Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-10-17
G r ZEN BACKS.
THEY ARE MADE.
THE TREASURY PRINTING RUREAU.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
The Machinery Used in Making Money
No CHANCE FOR STEALING.

NJ SHANCE FOR STEALING.
The Bureau OF Engraving and Printing at the
treasury Department, in which there are at
present employed about 200 persons, 500 females
and 2OO males, is an establishment OF greater
magnitude probably than is generally conceived
py the public, as visitors are allowed to 20
through it only upon the written permission of
secretary Boutwell,, and these permits ars but
rarely given. The Bureau now occupies all of
the fourth floor OF the Treasury building, ex.
cepung the north front, and about one fourth
OF the third floor. National bank currency.
legai tenders, national securities, fractional
currency, internal revenue stamps, government
ponds and notes OF every description are printed,
numbered, separated, packed, and forwarded
to Treasurer Spinner or Commissioner Delapo
oa issue 1ne latter having charge Of all revenue
stamps. Ihe Bureau Is separa ted in divisions,
each one under a competent superintendent
ana the business progresses in the most syste,
I,. msuc manner, 80 perfect are all the arrange
ments that should a dishonest person gain en-
Pioyment In the Bureau and attempt to plfer
detection would follow immediately. 1t Is
Necessary tpat the notes should pass through a
number of hands during the process OF manu-
iacture, and In place OF such proportions hay-
ing to print ali the greenbacks now i'm crcula-
,lon, II rs not surprising to see immense piles OF
money In notes OF every denomination from ten
cents to five thousand dollars throughout the
entire establishment, some completed and
packed In boxes ready for shipment, others
having the face, seal, or number put on, bat an
arranged In perfect order, and no matter in
what room fresh from the hands of the counter
COUNTED TWENTY-FIVE TIMES,
from the time the paper enters the Bureau
until IL goes TO the Treasurer's office each note
is counted twenty two times, by various persons
This may seem useless. but the system Is 80 per-
Workmen to smother for different portions of the
WORK necessary to its completion il goes through
tne hands OF a counter, Is credited to the one
from which 1t came and debited to the one
given, charges and credits being made constant
ly, so that at any moment an exact statement of
the amount and denominations OF notes in pro-
cess may be known.
HOW THE GRERNBACKs GET THEIR GREEN.
The backs OF all notes and the green tint upon
the face are printed by either the American or
National Bank Notes Companies of New York
both OF which are under contract with the De-
partmentfor tina: portion OF the work only. All
notes are printed Ona
DISTINCT PAPER,
adopted by the government, with ibre water
mark, &C., and it has been made penal offence
by act OF Congress for any person to attemp, to
initiate it.
THE COUNTING DIVISION
is where the paper is first received at the nreau
by express from New York Bank Note Gonna
MES. In this room ifty-two females are en-
Il
counting every sheet received. The Il inS Note
Companies each morning notify the Secretary
that they have forwarded the backs of SO much
money IN such denominations, and after the
female clerks above mentioned have counted
each package the superintendent reports to the
Secretary, and ANY error that may occur on the
part OF either of the Bank Note Companies or al
the Treasury is detected immediately, before
the paper is rut in the bands OF workmen here
FROM the counting room the sheets are issued
to the wetting division ofthe
PLATE PRINTERS
department, and each plate printer receives
from the wettiDg room as many sheets as he ca.
WORK during the day, charge beirg made
against him for them on delivery. In the eve
nlng, at the close OF business he returns the
sheets viii the faces printed, together with any
mulilated or blurred, and is credited opposite
- the charge made under his name in the morn
ing, but If any sheet is found blurred or mutt
lated, he Is required to pay the cost Of paper,
printing back, &c. Should a sheet be missing
II must be found Immediately, no one being
permitted to leave the building until all ac-
counts ere correct. There are 10 plate printers
one OF whom is assisted by a female hand. At
tached to each press Is an iron register which
accurately records every impression made
These registers are kept locked, and the KEYS
are in possession of An officer appointed by the
Secretary; hence no one employed i'm the Treas
uTy but that person can open a register. At the
eote OF business tie state of each register Is
taken, and compared with the books upon
which charges have been made as the paper
was issued. The face now having been printed,
the sheets again counted, &c, are sent to the
DRYING ROOM,
where they are suspended on racks, and the at
hosphere kept at high temperature by coils OF
steam pipes. After drying, the colors are firmly
set, and the sheets must again be wet to 90
through the process of
PUTTING ON THE RED SEAL,
which is done by plate printing, similar to
printing tie face. Again The sheets are counted
and returned to the drying room, where they
are thoroughly dried, and then sent to the
HYDRAULIC PRESSES,
to work which 81 persons are employed, most of
whom are females engaged in counting and ar
ranging the sheets after being taken from under
the presses. One thousand sheets are pressed at
a time In about two and half minutes, each
press being equal to 2iO tons. BY this process
ALI the roughness Is taken from the notes and
they assume finished appearance. Having
passed through these presses, counted again
and arranged, the sheets are now sent to the
ffOor below, where the machines for
PUTTING ON THE NUMBERS
are located. These machines are worked by the
feet. similar to a sewing machine, each one OF
them being operated by q female empIoye
Ihere are some i5 OF these machines in the
room, with which the red numbers upon all
notes, bonds, checks and stamps are printed
Ehe figures are arranged in cylinder FORM and
by sn ingenious cohtrivance at each revolution
one figure is dropped so that no two notes re-
celNt the same number. The notes or checks
being on a sheet, the first one is put under and
shy, for instance, is numbered lis; at the next
revolution the second note passes under, and
this time the figure is dropped and appears
IN its place, numbering this one lag; at the next
revolutien another note goes under, and this
time both the and are dropped, and APP
rearing in their places, numbering this one l5O
fhe machines are worked very rapidly, each
female numbering from ten to twelve thousand
rotes per day, or 5000 sheets. These number
ing machines are of simple contrivance and
we're made at the shops Of the Printing Bureau
AZ cost OF $3.50 each. The lowest bid for them
at private establishments was sos each hence
sos was saved upon each machine, and they
are constructed fully equal to those made at
private shops. The notes after receiving the
nun bers are complete, and the sheet ready for
trlmmDg on the margin. They are again sent
= the counting room, where they are counted
and forwarded to the
TRIMMING AND sRPARATING
division, where about 75 females and six males
are employed in trimming and separating legal
tenders, national bank notes. and fractional cur
rency. Two females attend each machine. The
sheet Is nrst run through q machine where the
side edges are trimmed, ana It then goes 20 the