Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-09-20

lost IT can be traced to the very hand that
received it last, but failed to deliver it. A
naclage is counted thirty-three times in
passing through the various operations.
Not dollar would be, delivered, even to
the Secretary of the Treasury, without his
written order and receipt. .e,
2 Anv mistake CT discrepancy is traced
out and rectifed the instant 1T becomes
known The books are balanced every
night. No operative or superintendent is
allowed to leave until the accounts are re-
ported correct.
:. Last January, in the midst of a days
work. and without previous warning, the
Secretary ordered all operations stopped, to
test the accuracy of this system. The &C
counts were taken, just as they stood, and
an Inquest held on the Bureau. On that
day it contained over 100000, 900. Not
only was the aggregate found right, but the
amount in each of the three score rooms
agreed with the books to the last cent.
Only the following instances of missing"
have occurred from the beginning:
In 1864 a scrubbing woman stole sheet
of $40 greenbacks from the plate-printing
room. The next day, offering one on
Pennsylvania avenue, she was apprehend-
ed at once. But the unfinished notes were
not legally money, so no charge could be
maintained against her except that OF
stealing the trivial value OF the paper on
which they were printed.
Once $40 and afterward 800 of fractional
currency was missed from the drying
rooms. All the occupants were searched
| by committees of their own number, but
unsuccessfully So the losses were assessed
upon them, and two or three suspected
persons discharged.
Forty dollars of compound interest
Treasury notes disappeared from the seal
ing division. Diligent search proved fruit
| less, the employees paid for it, and con-
cluded that it had been caught in the
machinery and cut to pieces. But no other
sheet of that number has been issued, so ii
there was theft it will one day appear
when the notes return. 50
Two hundred sheets of 25-cent stamps
amounting to $1,100, could not be found
Through the negligence of Superintend-
emit in not reporting the loss promptly, 1t
was impossible to trace it. But few
weeks later it appeared that one of the girls
was spending money in sums susplclously
large-not for herself, but, woman-like, fol
the comfort of her father, paying his board
at costly hotel Charged with the theft
she at once confessed. She had carried the
notes out under her skirts Had the Super
intendent done his duty and made the loss
knCwn at once, she could not have got
away with them. The girls in the division
would have chosen committee to nave
searched rigidly the clothing of all. This
money was never refunded. 1t is the soil
tary loss that has not been made good.
Last May the wet printing room showec
deficit of ninety-nine unfinished $1,OOl
bonds AS soon as the Superintendent was
sure of this tit is difficult to keep minute
account of the wet paper,) search was in
stituted. They were traced into counting
room, and there investigation was baff1ed
Six weeks later, they turned up in one O.
the safes. A girl, in giving the last count
to 1000 sheets of "beer stamps" had lait
them down upon a pile of bonds. The
stamp sheets are trifle larger; and IL
, picking them up, she also took ninety-nlnt
sheets from the top of the bonds. Put II
the safe together, they were not found un
til the beer stamps were taken out for de
. livery to the Commissioner of Interna
Revenue.
, 4 few weeks ago, a girl in the separating
| room stole $50. Through the exactness o
the system, it was traced directly to her
out of all the twenty or thirty employees
in that branch, within two hours after thu
search began.
The most considerable theft from tn,
Treasury thus far, was of securities which
: the Bureau had delivered up and obtained
the Registers receipt for. A clerk in thu
, Loan Branch distracted 100000 in six pc
cent coupon bonds. The loss was not dis
r covered for weeks. Meanwhile. reporting
that his grandfather had died leaving him
J fortune, he resigned, removed to New Y ork
took brown stone front, and lived luxuri
| ously He did not try to negotiate tn
bonds; only presented the semi annua
+ coupons for interest, as they became due
But each coupon bears the number OF it
) bond, and list of tho missing number
t had now been sent to all Government
7 agents. Therefore, with stamp and rec
!, ink, he added one figure to the number Q
t each coupon, changing 46,91S to 1853, 181
. and SO on. But suspicion fell upon him TO
fast living; the grandfather proved hoax
he was arrested confessed; declared tina
he had burned the bonds, but pointed GU
: the coupons hidden in his house; was sen
to the Penitentiary pardoned out an,
: finally died. Now, in numbering coupons
+ precaution is taken against alteration
} Whatever the number, whether or 10000
t it is made to c0uer the back, so that no 9th
e er figure can be added.
' Bonds cost the Government 81 cent
D apiece; fractional currency about one mil
t per stamp. The machinery of the Bureau
r has involved an expenditure of $4,000
g 1t is claimed that it has saved the countr.
j, over $S,0OO,0OO.
!, Work begins at in the morning, and
, except half an hour for luncheon, contin
:, ues until A. Much of it is SO severe tina
this day is quite long enough. Men ear
e daily from $3.50 to $500; women, $1.5
!, to $3.50. A few girls look worn and il
e but most appear healthfal and Cheerful
e Nearly all dress neatly and tastefully. Flo
!. those having homes here, the work is goo
e and pleasant. For those who are strangers
Y Washington is the most disagreeable an
t dangerous of American cities. Few me-
8 familiar with it would leave sister or
daughter to the tender mercies of its boarc
0 ing-house life.
III Josh Billingsiana. SD