"MONEY"--THE COUNTERFEITERS' MORAL PHILOSOPHY--THE CUNNING OF BANK BILLS--NO VALID BANK BILLS ISSUED--A TRICK OF THE BANKS TO EVADE THE LAW--SWINDLING UNDER "COLOR OF LAW," AND IN DEFIANCE THEREOF; A VAST DISTINCTION--COUNTERFEITERS AS "PUBLIC BENEFACTORS"--THE REGULAR COUNTERFEITERS EMBARRASSED BY THE BOGUS ONES--MR. "FERGUSON'S" MARVELLOUS LETTER--COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS--THE "HONEST FARMER" OF VERMONT, AND HIS SPECULATION WITH THE COUNTERFEIT MONEY MEN--WHAT HE SENT FOR, AND WHAT HE GOT--A SECURELY DONE-UP PACKAGE--A "DOWN-CELLAR" SCENE--THE "HONEST FARMER'S" CONFUSION--A BIT OF LOCAL HISTORY RELATING TO THOMASTON, CONN.--THE HONEST OYSTER DEALER THERE, AND THE NINETY DOLLARS "C. O. D."--A QUESTION UNSETTLED--HOW THE "HONEST FARMER" OF VERMONT CHEATED ME AT LAST. 626 =THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM.= THE NECESSITY OF THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM GENERALLY DISCUSSED--STATE OF SOCIETY WHICH CREATED IT--REGULAR AND IRREGULAR ROBBERS--THE YOUNG MAN OF INTELLIGENCE ENTERING UPON ACTIVE LIFE, A PICTURE--HE NATURALLY ALLIES HIMSELF TO THE TYRANT AND ROBBING CLASSES--NO HONESTY IN TRADE--TRADE RULES; AND ALL ARE CORRUPT--NO CONSCIENCE AMONG TRAFFICKERS--LYING A FINE ART--ALL VILLAINS, BUT NONE INDIVIDUALLY AT FAULT--THE DETECTIVE BELONGS TO THE CORRUPT GOVERNING CLASSES--WEIGHING HIM--GREAT THIEVES--"THE PURVEYORS OF HELL"--THE ETERNAL TALKERS, AND WHAT THEY AMOUNT TO--THE USE FOR DETECTIVES AN INCIDENT; "CATCHING A FLAT"--THE DETECTIVE'S VOCATION FURTHER CONSIDERED--HOW THE DETECTIVES PROTECT SOCIETY--ILLUSTRATIVE INCIDENTS--A GREAT DETECTIVE DESCRIBED--STRATAGEMS--WHAT THE PHILOSOPHERS SAY--IS THE DETECTIVE SYSTEM FROM ABOVE OR BELOW? 643 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ List of Illustrations. 1. PORTRAIT OF GEO. S. McWATTERS, _Frontispiece._ 2. McWATTERS' SPECTACLE CASE, _To face page_ 33 3. "TEN DOLLARS A MONTH," 79 4. McWATTERS AND THE VETERAN, 87 5. THE BOND OPERATOR, 103 6. THE WAX FINGER DISCOVERED, 127 7. SEIZURE OF YOUNG WORDEN IN BALTIMORE, 149 8. ATLANTIC BEER GARDEN.--PAYNE AND COLLINS' RENDEZVOUS, 165 9. DESCENT UPON BLANCHARD AND THE GAMBLERS, 173 10. PROTECTING THE INNOCENT, 201 11. RESCUE OF HATTIE NEWBERRY, 215 12. RESTELL AT SING SING, 221 13. THE BOGUS LOTTERY OFFICE, 237 14. SURPRISING THE BOGUS LOTTERY DEALERS, 249