SPURIOUS MON'HY.
Curiosities of Counterfeiting at
the Treasury Department.
Making Bills With Pen and Ink
and "Sweating" Coins.
The moit extraordinary counterfeits
which have come undor the attention
of the Secret Service were recently
captured in Indiana, writes Rene
Bachc in a Washington letter. They
were executed by a lunatic confined
in the Central Asylum at Indianapo
lis. Notice was attracted to his work
by two of his notes, each for $lO,
which were found in circulation and
wero well worn. Three others, which
were still in his possession, wero se
cured. They were executed without
the knowledge of his official keepors,
and ho will not be permitted to turu
out any more.
The notes, which are preserved as
curiosities at the Treasury Depart
ment, arc all them done with the pen
and black and red luk. This man,
however, is not the person who for
many years past has been uttering
the remarkable pen-and-ink bills
which have puzzled the authorities so
hopelessly. The latter is evidently
not it all insane, unless it be on this
special hobby, and lus workmanship
is in so superior a style of ait that
batiks have accepted his productions
as genuine. He raakos only two a
year, and they turn up with surpris
ing regularity from all parts of tho
country, 110 two of them being passed
in the same city. The work cannot
possibly pay, being a fad of some ec
centric.
Tho general effect of tho lunatic's
notes is good,though the workmanship
is crude. But the most remarkable
point about them is that they do not
pretend to imitate any particular bills,
being a mixture of various designs on
different varieties of the National cur
rency, with some original additions
out of the crazy brain of their author.
For example, one of theui is a hun
dred-dollar note, with the face of a
Treasury note and the back of a Na
tional bank note.
The head of Washington, which
adorns the face, is an absurd carica
ture. On the back, instead of the us
ual engraving of tho Signing of tho
Declaration of Independence, there is
a group of figures representing Christ
and His Apostles. Christ lias a long
epcar in his hand. One of tho Apostles
wears a stovepipo hat and auother has
a dagger. Instead of the seal of tho
State at oue end, there is a picture of
a sow. The geometric lathe work is
laboriously imitated with the pen.
A fifty-dollar note has likewise tho
face of a treasury note and the back
of a national bank note. A portrait
which may represent Jefferson is on
the front. On the reverse, in place
of the proper desigu representing the
embarkation of the Pilgrims, is a
scene that is evidently of a religious
character, with saints, etc. These
highly original pictures are in tho
very crudest style of art. They seem
to have some allegorical meaning
There is a similar vignotte 011 the back
of a ten-dollar note, taking the place
of De Soto in his great act of discov
ering the Mississippi river. By some
accident another ten-dollar bill, which
is a silver certificate, has both sides
fairly correct, though the inscriptions
on it are in exceedingly bad English.
One of the most curious of moderu
methods of attacking the national cur
rency is the "sweating" of coins. The
process is both simplo and profitable,
though it requires some expertnesi.
Au electric battery it employed in
connection with a unall tank filled
with a solution of cyanide of potash.
The operation to be performed is
merely that of electro-plating by the
deposition of metal. A copper wire,
connected with the battery, is so ar
ranged that its two ouds aro immersed
in the solution.
To the end which is the positive
pole is attached a small lump of plati
num or zinc, while to the other ex
tremity or negative pole is fastened a
S2O srold piece, for example. Tho
current being turned on, the chemical
solution absorbs gold from the coin,
and after it has taken up as much of
the precious metal as it can hold tho
surplus of the latter begins to deposit
itself upon the lump of zinc. This
process may be contiuued until all of
the gold in tho coin lias vauished,
transferring itself to the zinc.
However, this is not the object con
templated by the swindlers. Thoir
purpose is merely to take from the
coin a portion of its material so small
as to make 110 easily perceptible differ
once. Accordingly, after allowing
the operation to proceed for a short
time with one piece of money, they
substitute another. Rarely do they
at t mint 10 remove over 75 cents in
vtluo after this fashion from a double
eagle. With emallor pieces the per
centiiffe taken away is proportionate,
exercising discretion they insure
safety. Gold pieces from which so
small a fraction of their weight has
been abstracted by sweating bear no
altered aspect to tho inexperienced
eye. An expert perceives by the
feel au unhealthy smoothness, the
sharp lines made by the die being
softened down. This is very differ
ent from the effect produced by the
abrasion incidental to ordinary wear.
But the quality which betrays
sweated coins to the adept is just what
is most likely to deceive most people.
Naturally, their outer coat haviug
been removed, they are brilliant when
newly put iu circulation. Thoy aro as
bright as if fresh from the mint. This
very peculiarity excites tho distrust of
persons who are acquainted with such
matters. A good mauy of them reach
the Treasury here, to be immediately
stamped with the word "Light" aud
rejected.
But coins which have been sweated
arc mostly issued and circulated in
parts of the country far away from
Washington and from the sub-treas
uries. This is purposely dono in
order that they may escape detection.
On the whole, considering how simple
the process is, it is rather surprising
that this kind of fraud is not more
widely pursued. So long as it is
done discreetly there is comparatively
little chance of detection.
The Palace of a British Millionaire.
Tho rebuilding of Mount Stuart,
Lord Bute's palace near Rothesay,
Scotland, makes it the most magnifi
cent mansiou in Groat Britain. Tho
base of tho building covers a fraction
moro than an acre, and it is built
iu the mcdia>val Gothic stylo of tho
thirteenth century. The walls, tur
rets and balconies aro built ot the
beautiful variegated granito and sand
stones from Kirkcudbrightshire, tho
floors and arches being of clouded
Italian marbles. The main halt is con
structed entirely of alabaster, the sup
ports being columns of oxidized brass
aud bronze. The gallery and grand
staircase arc of marbles brought from
Sicily and Carrara.
The drawing rooms are panelled
witli alternate strips of cherry, walnut
and ebony, all from America. Tho
main dining room, which was built
so as to accommodato 280 guests, is
finished after tho style of the drawiug
rooms, witli the exception of relief
figures and mosaics of fish, game,
animals, etc. The ceilings and chim
ney pieces of all these rooms are most
artistic, and so also are the windows,
mantels and door*, the work of which
is extremely elaborate.
There aro three immense libraries
and a billiard room, all with carved
stone fireplaces of autiquo design. In
one wing there are Turkish and
swimming baths, large conservatories,
aviaries and aquariums.
Tho whole palace is heated through
out with steam and iiot water pipes
and lighted both by gas and electri
city. The pictures in the galleries
alone are worth over SIOO,OOO aud
the books iu tho libraries as much
more. The building, decorating and
furnishing of this palace, which is
without doubt the finest private resi
dence on the globe, entailed an outlay
of over $5,000,000. —[Loudon Sun.
Did You Ever See u "Full Moon.'"
I know what your answer will bo
without waiting for iU It is this:
♦'Yes, once every month since I liavo
been old enough to pay attention to
such pheuoinena." Yet I take the
position that you aro badly mistaken,
and that in all probability you have
never in your life behold the full face
of our "silvery sister world.'' By
way of solution let us see what it takes
lo constitute a "full moou" iu the
exact sense of the term: A full moou
occurs only when our obsequious at
tendant is 180 degrees of longitude
from the sun, Old Sol aud the earth
being ou the ecliptic. But tho moon's
orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at an
auglo of 5 deg. 8 111 in. 47 sec., and is
therefore never on the ecliptic except
wheu at its "nodes" or crossings.
This being the case, what we call the
circular disk of the moon (full moon)
lacks considerable of being an exact
circle, being what astronomers term
"in a state of gibbosity," aud is never
& perfect disk except when " a full
moon" happens exactly at the tirno
wliou Luna is crossing the ecliptic, at
which time she must necessarily bo
centrally eclipsed. Ono of our best
prcsont day astronomers, in concluding
an article of much merit on the samo
subject, says: "We therefore conclude
that real full moon, one having a
perfect circle, has rarely if ever, been
seen." Again I repeat: "Did yau
ever see a full moon?" — [St. Louis
Republic.
QUAINT AND CURIOUS.
In Arkansas there is a thirteen-year-
The heart of a Greenland whaie is
a yard in diameter.
old girl who makes the weighing
macliiue tremble at 306 pounds.
Tragedy was first represented on a
wagon by Thespis, at Athens, B. C.
535.
It is said the city of Pittsburg,
Penn., now stands on ground once
given in exchange for a violin.
Robecca Allen, of Chester, Vt.,
eighty-four years old, lias just com
pleted a bed quilt containing nearly
4,000 pieces.
It is said to bo possible to cut a
growing tree and make it into paper
ready for the printing presses within
twenty-four hours.
An ingenious Boston man has Jast
patented an electrical device designed
to automatically play banjo, mando
lins, guitars and harps.
Tliero is no truth whatever in the
belief that any one fulling into the
sea necessarily rises aud siuks three
times before drowning.
About 5000 words in tho English
language have to rhyme to them.
Theso include such important words
as honor, virtue, gulf, month, and
echo. '
The young ladles of White Pine,
Nev., amuse themselves in winter by
coasting down the mountain sides in
rocking-chairs. Tlicir escorts carry
the chairs back to the starting point.
The accepted method of pronounc
ing Hawaii is as if it was spoiled Ilah
wi-e, accenting the second syllable and
pronouncing the i as in the word pine.
The correct native pronunciation,how
ever, is said to be Hab-vah-e-e.
There arc now living withiu a radi
us of ten miles of Ashland, Me., eight
American women who are the moth
ers of 102 children, oiglity of whom
are living in the enjoyment of good
health and sound minds.
Andre Gaertncr, founder of the
Mechanical Museum at Dresden, Ger
many, who was born iu 1654, is said
to be the inventor of the elevator. Iu
1717, having become infirm, ho made
a machine which enabled him togo
up and dowu tho three stories of liia
bouse.
There is a point near the famous
atony cavoin the Catskill Mountains,
New York, where ice may be found
on any day in tho year. This locality
is locally known as the Notch, and is
walled in on all sides by steep moun
tains, some are which are more than
8000 feet high.
Tho largest heathen temple in tho
world is in Seringapatnm, audit com
prises a square, each side being one
mile in length, inside of which are
six other squares. Tho walls are 25
feet high and 5 feet thick, and the
hail whero pilgrims congregate is
supported by a thousand pillars, each
cut from a single block of stoue.
A School for Rogues.
In Paris thore still exist schools of
crime sucli as that conducted by Fagin.
and the dummy figure with bells from
the pockets of which the young pupils
have to slea'. purses aud handkerchiefs
without mukiug a noise of ringing are
still in use.
A young pickpocket who aroused
suspicion becauso he was spending
money very freely, and who was
found to have ouly recently stolen a
purse containing sl2 from a lady iu
an omnibus, has beeu interviewed on
the subject in the prison of La Petite
Roquette.
This precious young rascal described
liow his father had carefully taught
him to pick ladies' pockets, "I only
pick ladies' pockets," he said. "That
is easier than picking men's. With
gentlemen it is much more difficult to
do the trick without their feeling your
hand oil them." His "papa" aud he,
he said, used to travel logethor in the
omnibuses from the Palais Royal to
tho Bastile.
That was not so good a "pilch," he
explained as the omnibuses from tho
Madelaine to the Bastile, but these
latter were already worked by "old
Mother G.," who, it seoms, claimed,
and successfully assorted, exclusivo
privileges with regard to the portable
property of passengers on that routo.
Tho interviewer, after leaving tho lad,
found himself minus a handkerchief
and a halfpenny, which ho had pur
posely loft in his tail pocket as an ex
periment to see whether ho could be
relieved of them without his
knowledge.—[New York Journal.
Why He Never Called Again.
Walter Ego—You mustn't believe
everything you hear about uie.
Gladys Gone—Of course not. I
aever hear auything about you, except
what you tell me [Puck.
PEARLS OF THOUGHT*
Small bonks are read the most.
Praise uever has to be coaxed to
•ing.
Don't try to carry all your re.lgion
in your head.
It is as wicked not to do right as it
is to do wrong.
Parity in prison pays better divi
dends than sin in a palace.
He would bo strong in miud must
huvo facts for his diet.
The best way to teach children to be
good is to show them how.
It takes a fool a life time to find out
what others see at a glance.
No army is ever made weaker by
putting the cowards out of it.
It is hard to feel at homo with peo
ple who never make mistakes.
The man who is faithfully improv
ing his one talent will soon have ten.
There is no investment that pays
any better dividends than doing good.
Good men are haled bccauso their
lives tells sinners that they are wrong.
The man who is ruled by his feel
ings will always travel in a zig-zag
course.
The mau who wants to keep his
slnp until tomorrow inuy lieve to keep
them forever.
The childron of a millionaire never
have much chance to get acquainted
with their father.
It is better togo to bod hungry
once in a while than to get up every
morning head over heels in debt.—
[Ram's Horn.
The Proper Diet For Children.
After school is over our child comes
home, and as dinner is generally the
next thing upon the programme, wo
are naturally introduced to the subject
of food for children. And here,
among so many wise mothers, it is
probably a work of supererogation to
even hint that simplicity andrcgularitj
are the golden rules for dietetics of
children, ancl that because we know
man to be an omnivore, and therefore
liable to enjoy fish, flesh - , and fowl in
their season, it docs not necessarily
follow that wo should serve every
known preparation of these viands to
our little ones. Nor yet that because
wheat flour is an excellent article of
diet for the child, for the sake of its
gluten aud starch and sugar, and be
cause he may cat fresli raspberries in
their season, is it a necessary corollary
that a combination of the two in the
form of a raspberry tart will be
equally nutritious and digestible.
The Spenceriati doctrine that the
tastes of a child should form the basis
for his diet hardly seems to us practi
cal, so long as children are not al
ways born in what we call a state of
nature, but bring along with them
into this world certain hereditary ten
dencies which we make more terrible
by calling diatheses, ami which an in
telligent system of dietetics can go
some distance, at all events, to cor
rect.
Why a child who is of a nervous
temperament is benefited by a diet
which contains considerable fat we do
not exactly understand, nor docs the
presence of fat in the brain seein to
be sufficient answer, but clinically
we bavo found this to be true. So,
also, should wo remember that fatty
foods, with a generous nitrogenous
admixture, are especially desirable for
children who have the tuberculous
tcndoncy, and that all influences which
goto favor good digestion and ap
petite should bo especially evoked for
thein; while in the dietary of our
rheumatic charge we should remember
to guard against too great admission
of sweet or starchy articles, aud not
forget the favorable influence that
judicious exercise has apon this dis
order. — [Harper's Buzar.
A Violinist's Hair.
Why is it that violinists always
wear their front hair so abominably
long? It i< most ilivortiug to the au
dience aud keeps one constantly
wondering why the violinist does not
have it cut, or eveu wear a round
comb if necessary—anything but to
have it dangling down in his eyes in
that distracting way.
He comes out to bow his thanks for
applauso, and there it is; he pushes it
back aud bows again, but ho can't see
the audionce because this lock of hair
is exactly over his eyes—or one eye,
at any rate. Ho rotires to the dress
ing room, and beforo he is called out
again the audience fervently pray he
will have arrauged that wayward lock,
but no, there it is. His right hand is
constantly bu«y in brushing it back,
but as well might he try to brush back
the waves of the sea. It is obdurate.
—[New York Herald.
CHILDREN'S COLUMN.
ABED.
When the flowers hear a call,
"Darlings, you must go to sleep,''
Off they drop their pretty gowns.
Softly Into bed they creep.
Do you know what keeps them warm
Through the cold and wind and storm?
Just as mamma tucks you in
When she kisses you good night,
So the flowers are nestled down
'Neath a blanket, snowy white.
But first a coverlet is spread
Over every sleepy head —
A pretty coverlet of brown,
With leafy patterns fanciful,
And over that the blanket line,
Spun of cloud-land's softest wool.
Under these the sleeping flowers
Dream away the winter hours.
—[Anna M. Pratt, In Youth's Companion.
▲ PRINCE ON A BICYCLE.
Last May, while out riding his
favorite pony, Abdul, the little Crowu
Prince of Germany was thrown from
bis horse and badly shaken up. No
bones were broken, but the little fel
low was so badly scared that he re
fused again to mount the fiery Abdul.
So the little Arabian pony was led
away to the stables, and for many
months he woe exercised by oue of
grooms. The little Crown Prince, al
though an excellent horseman, would
not try to ride again for many a long
day. The memory of Abdul's side
jump and the terrific fall that followed
were too recent to be forgotten. And
what do you think was bought for the
little Prince when he would not ride
horseback? Why, a bicycle, to be
sure. And the little fellow has grown
to like bicycling very much.—[New
York Advertiser.
SANDY, TITE DOG OF THE CRIMEA.
One of the most celebrated dogs that
ever lived was Sandy, a dog that went
through the Crimeau war aud was
decoratod by the government lor his
valuable services. Sandy was th®
property of a young French lieuten
ant. His mother was a savage Eng
lish bulldog and his father was a very
intelligent Scotch terrier. And Sandy
combined all of the best qualities of
both his parents, Before he was 7
years old ho had been in a great many
battles, and was specially useful in
obtaiulug food from other camps aud
in guarding his master's tent from tho
natives. Once, in the thickest of tho
battle, ho darted forward to his mas
ter's rescue and received a terrible
bayonet wound that caused him togo
on three legs for a long time and.from
which he never fully recovered. Sau
dy greatly distinguished himself on
two #r three occasions by rushing
into tho most fearful seas and rescuing
men from capsized vessels.
Sandy lived to a ripe old age, and,
although times of peace wero restored
long before his death, he never forgot
his army training, and to the last he
would drag himself out, crippled and
old, to march proudly at the head of
liis regiment on holiday occasions.—
[St. Louis Star-Sayings.
PLAYING WITH ICICLES.
It is cold in the laud of the Esqui
maux—very cold, colder than you
who live in tho temperate zone can
imagine. It is never warm there and
never what wo would call "pleasant."
The sun, wheu it shines at all, shines
feebly, and tho snow and ice never
melt. The people try to keep warm.
That is all. But as for taking walks
for pleasure or indulging in outdoor
sports, they never do such things at
all on account of the cold. Although
wrapped up liko little mummies, for
the first few years of their lives, the
Esquimau children are playful little
bciugs and love toys as dearly as do
the childreu of any other country.
And what do you suppose they play
with —these far nwnv, half frozen
babies? They play with icicles, for
these are the only playthings they can
find. With their stout, stubby little
little hands they make necklaces out
of icicles aud fasteu tho prettiest of
them to wires to make earrlugs of.
Their games are played with small
snowballs or ice-balls, which arc frozen
so hard that they can be handled quite
a while indoors before they will-melt.
Perhaps the Esquimau children have
a game with ice marbles, and who
knows but their little toy wagons may
bo hollowed out of blocks of ice?—
[New York Commercial Advertiser.
A Snake in a Bag of Potatoes.
A man purchased a bag of potatoes
at tho Capo Town, (S>«ith Afiic.-i)'
market, and when tho potatoes were
turned out at his home he discovered
that a pilfl' atldcr was included ill the
bargain. That viper must have been
c:illutis, indeed, to have expended no
Ycrnom during its transit, and it is to
be hoped that the potatoes were well
examined after being in such com
pany. The colonists are wonderfuJy
expert in dealiug with such quarry.
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.
Scientists nffirm that ico frozen
zero temperature is most durable. i
Astronomers claim that the tem
perature of the planet Neptuue reaches
900 degrees below zero. I
The temper of fine-edge tools Is a aid*
to be utterly spoiled if exposed to the 1
•untight for any considerable length
of time, either in summer or winter.
A French astronomer is of tho opin
ion that the red glow on the planet
Mars is caused by crimson vegetation.
He thinks that the grass and foliage
there are red and not green, as they
are on earth.
Twenty-five butterflies are in tt»
collection recently given to the Cali
fornia Academy of Sciences by Doctor
H. H. Behr. He had been forty-eight
year* gathering them, and in tho col
lection arc specimens from all sections
of the world. ;
J. M. Ashley, Jr., Vice President
of the Toledo, Ann Harbor aud North
Michigan Railroad, is the originator
of the idea of building three big ferry
boats for that road, so constructed that
they may be converted into warship#
in twenty-four hours. Two of the
boats have already been completed.
An improved electric snow-sweeper
is constructed to move along a track
at any desired rate of speed, and at
thq same time, with an independent
■et of motors, drive a set of rotary
steel brushes with any amouat of
power and without being dependent in
any manner on the motion of the
sweeper along the track.
Doctor Lafar, one of the most dis
tinguished German bacteriologists of
the day, discovers that butter is full
of bacilli, their numbers being many
when the outsido of a pat is exam
ined, but fewer when a sample is
taken from tho inside. In a gramme
of butter from the outside of a lump
yoa have 47,250,000 microbes.
One of Prof. Bell's latest inventions
is the "waterplione," for locating
leaks in waterpipes. It is said to have
been suggested to him by observing a
plumber's apprentice endeavoring to
trace a leakago by tho primitive
method of holding one end of a small
steel rod in his mouth and tapping ou
the pipe with the other end of it.
A new horseshoe recently patented
has for its special object the obtaining
of a better foothold, and the lessening
of concussion or jarring effect upon
tho animal's feet. The shoe is made
with apertures extending through it,
located between the positions usually
occupied by the nails. The openings
are of dovetailed form, and the usual
nail holes are provided in the inter
vening solid metal portions of the
shoe. Projecting through theaperturs
are clastic rubber studs.
What a Maverick Is.
Some yoars ago a man named Mav
erick located near Austin, Texas, and
went into the stock businoes. He had
considerable money and established a
largo ranch, mostly of cattle. He was
what might bo termed a progressive
man, but his ideas of progress wore
not suitablo to his surroundings. For
instauce, lie conclnded, that branding
cattle was useless —in fact, barbarous
—and he determined that tho red-hot
iron ahould never again bo pressed
gainst tho side of an animil belonging
to him. He kept his word, but he
didn't keep his cattle. This was a
regular picnic for tho cowboys of that
locality, who of all things could never
bo accused of being at all scrupulous
on quostions of honor, especially when
there was a steer involved in the case.
Well, tho cowboys picked up Maver
ick's cattle wherever they could hud
them, and it was not long before every
hoof of them was gone and ho was re
duced to almost poverty. Ever since
that every unbranded head of cattle
over six months of age has been
called a maverick and is regarded by
the cowboy as the property of him
who first finds it and sticks his brand
on it. [Louisville Commercial.
An Earthly Crown After Death.
A French princess is said to liavo
been crowned after death. This was
Inez do Castro, who was murdered in
the Fourteenth Century by three assas
sins. Tho lady was tho wife a Portu
guese crown prince, and she was
nundered by order of tho king—her
father-in-law. The prince never spoke
to his father again, and when the old
man died the remains of Inez were
lifted from the grave, placed on a
magnificent throne, and crowned
Queen of Portugal. Tho clergy, tho
nobility and tho pcoplo did homa&o ti>
the corpse, and kissed tho bones of
her hands. There sat tho dead qucon,
her yellow hair hanging like a veil
round her ghastly form. One flcihles*
hand held the (copter, the symbol of
royalty.— fChicajjo Herald.