to swim,
as well as how, followed by q demon
only physically, but mentally. And
mental equipment Is needed fully as
Evening star., 1938-09-25

well as physical prowess in learning
and practicing life-saving.
THE first course, for juniors between
the ages Of II and II, requires
at least eight hours preparation and
practice and the prerequisite Of the
swimmers test. In deep water, the
swimmer must first disrobe and swim
100 yards. Next he releases grips on
his arm, head and back; demonstrates
artificial resuscitation and makes Z
surface dive, recovering objects Of vary
ing weights. Correct spproaches-al-
ways away from the one to be rescued
and out Of his reach-followed by
swimming carries of 80 feet each
complete the test.
Seniors, or those over II, follow the
same course, but with requirements
more physically difncult. Seniors
Evening star., 1938-09-25

position OF standing or walking to
the horizontal one of swimming, and
the first test in the swimmers prog
ress Is aimed to have him "level on"
in the water. He must Jump into
water over his depth, swim rs feet
and return. Twenty-Five feet is An
extremely reasonable distance even
for testing beginner. but once mas
tered that small distance may carry
away all fear Of water.
Games in water also aid in losing
fear. the greatest obstacle to swimming
safety, and 50, games follow for
the beginner. To become swimmer"
the beginner is taught simple, elemen-
tary strokes and dives and how to
stration of artificial respiration. Only
100 yards of actual swimming Is
required for this test, together with
treading water for 80 minutes, proper
Evening star., 1938-09-25

taugh to become first-aid instructors.
The annual course for lay instructors
begins on September 20. according to
DR.. Roy Lyman Sexton, chairman Of
the First-aid and Life-savinR Com
mittee of the local chapter, while the
first Of three groups Of firemen started
on their annual fall classes earlier
this month.
4. Laymen qualified in Red Cross
life-saving and flrst-aid methods stand
ready at all times to meet any emer-
gency. Volunteer details are provided
at every large public gathering, like
the regatta. Several hundred volun-
teers who hold advanced course GER
tiflcates are kept on call, to work with
the Motor Corps, nursing services and
other integral units of the chapter.
Complete equipment to meet any
emergency is kept handy at the local
headquarters, where flrst-aid details
are furnished ambulances, field first
Evening star., 1938-09-25
Lost Coppers Offer
One Reason for
Production.

most Of us have at given time and
the total is approximately five hundred
million cents in circulation. Add about
one and one-half billion cents that
have been re-coined at the mints to
this figure, and deduct from the seven
and one.half billion cents that have
been coined, and we find nearly five
billion cents are unaccounted for.
THE number Of pennies that have
been lost or destroyed since the be-
ginning Of their coinage in 1892 will
not square with Treasury Department
reports. All money that cannot be ac-
counted for is still theoretically in cir
culation. Few, If any, penny losses are
ever reported.
The Treasury takes no cognizance Of
the millions Of copper cents that ad-
venturous youngsters have placed on
railroad or street car tracks to see
them fiattened paper-thin by the i'm
pact of the steel car wheels. Neither
does the Treasury take cognizance Of
the millions Of pennies blasted by am
bilious juvenile marksmen with their
20 rifles. And, oh, think Of the mil
lions Of pennies that have been swal-
Evening star., 1938-09-25
died more frequently in large cities
than in our smaller communities.

died more frequently In large cities
than in our smaller communities.
CH1LDREN's banks account for a
large number Of cents. There
have been enough cents coined that
apparently are out of circulation to
provide 335 cents for each child under
10 years Of age in the United States
today. I found a few cases of children
with as many as 200. but the average
is safely around is cents.
Twenty-Five thousand eight hundred
cents have been coined each working
day since they started coming in 1892.
Breaking the figure down still more,
383 cents have been coined each min
ute since coming was established.
These figures are average and do not
represent constant production, since
the demand for cents varies.
Todays cent weighs 4s grains and
is composed of s5 per cent copper and
per cent tin and zinc about equally
divided. 1t is found to be light and
convenient in size. They are favored
above the old large cent, which
weighed 264 grains.
Nearly nine times as much money
is received for a cent by the Treasury
as the cost of the metal from which a
cent is coined. Since the first cent
was coined nearly $70,0o0,0o0 profit
has been made out of the coming Of
cents. The profit on coming is turned
over to the Treasurer of the United
States and 1t becomes an asset Of the
Government.
RANKS return to the Treasury all
coins that are worn or that are
discontinued. When cents are returned
part Of the profit In coming them
shrinks. If coin Is worn it must be
brought back to standard weight
This means that when they are melt
ed for recoining more metal has to be
added and, therefore, the original
profit shrinks by the amount and cost
Of the new metal added. But since
50 many cents utterly disappear from
circulation the shrinkage Of profit on
cents Is not an item.
The Bureau Of the Mint has been
one of the largest purchasers Of cop
per. Over 50 500, 900 pounds have been
consumed coming cents. Last year
we bought over 2,500,o00 pounds OF
copper to maintain our supply OF
cents. This operation produced gross
profit for Uncle Sam Of over $500 900
Cents have to be made to an exact
size In diameter, thickness and weight
This, Of course, is required by law.
There Is another reason, which is very
important to . large industry. The
vending machine industry depends on
the uniformity Of size and weight Of
coins to keep their machines operat-
ing. Any change In the sine Of coins
would make their equipment useless
Evening star., 1938-09-25

few of us can produce more than two
or three Of these coppers at any given
time, and it is safe guess that the
total number Of copper cents in use
today is nearer one billion than seven
billion. What in heck has become of
some Of the millions of coppers that
have disappeared?
MILLIONS of them are in children's
savings banks; other millions are
in the coin receptacles of vending ma
chimes everywhere; but the fact re-
mains that the lowly copper is an
evanescent coin, or our Uncle Sam
wouldn't have to continue to stamp out
2,87l of the little brown discs every
minute of every working day to keep
up with the demand for them.
But our Uncle Sam isn't worrying
Evening star., 1938-09-25

and 1t would cost millions OF dollars
to replace the thousands of scales,
gum, nut. candy and other kinds Of
penny slot machines in almost uni
versal use. All of these devices are
designed to operate on standard
sized coin. If the coin becomes small
er from wear the gum or peanuts fail
to come out Of the machine, and y,ur
coin Is returned.
1t would be interesting to know how
many cents are in vending machines
Evening star., 1938-09-25

about that; the old gent is cashing in
on 1t every day. As a matter Of fact,
the coinage Of the humble copper is
one Of his most profitable activities.
If nary cent were lost overheard,
ground into dust, or had gone with
the garbage, Uncle Sam would still
figure a gross profit of nine cents on
every cents worth of copper used in
the coinage of his copper one-cent
pieces. So great is the profit in this
Evening star., 1938-09-25

too, in recent months have had the
opportunity Of learning the use Of
surf boards to speed rescue work. The
Red Cross emphasizes that speed is
essential. It teaches students to
make use Of boats, and other con-
traptions, to reach a drowning victim
quickly and with the least physical
exertion. Surf boards have been
found the most adaptable adjuncts
yet developed and are now standard
life-saVng equipment.
Living testimony to the great gen.
eral value of the Red Cross life-saving
program are the men and women of
Washington who have won nfe-saving
medals.
Evening star., 1938-09-25

aid kit and hospital supplies-blankets,
stretchers, splints, cots and even hot
water jugs.
PREPAREDNESS is the keynote Of
the Red Cross volunteer service.
Teaching of preparedness dominates
the instruction. After the regatta
children in school will be asked to
prepare themselves for any emer-
gency arising in or around the water.
The Red Cross gets the boy and girl
who cannot swim a stroke, as we'll
as the good swimmers, and carries
them through four steps to the mas
terry of themselves and then others
in the water.
At first the prospective swimmer is
taught ease in the water rather than
intricate strokes and fancy forms of
swimming A pupil must first undergo
transition from the normal vertical
Evening star., 1938-09-25

GENTS have been counterfeited on a
large scale. To date four plants
have been found counterfeiting cents.
Since pound of copper costs only IA
cents and one hundred and forty-six
cents are obtained from q pound OF
copper the profit Is attractive to the
counterfeiter, but he finds his problem
is to dispose of suflcient quantities to
make it worth while to make heavy
investment in dies and machines to
coin cents.
The penalty for counterfeiting under
the nrst Coinage Act was death. This
also was the penalty for any one en-
ployed by the Mint who altered the
coinage with fraudulent intent. How
ever, the death sentence has never
been imposed on Mint employe. The
Mint service has . long and enviable
record. The law pertaining to coun-
terfeiting or altering coins has been
amended and the penalties were made
less severe.
With our State sales taxes and
penny prices on most everything We
buy, plus the constant loss, the need
for cents will increase instead Of di-
minish. Movement Of our population
from rural to urban centers; needs by
the merchants for more change, since
50 many Of our branch and smaller
banks have closed, making it harder to
get change quickly, and wiser SPEND
ing; all these factors tend to enlarge
the demand for cents.
Simple multiplication will give you
the answer to how many cents are
apparently lost. Just multiply the
number Of people In the United States
by the average Of three or four cents
Evening star., 1938-09-25

Program With Equipment and Personnel Meet Such Situations
Created Presidents
Savers Out of Thousands Washington Candidates.
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03

viding an economical homegrown
source of protein. For instance, f"
he said, 'an acre of alfalfa prop
erly managed and fertilized will
yield approximately four times as
much protein as an acre of aver
age silage corn" While some
dairymen might show concern
about the possibility of disturbing
the protein-carbohydrate balance
by increasing the protein yield per
acre, Tomhave pointed out that
there were two ways of overcom-
ing this danger. Dairymen could
either reduce the protein content
of the grain ration fed or add mo-
lasses to the silage in excess of
that needed for its preservation
Either method should effect saw
ing to the dairyman," he said. II
has been calculated that for every
100 pounds Of molasses added per
ton Of green material, 2.8 parts Of
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03
ADVERTISEMENTS FOR BIDS

~ In foh bAbo
Sealed proposals will be received by the
State Highway Department. at its office,
Dover. Del. until 200 O'Clock p. M,
March 80. 1888. and at that time and place
publicly opened for contracts involving the
following approximate quantities;
CONTRACT 6I2A
Landscaping-Fort Christiana Park
Landscaping Fort Christiana Park as
per plan. Lump Sum.
Performance of contract shall commence
within ten (10) days after execution of the
contract and be completed as specified.
Monthly payments will be made for 90
per cent of the construction completed each
month.
Bidders must submit proposals upon
forms provided by the Department.
Each proposal must be accompanied by a
surety bond, certified check. or nancy 10
the amount of at least ten (i0) per centum
OF the total amount of the proposal.
The envelope containing the proposal
must be marked Proposal for the con
struction of State Highway Contract No
The contract will be awarded or rejected
within twenty (20) days from the date Of
opening proposals.
The right is reserved to reject any or all
bids.
Complete sets of plans and specifications
may be obtained after March Is. 1888.
upon receipt of two dollars $4,000 for
each contract, which amount will not be
STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
Dover. Delaware
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03
MANY VIEW SOY
BEAN CAR HERE
Car Was on r.. r.. Siding at
Clayton Yesterday and
Attracted Attention
SCHOOL PUPILS ATTEND

The story of the rise of the soy
bean from a hay crop to an in
dustrial force was graphically dis
played to the citizens of Smyrna
Clayton yesterday when the soy
bean car sponsored by the Ameri-
can Soybean Association was open
to the public on the Pennsylvania
Railroad siding at Clayton. Be
sides the number of adults who at
tended, pupils of both the Smyrna
and Clayton schools found much of
educational value in the display.
The car, which is a rebuilt pas
senger coach, was brought to this
vicinity by the University of Della
ware Extension Department. The
story of the rise of the soybean in
America was graphically told in
the exhibits and by their arrange
ment in the car. Around the en-
tire car was a series of transpar-
ent pictures showing production
and harvesting methods. Uses of
Soybeans on the farm, in human
edibles, as well as in many indus
tries were depicted. The car it.
self has been painted with soybean
paint and finished with soybean
varnish. Soybean oil was used in
the core sand in the foundry con-
nected with the factory where the
car was built. The plywood used
throughout the car was put to-
gether with soybean glue. Ac-
cording to DR.. ]. B. Park, presi-
dent Of the American Soybean AS
sociation, THE Soybean Exhibit
Car portrays in striking manner
a cross section of the entire soy
bean industry from growing the
crop on the farm to the highly
varied products in which the soy
bean appears on the market" The
car, by the time it makes its stop
in Newark, will have been visited
by more than 10000 persons and
will have Travelled more than 15,-
900 miles.
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03
DAIRYMEN USE
GRASS SILAGE
Find 1t Better and More Eco
nOmical For Cattle Food
1t Is Said
ALFALFA USE GROWING

Dairymen who are considering
the use of grass silage as a cattle
feed are more and more thinking
in terms of nutrients per acre
rather than in terms of tons per
acre. This statement was made
recently by A. E. Tomhave, An
imal Husbandman at the Univer-
sity of Delaware Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station, who pointed out
that every effort made to take
more feed nutrients from the
glassland works directly to lower
the feed bill for dairymen. There
seems to be a rapidly growing in
terest in the use of grass silage,"
Tomhave said. THE use of grass
as silage affords a means of pro
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03

Subscribe to The Smyrna Times. xI.5o
Per Year. In Advance
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03
$751; 900 FIELD HOUSE q. OF ID
This and A Other Recommends
tions Made by Alumni Association


A S154 900 field house for the
University of Delaware was urged
Saturday night before the annual
mid-winter dinner Of the Alumni
Association in Newark. 1t should
provide for both indoor sports, and
baseball and football practice in
off-season, said Harry G. Lawson,
chairman Of a committee investi-
eating costs and benefits of the
proposed field house. If alumni
will support the project, he said,
1--WE will be instrumental in Great
ing the answer to a great problem
at the school" He estimated cost
of the 180-by-330-foot structure at
S154 ,634, with the WPA possibly
paying S64 1886. Four other recon-
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03

mendations in a five-point pro-
gram presented by Mr.. Lawson
were: Permanent stands, costing
perhaps $4,000; freshman rule in
athletics, scholarship funds for
athletics, and raising funds to car
ny out projects.
Smyrna times., 1938-03-03

total digestible nutrients are also
added. Thus the addition of mo-
lasses in amounts greater than
necessary for grass preservation
increases the nitrogen free ex-
tract contest effecting a better
balance in grass silage."