Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-04-11
A Peep into the Bank of England.

inside as well as out, and to gonto the inter-
ior of this remarkable building, to observe the
operations of an Institution that exertS more
moral and political power than any sovereign
in Europe, you must have an order from the
Governor of the Bank. The building occupies
en- irregular area of eight acres of ground-an
ediice of no architectural beauty, with not one
window towards the street, being lighted alto
gether from the roof of the enclosed area
| was led, on presenting my card of a1mis-
sion, into private room, where after a Delay
of few moments, a messenger came and con.
Quoted me through the mighty and mysterious
building. Down We went into a room where
the notes of the bank, received the day before
were now examined, compared with the entries
in the book, and slowed away. The Bank of
England never issues the same note q second
time. 1t receives in the ordinary course of
business, about $500 900, or 81 ,0O0, ,OOO, daily
in notes: these are put up in parcels according
to their denominations, boxed up with the
date of their reception and are kept ten years,
at the expiration OF which period they are
taken out and ground up in the MILL which |
saw running, and made again into paper If,
in these ten years, any dispute in business, or
law suit, should arise, concerning the payment
Of any note, the bank can produce the identical
bill
To meet the demand for notes so constantly
used mp, the bank has its own paper-makers,
its own printers its own engravers, all at work
under the same roof and it even makes the
machinery by which most of its work is done
A complicated bat beautiful machine is regis
ter, extending, from the printing Office to the
banking offices, which marks every sheet Of
paper that is struck off from the press, so that
the printers cannot manufacture a single sheet
Of blank notes that is not recorded 10 the bank
On the same principle Of neatneSs, a shaft is
made to pass from one apartment to another,
connecting a clock in sixteen business wings of
the establishment, and regulating them with
such precision that the whole of them are al
ways pointing TO the same second Of time. In
another room was machine, exceedingly sim
pie, for detecting light gold coin. A row of
them is dropped one by one upon a spring
scale. If the piece of gold was Of the stand
ard weight, the scale rose to certain height,
and the coin slid off upon one side of the box:
If less than the standard it rose q little high
er, and the coin slid off upon the other side
l asked the weigher what was the average
number Of light coins that came into his hands
and strangely enough, he said it was question
he was not allowed to answer
The next room | entered was that iu which
the notes are deposited which are ready for
issue. We have thi!ty.two millions of pounds
sterling in this room," the officer remarked to
me; will you take a little Of it ?" | told him
1t would be vastly agreeable, and ne handed
me million sterling, which | received with
many thanks for his liberality, but he insisted
on my depOSiting it with him again, as it would
hardly be safe to carry so much money into
the street. | very much fear | shall never see
that money again In the vaults beneath the
door were a director and a cashier, counting
bags of gold which men were pitching down to
them, each bag containing a thousand pounds
sterling, just from the mint This world of
money seemed to realize the fables of Eastern
wealth, and gave me new and strong impress
sions of the magnitude of the business done
here, and the extent of the relations of this
one Institution to the commerce Of the world.
SAVING TME-A clergyman who enjoys
the substantial benefits of fine farm was
slightly taken down, few days ago, by his
Irish plowman, who was sitting at his plow in
a tobacco field, resting his horses The rever-
eud gentleman, being an economist, said with
seriousness
John, would not it be good plan for you
to have Il stub scythe here, and be hubbing a
few bushes along the fence while the horses
are resting ?'
John, with quite as serious countenauce as
the divine wore himself, replied "Woud it
not be well sir, for you to take tub O. pota-
toes in the pulpit, aad when they are singing
to peal em awhile to be ready for the pot Z"
The reverend gentleman laughed heartily and
left.
The above yarn reminds Us Of a story that
brother Chapman, (not the elder, put Lew of
the stage uotoriety, tells on a certain preacher
at Corning. He gives names, &c, but we omit
them. 1t so happened that the preacher
was celebrated more for building Churches
and putting them in running order, than for
anything else, not being much of revvast
In passing along the walk one day, be saw
a little shaver carrying mud and piling it up,
in great erneStneSS. Well, my lad" says the
domino, what are you doing there p a
am building meeting house, sir" replied the
boy. Where is your Steepe ?" asked white
Cravat. "Oh here is the steeple," said the
little fellow, at the same time running stick
down through the mud "Well, we'll, that
will do, certainly, for a steepe, and now you
have it nearly complete, only one thing want
ing-a preacher. 20, never you mind, old
hosS,' | think | shall have odds and ends
enough left to make preacher" said young
America, as the priest moved on HeHsboro
Democrat.
STRONG MINDS IN WEAK BoD1Es-Why is
1t mo go" with some bright Intellect ? A
strong mind 10 weak body is like a superior
knife blade in a miserable handle. Its work
manship be ever so finished, its temper ever so
true, its edge ever SO keen but, for want of