No, not the illegal process of making large amounts of money generated by criminal activity. I’m talking about with-soap-and-water WASHING money. No, not in a wringer washing machine.

Spotting this tidbit in the March 19, 1910 issue of the Colville Examiner, I just had to share it with you:  “Representative Wiley of New Jersey has a bill before Congress providing that all paper money which reaches the treasury be burned and new clean currency furnished in lieu of it. In support of this measure he had a current $1 bill microscopically examined and the report on its condition laid before the house committee on banking and currency. The bill in question had on it 92,000 germs of different diseases and paper money generally has been found to carry germs of smallpox, scarlet fever, typhoid, tuberculosis and diphtheria. Desiring to aid in this crusade against diseased paper money, the Examiner hereby announces that anyone having dirty paper money in their possession may bring it to this office and receive in exchange a clean paper every week in the year. An editor takes so many chances in this world that a few million germs more will not make any great difference. It’s the absence of these money germs that makes trouble for us.”

This is a hoot!  I think the newspaper is saying “Baloney!” to the idea of “dirty money” and just telling folks to come in and subscribe to the paper……… bring your money to this office and exchange it for a clean paper every week????  Too funny. 

What is really too funny is that Spokane’s historic Davenport Hotel, during this same time period, offered the service to its guests of washing their coins and pressing their currency as part of a high-end service idea. Supposedly this added to the prestige of the hotel.