The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-14
TIE NATIONAL POPULAR LOAN.
Operations in the American
Bank Note Establishment.
Rapid Manufacture of Treasury
Notes.
FAC SMILE OF A TREASURY NOTE
Gc, &c., &c.

The American Bank Note Company Of this city 10 now
engaged with nearly the whole machinery Of It's vast
establishment, in the manufacture Of United States
Treasury for the subscribers to tho popular loan
As stated BEFORE the demand upon the energies and
productive powers Of tho company has never boon 30
great and an the operatives consequently compelled
work hours Of the day and far into the night
to keep pace far possible with the pressure OF tho
government for the notes.
Tho thousands Of persons who daily pass through Wall
street and round about the Merchants Exchange little
know that there is such an extensive establishment NJ
fording employment to many scores Of PERSONS in full
operation in the upper stories Of tho Exchange Tho
upper story built expressly for the American Bank
Note Company and extends the whole length and
breadth Of the main building 1t is constructed Of tho
solid Materials in the safest and most substantial
manner. Every department Of the building is burglar
and rcproof and it is impossible to conceive how securi
y strength could be better attained The
all wide, lofty and airy and the machinery adjusted and
fitted with mathematical precision. Every department
operates distinct branch OF the establishment, and
there is little communication between the opera
tivcs Of one division and those Of another.
On the first floor have the business Office and tho
directors rooms, fitted up with great taste and refine
ment, and extensively ornamented with engravings,
bank note specimens, and artistic designs for bank
notes. These are most varied and beautiful, in
Guiding drawings by barley, Herrick, CASHIER, Ed
monds and others. When Of these sketches 10
chosen for note, 1t Is reduced by the photograph
to the size required after which passes into the hnnGs
Of the engravcr, who by very delicate and ingenious
process transfers to the steel plate where fixed by
his little sharp pointed tools. When every line Of the
portrait drawing has thus been transfcrred--which
easily be ascortaned by means Of the powerful mag
nfying glasses that uscd-and the background is
put with the aid OF machine the plate subjected TO
a ems yvb rend Inc uto
hard and tough that Will resist any Of pres
sure without injury to the engraving. This Is
ccssary, as the engraving in this hardened
state is easily transferred from the Nat steel
plate to cylindrical roller of soft steel, by tho
agency Of presses of immense power and when perfectly
transferred these rollers hardened in their turn
that any number Of reproductions Of the original engrav
ing by this means placed at the disposal ofthe opera
tors and also enables the company preserve the plates
that all future impressions might be uniformly like tho
original The process is altogether most intricate but
interesting one and very inadequate idea be given
Of it in this brief sketch
On the second floor is the art department, called
from the fact that here the various designs and models
prepared. Here may be seen every kind Of model
and drawing that the ski* Of tho artist
could invent the photographer reduce to mini
aturc proportions tho third floor arc the dcpcsito
ries of paper, Of the very finest description, accum
pcsorcs for printed plates are also situated this
floor. They secured by ponderous doors, bOltod
barred locked against the idea Of burgarious
trance wachmen tried and skilful guard the portals;
and keep eternal vgls the wealth Of the company.
And the burglars occupation, Ike Othelos, Is forever
sgone," so far this establishment is concerned.
In other apartments of this floor the drying and
finishing rooms hydraulic presses, machines for number
ing the notes, drying racks and the steam engine and
boiler which heats the building in cold weather. The
drying process is peculiar feature OF this department.
The notes all from the printers wet damp, and
before they be folded packed they must be per-
fecty dry, to avoid the otherwise Inevitable blurring
and besmearing OF the impressions. Sometimes, al
Mt present. there are from forty to fifty thou
sand sheets to be dried every day In
room where many other operations are in progress,
without interference with any branch Of tho business
To secure this desderatum and TO promote celebrity in
the movements Of the establishments movable racks
constructed in inner apartment, into which large
numbers of the damp sheets inserted Beneath tho
racks pipes heated by steam to given temperature,
and cold current Of air. which is allowed free access to
these racks passing tho steam pipes, becomes heat
cd and thus converted into valuable agent for the dry
rg Of the bank notes. The noes THUS dried are put into
the hands Of the folders and nishers, after passing
through hydraulic presses to make them fat and smooth
There are large safes in which to keep the finished
notes. and the was' surrounding them sound and
solid as those Of fortress.
The fourth story, extending around the entire square,
occupied by the actual working department. and three
fourts Of II by the printing division alone The several
engraving departments, such as the PICTORIAL lettering
AID transferring (propery the engraving dcpartmenO,
occupy the frontof the Exchange, as mere 'hee
more regular and unchangng light. The room from tho
c TO tho ceiling is upwards OF fifteen feet high and the
ventilation as perfect rs il can po' sioy be.
ycre arc sixty preses engaged in printing the United
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