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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 1903)
THE COURIER 6 f$ad Monty (Sees to Waste. WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan. 10. Five tons of counterfeit money were de stroyed a few days ajjo by order of Secre tary of the Treasury Shaw. This was contraband coinage captured by Uncle Sam's secret-service men during a little more than a year. The counterfeit coins accumulate so rapidly that this annual destruction becomes necessary, and It la believed that the stuff destroyed repre sents the greater part of the spurious coinage. The actual amount of money "cap tured" last year was $31,223.98. This was probably the bulk of the bad money floated during the year. If that be true. It is seen that the ratio of spurious to genuine coin is $1 to $4,000. This estimate Is based upon the fact that the govern ment mints have in the last year pro duced more than $123,000,000 in coin. The relation of counterfeit paper money to genuine paper money Is prob ably about the same; so It would appear that the business of making counterfeit money Is not, from the standpoint of the counterfeiter, "Just like finding It" Nevertheless, counterfeits have been made ever since the government was es tablished. Accordingly, a large staff of men are employed by the treasury de partment constantly to bring the coun terfeiters to justice; and as soon as counterfeit money comes Into the hands of government officers the most scrupu lous cnre is taken to preserve it until a sufficient quantity is accumulated to call for its destruction according to the rules and regulations of the department This destruction takes place about once a year. The paper stuff is burned, unless It happens to be in the form of bank notes and treasury notes of such elabo rate and painstaking workmanship that it is calculated to deceive the public when it appears in the circulating medi um of the country- In that event and there is always a considerable quantity of these notes they are ground up in a kind of huge sausage machine, called a "macerator." In the basement of the treasury building in Washington. The metallic counterfeits, together with L all the plates, dies, presses, and similar material captured from counterfeiters by the secret-service officers, are melted down, either at the Washington navy yard or at a local Iron foundry. The re pent destruction of spurious coin and paraphernalia of counterfeiters was effected at Schneider's iron foundry. This year's "destruction committee" consisted of Samuel Wallace, C. E. Cor wln, and George C. Flenner. trusted offi cials of the treasury department. The "destruction committee" Is appointed by the secretary of the treasury each year to examine all the counterfeit materials captured by the secret-service bureau. Whenever a secret-service detective makes a "haul" of counterfeit stuff he forwards it to Washington by express, and each article is carefully examined, and then labeled and numbered In the office of Chief Wilkle. The stuff Is then stored away. The coin and notes are placed In a safe. The more bulky material, such as dies, plates, and printing presses, are stored In a carefully guarded room in the treas- SONS OF COUNTESS CASTELLANE rzli 1 T ' igMvJtMz-'.rM. !SHiSSS"WMlSSSMiiiBSSSCiSSSWJBK9iSSSSS.v' jllsssKliHMIsssssJls9PnHk rj.rrr-rmtMaz.'immm. :. "r obsbhbl.'-u Mrnr-.if' .um& w '.-jem r ;$33KIssssssssKK1j3VsI& &H9lllHi.llllV!IHElr9KrK MbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbbssBbBs'BbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBbBBbBbBbBbBbBbBbW' 'nS.ZW BbBbBbBBBBPT vC7TlsssS BsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsSSBsB'jaH 'O'sBrSBPGfcBsBsSmjSBr QBsBsBsBsBsBsBssfiBHPIBsrf(fJiBBsBsBsBsBssBs' MISS LIPPINCOTT, Mvdlo, Boom . BrvwneU Block Umodi la Drawing-. Fainting. Pyrog raphy. Wood Carving, Improved China Kiln, Chi decorated or toe. Studio open Monday. Tuesday. Thurs day, Friday. 2 to 6 p. m., and Saturday. I Before they set foot on American soil, the two young sons of Count BonI de Castellane. despite the fact that their mother was an American, had never seen an American flag. The youngsters are now In this country with their mother paying a visit to her relatives, the Goulds. ury building. Sometimes it is necessary to keep the materials for a long time, for use In court as evidence to secure the conviction of criminals. But when the stuff ceases to be of value for this pur pose, and after a year's supply has been accumulated, the secretary of the treas ury appoints a "destruction committee" and the contraband stuff Is burned, ma cerated, or melted, according to the char acter of the material. The burning of miscellaneous counter feiters' material, such as "flash" paper and other stuff, takes place In the base ment of the treasury, the materials be ing thrown Into the furnaces from which the building Is heated. The destruction of this matter, however. Is conducted with scrupulous care. In order to guard against any of the matter being abstract ed, either with dishonest Intent or for the purpose of preserving as souvenirs. The destruction committee goes down to the jii. nnnMi-aon'lM lip. rurnace-room mm " :. -. -r uui, tectlve and 'while itte-flremeirhol-'thei--'Q, lA .? la thmim . . lurnace aoors uyeu, mc vu. . - in. Not a scrap of anything Is allowed to escape. Similar care Is taken In the destruc tion of coins at the Iron foundry. The metallic stuff is loaded Into a wagon and driven under heavy guard to the foundry. At the foundry the melting down of the matter is superintended by the destruc tion committee and at least one detec tive of the secret-service bureau. When the annual melting took place the other day a great'street crowd was attracted to the place upon the Impres- slon that the foundry was on fire. With the coins and other matter were a large number of electrotype plates, from which the wood "backing" had not been re moved. The wooden material in the blast furnace made a big blaze under the abnormal conditions of draft, and the flames leaped several feet above the top of the smokestack. The conglomerate mass of metal which results from the melting down of coun terfeit coins is turned over to the foundry. It is of little value except as junk. It would be Idle to speculate upon the exact composition of this molten stuff. It con tains lead, copper, zinc, brass, Iron, and a little mighty little sliver. There may sometimes be a little gold, but It is safe to say that if a man bad a hundred tonB of this residue and was able to extract whatever gold there was In It he would not have enough of the precious metal to buy a breakfast. Small quantities of the base metallic composition are some times given away by the treasury offi cials, molded Into the form of paper weights and other articles. The destruction of the paper money Is more Interesting, possibly, than lhat of the coin. The counterfeit notes are tied up In packages and carrled'to a room In the north end of the treasury building. There each package Is placed by a skillful operator under a huge descending knife, which Is part of a machine used In de stroying counterfeits. iawiWMfcev v.v f vTfrn i " T" . . :er the notes have been cut into strips by this machine the pieces, care fully counted and guarded, are carried to the macerating room. The macerat ing machine has not been Inaptly de scribed as a "sausage machine." It Is fully four feet in diameter, and stands as high as a man's head. The counter felt notes are thrown Into a sort of hop per at the top, a cover Is closed, and the machine is operated by power from the engine-room in the treasury building. Water Is also used in the machine, and the result of the operation is a wet, gray ish pulp. Not until this pulp appears" does the vigilance of the treasury officials cease. The pulp cannot possibly be used for any illegal purpose known to the" counter feiters, and it is thrown into the dump or is given away to persons who mold It into Images of the Washington monu ment, the bureau of engraving and print ing, and other objects of Interest to sight- DBS. WENTE & HUMPHRJBY. DENTISTS OFFICE. ROOMS 28. 27. 1. BROWNBLL BLOCK. 137 South Eleventh Street Telephone. Office. 610. C. W. M. POYNTER, M. D.. PHYSICIAN AND SURQEON. Phones: Residence. LM6: Office, UAL 1222 O Street DR. BENJ. F. BAILET, Residence. Sanatorium. Tel. 07. At office. 2 to 4; Sundays. 12 to 1 p. m. DR. MAT L. FLANAGAN. Residence, m So. 11th. Tel. Ml. At office. 10 to 12 a. aa.; 4 to p. m. Sundays. 4 to 4:30 p. m. Office. Zehrung Block. 141 So. 12th. Tel. U M. B. KETCHUM. M. D., Phr. D. Practice limited to ETE. EAR, HOSE. THROAT. CATARRH. AND FTTTmO SPECTACLES. Hours. to 5: 8unday. 1 to 2:30. Rooms 313-314 Third Floor Richards Block. Lincoln. Neb. Phone 843. J. R. HAGGARD. M. D.. LINCOLN. NEB. Office. 1100 O street Rooms 212. 213. 214. Richards Block: Telephone 535. Residence, ,1310 G.street; Telephone K384 CARL MYRER HANGS PAPER Does Painting. Frescoing. Grain ing, and Inside Decorating. Can give you best service at reason able prices would like to figure with you. THE BRUSH AND PASTE MAK Phone 5232 2612 Q STREET rQ. nn Ear r r V flr v&Bli VJBsBsBsBsBMKr' i&i- XBBBBSBBBBfijBBBBBBb V BBsBsBsBsBsBslBsBsr ij4 'BBBbsPBF fltUgifc-4'HsfiWti BsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsVBHBsBsBsEV LflS 'LjBsBsMf BsBsBB Dr. Bentley's Office, 2 1 1 6 O Street fR- R. L. BENTLEY has been engaged in the practice of medicine in jJ this city twenty-one years, devoting his attention mainly to diseases of children and fevers. He was for six years professor of diseases of children in Cotner University and Lincoln Medical College, and is now emeritus professor in the latter institution. He has built a fine office at 2116 0 street, and will confine his practice strictly to the treatment of diseases of children and fevers. Lincoln Transfer Co. If you Want First Class Service Call on Us. WE DO WE SELL WE CARRY Piano and Fur- all grades of a fine line of Car niture Moving. Coal riages and Buggies OFFICE. TENTH AND Q STS. PHONE 176 This Picture was made from a kodak photo of a Nebraska baby whose parents reside at Fairfield, Nebraska, and own a Schaff Bros. Piano. The Schaff Bros. Co. are using this cut for a catch "ad." all over the United States, and call it "Cupid at Play on the Schaff Bros. Piano." By the way, have you seen the new 20th Cen tury High Grade Schaff Bros. Piano? It is one of the finest Pianos made.and can be seen at the ware rooms of the Matthews Piano Co. 0"st Lincoln, Nebr. 1 v. I 4 s r , H I