Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1895 — PEOPLE WHO MARK MONEY. [ARTICLE]

PEOPLE WHO MARK MONEY.

Some Queer Things That Rasult From Thia Mania. A mania for advertising and putting strange communications on the back of the paper money of the Government lias broken out. As a general thing torn bills are used, as that gives the man with the mania an excuse for his work, for he uses the slip with which the pieces are put together for his purpose. On a bill that came into the hands of one man on Dearborn street, Chicago, was a slip on which was printed “Shake the bottle.’’ When he turned it into the bunk tho receiving man, whose quick eye caught it, asked: “Did you bring the bottle witli you?’’ Om a s■') bill handed over a bar on Monroe street was a slip on which was this: “Touch not, taste not, handle not.” A Dearborn street bank took in a SSOO bill not long ago on the back of which was pasted a slip that had printed on it tho Ten Commandments A cashier in a mercantile house on Randolph street has a bill of denomination on which is a slip, and on the slip is written in a woman’s chirocraphy an offer of marriage. The writer puts it thus: “I give up my last money on this. I send it out into tho world, hoping it may return to mo with a good man who will love me and take caro of me.” But no uddress accompanies the offer. A bill is in a frame in an express office. Thero is a hole in tho bill, and a note explains that the hole was made by a bullet fired by a train robber. The bill was in the side pockot of an express messenger. A bill handed in at a cigar store on Madison street had this on the back: “Don’t como back to me until you can bring your silver brother with you.” A periodical dealer on Washington street receivod a remittance by mall. The inclosed bill had been pasted up by a newspaper clipping which contained a cut of the newsman. The sender does not know tho dealer, and it is not at all likely that the former ever suspected that tho cut was that of tho man who was to get the money. A physician in the Venetian building has a private mark on ass bill which he sent afloat several years ago. It comes back to him about twice a your. A wholesale merchant ovor on Adams Btreet was in China and Japan a few years ago. Ho gavo a Japaneso functionary a $5 bill as a souvenir, placing on the same a private mark. About three weeks ago It came into his possession again. He is confident that he is not mistaken in the mark, and does not feel complimented over tho idea that his Japanese acquaintance did not think enough of him to keep the bill. A business man of this city relates this: Ho went from Chicago to Pittsburg on a sloeoer. He paid tho conductor for Ills berth, giving him a marked sf> bill. He went from Pittsburg to Cleveland the second day, and on tho third day ho bought a sleeping car ticket for his return trip. Tho conductor handed him the same bill ho had given to the other conductor.

This story was told to a funny man, who told this: "I wont down to Washington a few years ago, and just before quitting tho train I handed the porter of the car in which I had travoled a $2 bill and I have novcr seen it since." There is a bill floating about tho country somewhere on the back of which is a prescription, written by a reputable physician several years ago. It is a "sure cure" for the grip, and was put there by the doctor out of a fancy that*. it might save somebody’s life. V Another one is,in circulation, presumably, on which is written: "If this should fall Into tho hands of Reuben Middleman, he will please communlcato his address to his brother James, General Delivery, Boston, Mass., on or before January, 189(5. After that in England. He knows where." Then the funny man got hold of one on which ho pasted a slip and then wrote: ‘‘You are all the world to me because I am stuck on you.” A dollar note in the possession of a La Salle street lawyer has this written across the face of it: ‘‘This bill has saved my life three times, but I give it up." His life or the bill? Who knows what story that dollar bill could tell? There is ass bill somewhere, if it isn’t destroyed, on the back of which is indorsed the statement that the man who had it passod it a number of times at the World’s Fair—first in purchasing a ticket, then at various times at the cases, and, finally, as he supposed, in old Vienna. And then he paid his hotel, in part, with the bill, indorsing that on it the last time, he saw it, as ho supposes. A banker on Washington street told tho writer that he has a collection of bills on which are written or painted or drawn many strange things and pictures. His collection represents a face value of more than S2OO. —Chicago Tribune.