Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-17

"What is the matter? Is it so long since you
handled silver money that yOu do not know it
when you see itP' asked a passenger on the
street car the other day Of the conductor, upon
handing him wee bit Of "siller,' which the
latter viewed with q quZZical expression, as he
critically examined it before slowing it away in
a snug place in his vest pocket.
Il did not know there were ever five cent
pieces in circulation" he replied at last.
"Iour youth excuses your ignorance" re-
piled the gentleman, smiling.
This incident carried me back to the days OF
specie currency, when the shining silver and
gold pieces nestled in our portmonnaies, them
selves as bright as was the financial situation
of which they were the basis and exponent.
How well the old days in the beginning Of the
war are remembered when the first indication
of the expansion OF currency was noted in the
use of postage stamps, which wereispeedily fol-
lowed by the postal currency,
THE FIRST PRINTED MONEY
made and put into circulation by the govern
ment.
How strange it seemed 10 us then to handle
the sticky and sOly postage stamps in making
change, aud with what satisfaction was well
coined the crisp, clean, neatly printed postal
currency which soon took the place in our con-
fdence of the hard coin, quickly disappearing
from sight after the paper issue.
ii is a history worth reading propose TO give
yOu-that of the printing bureau OF the treasury
department. of the United States, which, from
the superintendent who organized and set il
going with four operatives, has grown 10 lis
present huge dimensions, numbering, as il does,
nearly 1000 operatives, and printing 10,O00,000,-
600 of notes, bonds and other securities, of which
not one note or sheet of paper, or any portion of
note or sheet of paper, has been lost to the
government.
To such degree of perfection has the system
of checks or registers been brought that it is a
positive impussibilty for dollar OF over issue
to be made, and since the introduction Of the
distinctive fbrOus paper upon which our money
is printed not u dollar has been successfully
Countcrlelted.
The operations Of the printing bureau develop
q degree of skill, ability and scientific knowl-
edge, well as OF integrity, diligence and watch
luluess, upon the part of its officers and en-
ployes that challenges the respectful consider
alton of the country; the more so that it has
existed and increased in spite of an organized
effort and determination on the part of mUneyCd
mOnopoies, who have spared no endeayOr to
break up the system of printing money by the
government altogether, both in securing legis-
lalion cuTtailing its operations and in creating
prejudice against the officers having charge
of it.
Through the kindness of George b. McCarlee,
the present efficient chief OF this divisiou-the
bureau of engraving and printing! have made
a thorough investigation into all its donas and
dctais and when | call Mr.. McCartee efficient
| do not use the word in its conventional sense,
as being the thing one is expected TO say of the
head of bureau; ! mean that he is man who
understands his work and does it,
When l wasairst introduced to him, the i'm
preston had formed of the superintendent OF
the bureau OF engraving and printing being a
man Of immense importance had some way
taken the shape in my mind of a person OF
prOdigious physical dimensions, and this was
somewhat rudey displaced when the slight form
and almost delicate featured chief, with mild
blue eyes and blonde complexion, appeared be-
fore me, kindly Offering to show me through the
bureau. | had so often seen this man darling
here and there about the department, always
busy but never fuSsy, having a pleasant word
. for all, that ] really felt acquainted with him at
once. Mr.. McCartee, however, soon found that
a woman's curiosity would make too heavy a
draft upon his valuable time, and hence put me
whose supervision | was allowed to range at
viii among the bonds, legal tenders, beer and
tobacco stamps, in all stages and conditions,
being counted through hundreds of fair fingers,
whose skill in manipulating them is something
interesting and wonderful TO behold.
The 'beautilul money" as | once heard lit
tie child characterize a new greenback, fresh
from the treasury, possesses an added attrac.
ton, independent OF its intrinsic value, after
going through this bureau, and watching its
system of operation never look at one OF
these bills since my visit there, that do not see
carefully tracing the lines which cost so strict
precision lest a mistake shall render the whole
worthless; the man who atentively superin-
tends and manages the geometical lathe ma
chine; the strong, keen faces OF the printers,
backened with the adjunctS of their toll, each
with girl to attend his press the women who
count the money after it is printed; the super
intendents of the drying and counting rooms
and the young ladies, dressed in the most be-
witchng styles, plainly and neatly, but in eX-
ceedng good taste, who act as boOk-keepers
and copysts. Ali these flash instantly before
me, and feel a personal interest in the work
which they SO successfully achieve.
There are fourteen divisions in the bureau,
including the machine and StOreroom. Under
Mr.. McCartee's management, Henry C.. Jewell
has organized a system of expense accounts, by
which can be known the actual cost of every
piece OF work done in the bureau, and the ag-
gregate expenses Of the bureau by the day,
week or month. This is an ingenious piece Of
counting skill, and a great help in making up
the records and arriving at the actual affairs of
the bureau. The want of such a system of ac-
counts was felt to be Il great fault with the old
management, and much credit is due to those
who have SO successfully bridged over the
defect.
| commenced my studies of how our money
is made from the Top OF the building, or with
the plate printers. In this department there are
employed twelve artists and six or eight trans
lcrers The process here entered upon is the en-
craving of the dies. This consists in tracing
upon Il small piece of steel head, yignette,
corner piece, or the fine border running around
the notes, all Of which are first done separately
upon these dies. The dies are then hardened
aud the impression taken from each upon a soft
steel roller, which is also then hardened. From
number Of these rollers, containing different
subjects, in all forming the entire object to be
engraved, a complete die is made up of Il note,
bond or stamp The finished die is then hard
ened and by the aid of powerful machinery an
impression is then taken from it upon soft
steel roller, and after this is hardened the whole
impression is transferred 10 large plates from
which the notes are to be printed.
The geometrical lathe work done on the
greenbacks is a wonderful process, and it seems
impossible that machinery, without the aid OF
mental direction in making the forms, can be
constructed to give the perfect curves and lines
to which this process has attained. The portion
Of the greenbacks known as geometrica lathe
work embraces the die holding the denomination
of the bill, the UNCONVENTIONAL numbers where.
ever used on the face of the mole and the entire
back The geometrical lathe is an old invention
which originated with Il Mr.. Spencer, Of phila-
delphia, but was first put into practical use by
Cyrus Sargent, Of New York. The one adopted
now in the treasury department is the invention
of c. W. Dicberson and is a great improvement
upon any other IN use, 1t is capable of many
additional motions, more than doubling the ca
pacity Of the machine, as well as creating a great
number and variety of curved lines, rendering
it possible to make l9,000,00Q different forms.
So nicely and accurately is it adjusted that
the turning of Il single screw will produce a
new creation
The geometrcal work is first drawn on steel
and the process is much the same as that of the
engraving. 1t is first hardened, having re-
geiyed the impression, then transferred 10 an
other plate; from that il is taken upon roller
and thence put upon the plates from which the
notes are printed,
The plates thus completed, as well as the dies
and rolls III process OF preparation, are all kept
locked IN the plate vault to which there are
three Keys, IN the hands OF three different Gus
tOdlarfs, one2Of whom is appointed by the treas
urer, another by the comptroller of the curren-
cy and the third by the chief of the bureau of
engraving and printing. To add to the security
the Waterman, with whom there must needs be
collision in any attempt at fraud, is constantly
changed so that no one of these guardians
knows at any time what is to lie his post Of duty
the following night
No roll, plate or die can be taken from the
vault except upon requisition from the SUPER
lntendent OF printing, made TO and rCCCiptcd
for by the three custodians.
The plates being prepared and locked up, we
viii now look after the paper nsed in the man
uiacture OF our securities
The material upon which our money is printed
has been the subject of discussion and examina-
ton ever since the making Of the same became
one Of the recognized institutions of the coun.
try.
How to obtain for this purpose a distinctive
paper, difficult to counterfeit, was for a long
time the study Of experts and detectives con.