The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-08 00:00:00

MANUFACTURE OF A BANK OF ENG-

LAND NOTE.

(From the Bankers' Circular.)

The Bank of England has adopted a new plan of im-
pressing the bank-note, as well as the cheques of that
establishment, by very considerable improvements in the
machinery. As many of our readers are probably more
familiar with a Bank of England note than with the
machinery used in producing it, we will give a brief
sketch of the process.
The present machinery used in printing the bank-note
is the invention known as Perkins' process, which has
been in operation at the Bank for about 17 yiars. Mr.
Perkins, the inventor, was an American. By this pro-
cess the entire face of the bank-note is engraved upon
hardened steel plates—five in number for each note. The
several parts thus engraved are transferred to soft steel
rollers by means of steam pressure, which produces the
whole of the engraved parts in relief. These rollers are
then hardened and passed over a soft steel plate so as to
form the entire face of the bank-note, except the signa-
ture, which, till recently, has been supplied by 20 gen-
tlemen daily engaged in that occupation, at 500/. per

annum each.
This plate was then fit for the operations of the ma-
chines, at which several men are engaged in producing
the bank-note, each man working at a separate machine.
This completes the process of printing the bank-note
under Perkins' patent, except the signature.
Our correspondent tells us that this is so accurate, and
possesses at the same time so much beauty, that he is
surprised any innovation should be made upon it. But
these remarks lead us to doubt whether he has actually
examined the new process, and compared it with the old
—or that he is not prejudiced in favour of the latter.
He tells us that the slightest dissimilarity can be de-
tected in the present system of engraving the bank-notes.
Now, it is for this express purpose that the new plan has
been introduced. The old plan, so far as it goes, pos-
sesses many disadvantages, and, to a certain extent, the
Bank authorities are fully cognisant of them. Take the
signature of the note itself. Although 20 gentlemen
were daily employed in signing the notes, it was quite
possible that there might be such a difference in
the signature at different times of the day as to render it
difficult for any one of them to vouch for its identity in a
court of law. It was this that gave rise to the act which
empowered the Bank since January, 1853, to sign all its
notes by machinery, by which the Bank saved the ex-
pense of 10,0001. a-year, and obtained an uniformity in
the note which no individual could perform. If any one
doubts this let him sit down from day to day and write
his own name, and preserve it for examination. The
average number of signatures that were written by one
individual was about 1,500 daily, though 2,000 have
been accomplished.
There is yet another point of difference which our
correspondent, in his adherence to the old plan, seems
not to have noticed, and which is inherent in it—the
want of uniformity in the impressions produced by the
men at the machines. As each man works a separate
plate, he covers the face of it with ink in Ms own way,
some applying more and some less, before submitting
it to the operation of the machine. The difference in
the result of this part of the process is very striking
to any one who has had an opportunity of examining
it ; it is, in fact, the inevitable result of all manual
operations applied to the arts. And, however we may
feel disposed to value the ingenuity and skill of the
operator, it is impossible that he can compete success-
fully with the productions of machinery in uniformity
and accuracy of delineation.
To accomplish the object, the Bank has introduced a
new process. We are not justified in giving the full
details of this operation ; but, lest our correspondent
should induce the public to believe that the directors
have descended from a scientific to a mere mechanical
process of an inferior kind, we feel fully justified in con-
tradicting any such assertion. They have sought to in-
troduce a uniformity in the printing of the bank note
which the old process never could insure ; and, while
under that process numerous discrepancies could be dis-
covered by a critical observer, the notes produced by the
new mode presenting such a uniformity and accuracy of
delineation as to render it more difficult than ever to
produce a counterfeit. The public, therefore, need not
feel the least alarm that forged Bank of England notes
will become more numerous than hitherto, but probably
less so. And, should any of our country readers wish
to discover a genuine Bank of England note from a forged
one, he need only bear in mind that every note produced
under the new process will be identical with another in
every part except the amount or the number.

In reference to the above, the following letter has
been addressed to the Editor of the Times :

" Sir,—l take the liberty of drawing your attention
to an article which appeared in your number of to-day,
headed ' Manufacture of a Bank of England note,' in
which it is asserted that the present machinery employed
in the Bank for engraving and printing the note is the
invention of Mr. Perkins.
"This is a mistake, which I beg in the name of jus-
tice you will correct.
"The machinery in question is the invention of my
late grandfather, Mr. John Oldham, who was the first
engineer to the Bank of England, and formerly of the
Bank of Ireland, where his system was first adopted, and
worked successfully many years prior to its adoption by
the Bank of England. It was subsequently introduced
into the Bank of Austria, from which bank, as well as
I from the Bank of England, my grandfather received
arge sums of money for his invention.
'' I remain, Sir, your very obedient humble servant,
"JOHN JAMES OLDHAM,
"Engraver to the Bank.

~ Sept. 7."

LIFE OF A MURDERER.

A writer in the Thomasville (U.S.) WateLman gives
the following singular biography of James Hightower,
recently convicted of manslaughter in that county.
Three years in dungeon, it seems, is nothing to what he
has endured :
" About twenty-one years ago a young lady of this
section of country, belonging to a respectable family,
became the victim of a vile seducer ; the fruit was a boy,
who is the subject of our narrative. Hie mother, as is
the case usually with those of her sex who are unfortu-
nate, married a man of low breeding, and in adverse
circumstances, consequently her son was destined to re-
ceive but a limited share of education or moral training.
At a tender age his character was peculiar, and in some
respects very extraordinary. When only seven years
old, he was attending a sugar-cane mill ; by some means
his left arm and hand were crushed, by which accident
he for ever lost the use of his hand.
"At the age of ten he was bitten by a rattlesnake ;
being nearly alone on the place, he had to call to his aid
all the presence of mind of which he was master._ Fortu-
nately ho used the proper antidote, and thereby saved
his life. In the short space of a few months he was
again bitten by one of the same species of reptiles ; by
pursuing the same course as heretofore, he was again
rescued from the jaws of death.
"Between the age of 12 and 14 he made several
attempts to take the life of his stepfather, which shows
that he would not be imposed on. About that age he
also snapped, several times, a loaded musket at a neigh-
bour. When 14 years old he was knocked down by
lightning and did not recover for some time. At the
age of 16 he was attacked, while hunting in the woods,
by a very large panther. The panther soon tore him
down—he exhibited great presence of mind by feigning
death. The panther then carried him iato the swamp,
covered him up with sticks and grass, after which he
took his leave in search of more prey. Our hero, after
the panther's departure, arose and made his escape
home: He was badly torn—two of his jaw teeth were
bitten out, and many wounds were inflicted.
"But he was not thus to die, for he soon recovered,
and soon after his recovery gave his step-father a severe
whipping and left him. Excepting another slight slaock
by lightning his path was smooth until nineteen: when
he became enamoured of a young lady. Though figuring
in a higher sphere, his superior in intellect and family,
yet she was smitten by the boy of misfortune, and re-
solved to marry him, notwithstanding the opposition of
her relatives, who made severe threats against our hero.
But what cared he, who had successfully battled against
rattlesnakes, panthers, and even the high power of
heaven, for the threats of man ! Nothing daunted, he
continued to urge his claims ; after finding all his efforts
for a compromise unavailing, he commenced a deter-
mined course. He procured his license, placed a magis-
trate at a conspicuous point in the woods, and pro-
ceeded himself on foot to the house that sheltered her
whom he loved, secretly forced the door of her chamber,
and conducted her about five miles through the woods
to the place of rendezvous.
"Before arriving at the place upon which the hymeneal
altar had been temporarily erected, illuminated by. the
blaze of lightwood knots and the pale rays of the moon
alone, our hero fell into his former path of bad luck, for
he was bitten by a moccason snake ; but he was too well
used to snake bites to suffer that occurrence to retard
his progress at such a momentous crisis ; and, like a
brave and undaunted boy, pursued his course, and in
accordance with his anticipations, was lawfully married
about twelve or one o'clock at night. His moccason
bite did not long keep him in bed, for he then possessed
a nurse of unceasing attention. After his final recovery
ha carried his wife to the home which he had provided
for her, hoping that his cup of misfortune was then full,
and that ho would then enjoy that bliss attending a mar-
ried life.
"But he was not destined long to enjoy that repose
which he so much sought. He soon became entangled
in a quarrel with one Mr. Wheeler ; the result was
Wheeler was killed, and our hero, after a regular trial
in a court of justice, was convicted of manslaughter, and
now, at the age of twenty, has gone—leaving his wife,
his anticipated babe, and his sweet home—to the peni-
tentiary, there to be incarcerated within its dismal walls
for the space of three years, which to him must seem
long, long. Who can contemplate his past life and not
say, surely he is the child of misfortune. Have his
misfortunes ended ? Alas ! who can tell ? That fact is
et concealed by the dark curtain of futurity."

THE CELEBRATED WHITYNGTON.—A humble stone
monument has been recently erected by direction of the
parochial authorities of the parish of Islington at the
Highgate-hill, which is in that parish, where the cele-
brated Whityngton (thrice Lord Mayor of London)
stopped, as the legend states, when he heard the sound
of Bow bells, which he imagined prophesied his obtain-
ing the dignity of Lord Mayor of London. For many
years a large stone occupied the site, which had an in-
scription on one side of it, and which gave a brief re-
cord of his life, but which time had nearly obliterated.
This was removed, and there were fears that there would
be no monument to perpetuate the memory of the event.
A plain stone about two feet high is now erected there,
which has chiselled on it the following brief history of
his life :--" Whityngton Stone. Sir R. Whityngton,
thrice Lord Mayor of London. 1397, Richard 11.
1406, Henry IV. 1429, Henry V. Sheriff, 105,"