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
