Year: 1873

The Identification and restoration of


notes which have been burnt is difficult
and interesting operation. Every one has


observed that printed paper after having
been burnt, if not subjected TO a strong


draft or roughly handled. retains its Origi-


nal form, and that the printing is distinct


and legible, and appears as if it had been


raised or embossed on the paper, but that
if it is touched never go gently il crumblcs


into dust. Notes in this condition are fire.


quently received at the Department for


redemption. The cOu,ter subjects each


note and fragment OF note To Il careful


inspection in a strong light. under pow
erful glass, until she determines the de-


nomination and issue. and then paSteS il
upon piece of thin tough paper in order
that ii may De safely handled. But this
pasting, by destroying the raised or en-
bOSsed appearance, at once and forever
precludes all chance of again identifying
the Kind or denomination of the note.


HencefOrth it is but a plain, black piece
of paper. giving no Indication that it ever
represented money. Ii is therefore very
necessary that the counter should be quite
sure that her judgment is correct tefore
the note is pasted upon the paper. She
must alsO.-a most difficult task. deter
mine whether the note is genuine or cOur-
terfeit. And yet 'Ountcrfcits are diScOv-
cred by these experts among the charred
remains of notes with almost as much
certainty as among perfect notes. Charred
notes of National banks have occasionally
come into the possession of the Depart
ment, and have been restored i'm this man
ner and returned for redemption to the
banks which issued them. accompanied by
the affidavits of the counters that they
were the remains of notes of the banks
to which they were returned. In most
cases they were promptly and cheerfully
redeemed. But occasionally a surly bank
officer, unable or unwilling TO trace any re-
semblance to bank notes, or at least to the


notes Of his br. X, in the plain black pieces
of paper returned to him, and Influenced
by desire to effect little saving for the
stockholders, refused to redeem and chal-
lenged the Department to the proof. All
positive ocular proof having been destroy
ed when the notes were restored and
pasted, the Department was compelled To
submit to the loss.


Once some of the experts were granted
leaves of absence. without pay from the
Government, for the purpose of restoring
large quantity of burnt money belong
ing to the Adams Express Company.
This was permitted partly because it was
known that there WAS no one else who
could perform the.service. without which
:he company would be subjected to great
loss, but principally because the company
offered to pay them much more for their
time and labor than they were receiving
from the government. and it was thought
that their long and faithful services justly
entitled them to this addition TO their
meager salaries. The money was taken
from safes recovered from the wreck of a
burnt steamer which had been lying for
four or five years at the bottom of the
Mississippi, and the notes were so burnt,
decayed. and damaged as to be absolutely
worthless, unless identified and restored.
Yet nearly every note of the one hundred
and eiIhty-One thou sand dollars in United
States and National Bank notes recovered
was restored with unerring certainty and
redeemed al il, full face value. The Chi
cagO and Boston fires have for the last
year and half furnished burnt notes
enough to keep all the experts of the
office pretty constantly employed.-Scrib-
ner's for AprH.