Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-06
WASHINGTON.
A Stroll Through the Treasury De-
partment.

The Process OF Counting and DE.
streYing Worn Ont Currency-HOw
Greenbacks are NJ ede and How the
Money GOes-Ssme Dry bat Inter
esting Facts for Everybody.
Correspondence Of the Union and American.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-There may be
seen in the Patent Office q small uncOuth
looking iron chest or safe, which was used
by the Sc cretary Of the Treasury during
the administration of Washington, in which
was kept the surplus funds Of the govern
men,, or at least that portion of it retained
at the capital. This little safe suggests the
limited scale on which the financial opera
tons of the government were conducted at
that time Now le5 US take stroll through
The Treasury Department andwe can there
learn something as to the growth Of the f.
nancisl operations Of the government dur
ing that period. Upon entering the build
ing We were escorted TO the room ia which
sixty i've ladies' were employed in assert
ing and counting packages Of fractional
currency that had been well worn and sent
here for exchange. The work is done very
expedtiously, and the quick, trained eye
readily detecJs every counterfeit that may
he Ia each package. These are labelled and
laid aside to be returned TO the party send
ing them, after they have been
defaced so as to prevent their
ling put in circulation again. Women
are SAID 10 detect CoUDterfeits quicker than
lIen, wonderful fact when we consider
how easily they are deceived by men who
are simply counterfeits of the genuine ar
;iyle themselves. After counting this cur
reacy it is put up in packages, with the
siuopnt printed on each. A hole is then
ElnChed through each package ia the form
II = crescent, when the package is cut in
The middle, one-half 20 be retained in the
Treasury Department, while the other half
Is sent 10 the Registers office, where it is
counted again and if the amount is correct,
l. is Punched with the round punch of the
Register. They are then taken off TO be
destroyed. The holes thus punched through
each end Of the note renders it useless for
circulation if 10y any mishsp it should not
lie d strOved. When they are burned
Ger ain number of CLERKS of both bureaus
ard & gentleman from the First National
Bank witness the operation 10 see
iua5 the work Of destruction is
faithfully accomplished. Books are
compared, and as each bundle is thrown
into ire FIRE, lis half follows close upon it.
E-cb lady s name is placed on the package
s4e counts, so that if any mistake occurs it
Is susceptible of reciifcatiOR at once. We
r0g 90 INTO the vault containing the money
Of the Government after it has been put up
~ pa Eages, ready TO be sent out for circu-
l.tiou. The gentleman in charge hands us
g package containing four thousand pieces
one dollar bills-and another package
containing four thousand pieceS--one thou
sa1d dollar bills. They are both precisely
# the same size and weight, but one re-
presents only $4,000, while the other re-
presents S4000000. On one shelf was q
large number Of packages containing tif-
teen cent pieces, which the gentleman
thought they would never get rid of, as the
denomination was an ''awkard one and sell
dom called for" as he expressed it. From
here we passed into the bond vault, where
Government bonds deposited by National
Banks as security for the redemption Of
their circulation are kept. These bonds
represent over -four hundred and fifty mill
ions of dollars, aud upon each dollar the
Government issues 70 the National Banks
ninety cents of circulation, so that the hold
ers of the notes are amply secured in case
of failure. When a bank fails the Govern
llleLlb Sells lis JULIUS dhN plBNCGNo az UlNC
TO redeem its circulation. This vault ge-
sembles a library, having shelves with glass
doors around it, in which are placed the
envelopes containing the bonds deposited
by each bank. And now we will go into
The cash room. one Of the most magnifi-
Gently finished rooms in this country Ii
is entirely of the finest marble from various
countries-TennesF De, Vermont and 1tal-
ian, all setting off eSc' other and making
beautiful whole. Fol- instance, card hang
ing against the wall informs the visitor that
the stylobate of the lower story IS black
Vermont: the mouldings, Bardigilo Ital-
ian; the styles, doors, Vermont; the
panels, Sienna Italian; and the dles, VaIieSSS-
ted Tennessee (from the hawkins county
quarries). Above the stylobate, The pliSs-
ters and panels are of white veined ltallaIl'
the styles, Sienna Italian; the panels, bar
djglio Italian; and the cornices, white Velned
Italian. You would pronounce that mag
nifcent room. It is said Prince Arthur,
when in this city, declared it was the hnest
be had seen in this country. We Will now
90 down into the printing department.,
where the main work Of making greenbscks
is performed. Here the engraving and
printing OF bonds, greenbacks, national
bank notes, fractional currency, and inter-
NAL revenue stamps of all kinds are done.
Ne machinery with which the engraving is
T.. specially the fine lining, is 50 perfect
4. IS the work so accurately, that it is
T. be impossible to successfully coun-