Apparently in 1918, during World War I, the U.S. government had a shortage of binoculars for its Naval forces.  They then appealed to the American public, asking people to send in any binocular type items.  Seems my grandfather, John Lott Bergen, did just that.  I found the following letters.  Unfortunately, the signature of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt is only from an autograph machine.

 1.  Thank you letter for article received.

 2.  Letter that article is being returned.

 4.  Acknowledgment of receipt of article

 5.  The actual check

I asked my Uncle John Lott Bergen Jr. if he knew anything about this.  He thought for a minute then trudged upstairs and came down with an old brass telescoping pirate-style spy-glass.  Sure enough it has the number '19502' engraved on it.  Same number as appears on the check.  Another mystery solved<g>.  Unfortunately he knows nothing of the origin or history of the spy-glass.