Year: 1873




notes which, have been burnt is o difficult
and interesting operation, Every one has
observed that printed paper after having
boen burnt, if not subjected to strong
draft or roughly handled, retains its orig
inal form, and that the printing is distinct
and legiblo, and appears as if it had been
raised or embossed on the paper, but that
if it is touched never SO gently it crum'
bles into dust. Notes in this condition
are frequently received at the Department
Tor redemption. The counter subjects
each note and fragment of note to a
careful inspection in q strong light, undcr
d powerful glass, until she determines the
denomination and issue, and then pastcs
It upon i piece Of thin, tough paper in
order that it may be safely handled, But
this pasting, by destroying the raised or
embossed appearance, at once and forever
precludes all chance of again identifying
the kind or denomination OF the note.
Henceforth it is but plain, black piece
of paper, giving no indication that it ever
represented money. 1t is therefore very
necessary that the counter should be quite
stre that her irdghsh. is ccrtect before
the note is pasted upon the paper. She
must also,-a most difficult task,-detsr-
mine whether the note is genuine or
counterfeit. And yet counterfeits are
discovered by these experts among the
charred remains of notes with almost as
much certainty as among perfect notes.
Charred notes of National banks have oc-
ca.ionally come into the possession of the
Department, and have been restored in
this manner and returned for redemption
to the banks which issued them, accompa>
nied by the afhdayitS of the counters that
they We're the remains Of notes of the
banks to Which they we're returned. In
most cases they were promptly and cheer
fully redeemed. But occasionally Surly
bank officer, unable or unwilling to trace
any resemblance to bank notes, or at least
to the notes OF his bank, in the plain black
pieces Of paper returned to him, and in
huenced perhaps by a desire to effect
little saving for the stockholders, refused
to redeem and challenged the Department
to the proof. All positive ocular proof
having been destroyed when the notes
were restored and pasted, the Department
was compelled to submit to the loss.


Once some of these experts were grant
ed leaves of absence, without pay from
the government, for the purpose of restOr>
ing large quantity Of burnt money be-
longing to Adams Express Company
This was permitted partly because it was
known that there was no one else who
could perform the service. without which
tho company would be subjected to great
loss, but principally bccauSo tie 5ompa'
ny offered to pay them much more for
their time and labor than they wcrc re.
ceiving from the government, and it was
thought that their long and faithful SER
vices justly entitled them to this addition
to their meager salaries. The money was
taken from safes recovered from the wreck
Of 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 absolute.
ly worthless, unless identified and restor-
ed. Yet nearly every note of tbe one
hundred and eighty-one thousand dollars
in United States and National Bank notes
recovered was restored with unerring GER
tainty and redeemed at its full face value.
The Chicago and Boston fires have for the
last year and half furnished burnt notes
enough to keep all the experts of the Of
fee Pretty Constantly employed. d.-Scri5-
ner for April.