Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-12-03
Iiissiffnaaeolas las &eaaina.
THE TREAsURY DEPARTMENT,

THE VhEASUhx D6fAhImENIs
The Phisdelphia Sunday Dapdsch is ispublish.
ing:s series Of articles on the Government Depart
ments at Washington. Ffom its article on the
Treasury Department, we condense, as matter d
interest to every reader the more attractive pointi
found in the description Of the great national work
shop, where money is made, concerning which the
out side world knows very little. ''@
r, MACHINERY.
Down deep in the caverns, Of the earth, where
grave Ike damp; is felt, where TIE dried bones Of
dead men should rest, and not I've men toll and
sweat, Is the motive power which drives the colos-
sal wheels and makes the leather bands whirr and
roan as they almost ceaselessy tnrn in quick rev.
olptinn., Twenty feet under the building is hv.
ing, busting hive Of humanity; men women and
young girls not yet In their teens; some feed huge
furnaces With great blocks Of coal, making differ
ent coloured inks and drying fresh paperjust made;
others tracing lines on steel plates by the aid o.
artificial light; stilI more numbering bonds or ope
rating upon bronzing machines, which to certain
extent resemble tanning mills. They apply the
bronze to AZ Government notes from the insigni
[fcaut FIVE cent note up TO- thousand dollar FIVE
twenty bond, in badly ventilated apartments where
the dust aies around in clouds like snow fakes, fl
ing the clothes Of the operatives With gold dust
Rising flight Of stairs, nearer the main floor
you enter the room containing that modern inven
|tion, the s'macerating machine" which resembles
Ia cylindrical shaped tank having in its interior re
yolving fans, which work IN opposite directions il
the chamber of which is placed at least, on eact
occasion, half ton of waste paper. Steam is sci
on this mass, and as the machine is continually re
volving, and the paper changes position it is soor
converted into pulp as white as original printing
paper, to be packed away or manufactured int
envelopes Or writing paper. But the atmosphere
here is too heavy to admit Of free respiration
the lungs, and upwards you mount, winding you
way thrnngh the broad halls of the Treasury prop
er, on either side Of which are hundreds Of clerks
poring over colossal ledgers striking balances, sd
justing complicated accounts or solving difficult
arithmetical problems which would puzzle banl
clerk. ...
In the ''long room," in the United States Treas
urers Office near the west entrance to the building
are engaged three hundred ladies-some counting
old, dilapidated fractional currency, which hae
been transferred to General Spinner for redemp
ton and cancellation; others counting interest OF
compound notes; still more arranging bonds o
different denominations.R .t,.Ir
-. ..r. THE PRINTING ROOMS.
Above this floor, higher up, Just below the dome
Of the building, are printing rooms, wherein an
manufactured notes, currency, bonds, and revenue
stamps. =. ...,.j
In what is deuominated the ''dry room" art
TWENTY-FIVE hydrostatick presses, motived by ny
draulick power. Turn little crank, like starting
water from hydrant, and instantly twenty ton o.
solid iron .noiselessly descends and kisses the stee
plate bearing upon its face the note engraving
But moment, as if to rest for the next operation
and this ponderous weight silently descends, and
the note is executed, save the autograph of the
Treasurer and Register Of the Treasury. So these
giant presses operate, uninterruptedly, day and
night In the room all is apparent confusion
men standing next to these iron monsters, working
as If their very existence depended upon the mum.
ber of sheets printed-with barred arms, besmeared
with ink Of divers colours and as varied as the
hues of the rainbow; young girls, with enormous
chignons, or magnificent waterfalls rush hither
and thither with bundles of bonds, or other nation
al certificates of Indebtedness, for the deposit
room while the catter of the steel plates as they
sink on the press beds, and the busy hum OF voices,
lend Babelish voice to the scene. Yet it is said,
all is harmony here, and business is transacted
with exact precision.
CHECKING AND RECERTING.
In order to protect the Government from the
operations Of dishonest employees, an elaborate
and comprehensive system Of check and receipt
has been inaugurated. The white paper upon
which the securities are to be printed is counted at
least ten times by as many counters, who give re-
ceipts for it, after yeri6cation to the Supernten-
dent of the "paper ROOM" Having been counted
BY this official, and the number Of sheets agreeing
With the original requisition, the white sheets are
then passed to the plate printers who are required
to receipt for them as 30 much money, 4. e., as
money already manufactured. After the operation
of printing the notes are counted, as before men.
toned transferred in succession to the number
ing, Sealing and 'bronzing" rooms, until they
rest, temporarily, in the "cutting-room."
e CUTTING AND COUNTING.
In the last referred to room are four pieces Of
mechanism, resembling the ordinary sewing ma
chine, which are employed in separating the notes.
They count arrange in order of value andseparate
the notes, as if endowed with human intelligence.
Stop one of the machines moment then examine
the little dial with its quivering pointer, and the
exact number of notes cut and their value is ex-
hibited at a glance. The machine will not deceive
you; nor can the figures lie; neither can the hands
be set back at the pleasure of the OPERATOR con-
sequently no fraud can be committed Just as
soon as the sum of ten dollars is counted, this
automaton rings a signal bell, and the amount is
Immediately removed to table, where it is prop
erly enveloped in package. This is the final ope-
ration in the printing business for, properly gwen
and receipted for, the Treasurer Of the United
States issues the notes.
ISSUING DEPARTMENT
Perhaps the most important Office in the Treas
ury is that governed by the United States Treasu-
rer. Gen. Spinner issues all Government bonds,
notes and fractional currency besides redeeming all
dilapidated currency, which had seen veteran ser.
vice in milIonaires' well filed note books, in mi
sers' Golfers, or in the poor mans pouch. These
notes are in themselves study, requiring the ser.
vices of some three hundred females to count and