George Washington's $300,000 library book fine

[killerrobot]

The first president of the United States of America borrowed two books from the New York Society Library in 1789 but failed to return them.

Adjusted for inflation, he has since racked up $300,000 (£195,000) in fines for being some 220 years late.

The New York Society Library says it will not pursue the fine. It would simply like the books back.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8627835.stm

This article made me chuckle. Who would the library even go after if they wanted to pursue the fine?
How much would those books actually be worth today if the library had them?
I can't believe someone actually found the documents that showed he checked them out. Librarians do keep good records.

 

[pukifloyd]

Hahaha this is awesome

 

[Scippy]

My favorite part.

George Washington did not even bother to sign his name in the borrower's ledger. An aide simply scrawled "president" next to the title to show who had taken them out.

 

[killerrobot]

Yeah, I wonder how they knew it was Washington then. There must have been some other proof, some document showing it was the aide that signed it.

Maybe it's all the aide's fault that the books never got returned. Hmm???

 

[canada eh]

maybe it was his aide and they put George Washington as the person who did it to get more readers of the article, because 'George Washington has a fine of $300,000' sounds better than 'George Washington's aide has a $300,000 fine'

 

[ARF900]

The library wants them back because those books are now worth about 500 times what they were when he checked them out.

 

[Consultant]

So I guess now, the things in life that's certain are: Death, Taxes, + Library Fines

I am sure they got a cap for a maximum fine amount.

 

[H00513R]

Maybe they can repossess his wooden teeth?

 

[KingYaba]

I think this is hilarious.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I think this is hilarious.

Me too!

 

[topicolo]

What about inflation? I think they let him off easy

 

[Rt&Dzine]

Did the library just discover the books were never returned? Or did they just discover who the borrower was? Maybe someone will find them for sale on ebay . . .

 

[BobRichards]

Did the library just discover the books were never returned? Or did they just discover who the borrower was? Maybe someone will find them for sale on ebay . . .

exactly what I was thinking. That would not surprise me at all.

 

[dynamix1]

This is amazing, it has come down to reporting crap like this.

 

[Gregg2]

Abe Lincoln walked all day to return his library book. He was a Republican, by the way.

 

[Rt&Dzine]

This is amazing, it has come down to reporting crap like this.

It's not as fascinating as Tiger Wood's sex life.

 

[H00513R]

Abe Lincoln walked all day to return his library book. He was a Republican, by the way.

But the funny thing is:

The Republican Party you know was founded in 1854. They were mostly Whigs and used the Republican name to invoke Jeffersonian ideals. But the Democratic Party is viewed as the party of Jefferson. So maybe not so "Republican" after all?