The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-02-24
The Treasury Department.

The New York Standard pnblishes the
following interesting account Of tho Treas
ury Department, from lady correspondent
who visited il on the 9th Of Jannary, last,
under the escort Of the Treasury clerks, TO
whom she Is indebted for the information
embodied in her letter:
We first 60 to the gallery Of the cash
room. Looking ovef ID elegApt gilt and
bronze balustrade, busy scene lies mapped
before us. A large drawer filed with cur
rency Of different denominations stands
tantalisingy open, the tbliet stands beside
il exchanging bills Of 8 large denomination
for smalar notes to crowd Of people out.
side the. counter. High desks stand all
around the room, where clerks are busiiy
making entries in large books Three
beautiful chandeliers Of bronze harry from
the ceiling. The largest has forty-two burr
ners, and vas taken from here 10 the Cor
coran art building when the ball In honor
OF Prince Arthur was held there. The in
auguration ball of. Grant and Colfax was
held In that part OF the building. And then
we go down into the room itself, and have
near view Of It's magnlfcence. The room
is entirely marble. Sienna and Bardiglio
Italian, Vermont aud Tennessee, all set.
ting of each other and making beautiful
whole. The stylobate of the lower story Is
black Vermont; monldings, bardiglio ltal-
ian. Styles, doors, Vermontj panels Sieu-
ma Italian dies, Tennessee. Above the
siylobate the pilasters and panels are Of
white-veined Italian. Styles. Sienna ltai-
ian; panels; Bardigio Italian cornices,
white-veined Italian. A very unique clock
a1lft Al 4 l.. r. IA G.rn
panel Of marble, the figures and hands be-
ing gilt. Prince Arthur is reported 70 have
called this room the finest he saw in this
country, and our Democratic untrayeled
eyes wander around again to take all its
points IN. From tbence we 60 10 the bond
vault, where the government sscufities of
national banks are kept. The gentleman
IN charge told us that there are $3.50, ,000,-
900 worth Of bonds here. OF this $780,
600, 900 are securities Of gold, and $780,
600, 900 for currency. Should any national
bank fail, the government would sell its
bonds and thus indemnify itself.
The vault resembles alibrary,. with shelves
with glass doors around Is, and the envel-
opes standing perpeudicularly upon them.
The envelope containing the S5,5Oo,O0
bonds Of the National Bank Of Commerce
of New York City was handed us, and we
are surprised tkat thing fepresenting SO
much money could weigh so little.
Passing along beautiful marble halls
lsuch as the " Bohemian Girl dreawt of,
suppose, with ever and anon open doors,
that show US portions of $500 people eina
ployed here. Eight hundred OF these are
women, who are employed mostly in count
ing notes and cJpying. for which they re-
ceive from nine TO twelve hundred dollars
per annum. They are said to detect coun-
terfeit quicker than man, and | can be-
level as one has TO talk so lcug 70 man
before he catches the drift Of what you are
saying. We stood and watched them count
in one room, aud very interesting sight il
is. To see their fingers move SO swiftly,
and their lips moving in time to them.
You see here. doubtless, the widow. ais
ter and daughters of noble Patriots who
died that their country might live. Many
Of these ladies' bear the stamp ofhigh breed
ing. They each have sheet Of paste
board on their laps with damp sponge to
keep their ingertips moist and they make
very pretty picture ID busy lind yst 50
still. The gentleman in charge Of this
room kindly explained why bundles Of notes
on tie table, but little handled, had been
cut in half 1t seems, that when notes are
sent 10 the treasury for redemption, they
are counted and put in packages with the
amount printed on it. A hole is then punch.
ed through them in the form Of crescent
and one half remains in the treasurer's OF.
fee, and the other Ia sent to the registers
Office where it is counted again, and If the
amount is correct it is punched with the
round punch OF tho register. They are
then done up in brown paper aad placed in
huge boxes OH wheels and sent 10 be burn.
ed. When they are buried certain num-
Der Of reliable clerks Of both bureaus 20 10
witness it, as also gsnsleniaf1 Of the First
| National bank, and books are compared.
and as each bundle is thrown in. its half
follows close apdn II. These notes DESTROY
\ ed enable the treasurer to issue more. and
acts also as check upon him. Each ladv's
name is on the package she counts and She
is held accountable for them. When anv
mistake occurs il thus enables them 10 ree.
tify il at once. It seems queer with ali the
red tape, that any one could swindle the
government for any length Of time in this
department.
We next 60 to another vault whose
granite columns cast grand gloom over
the surroundings. Here the bonds ara
kept that are ready for sale. A book i
handed us which contains the bonds of ths
past. Some 60 back as far as 1872 and are
much larger than those Of the present dav.
| The register is said to have COLLECTION
which contains bonds since the foundatiau
OF the government. The gentleman IN
charge tells US of man who tampered with
a number of locks about the building.
among others the locks Of the vault n
which we stand. As has about .OO0. 900
combinations, he could do nothing with Il,
but so dersnged it that II took several ren.
tlemen two OF three days 10 find the.combi.
nations which locked It.
Lastly we 60 10 see the famous adcos,nfs
Of General Washington fled id the register !
Office A tin box is unlocked and a leatb. !.
er case is opened, and the old hand made
fools cap sheet bears this Endorsement .
Accounts Of g. Washington with the
United States, commencing June. f775,
and ending June 1888. compreheudipe !
space Of eight years. The accounts A.
written in large, clear hand, and speah
much in praise Of Washington.
When the treasury was burned these wers
rescued BY one of the clerks. =
| Ihe vaults containing the money are now
In the hands Of tho investigating committes
and the public are not admitted.
The printing bursan is also closed. bd
we were allowed to 60 down into the base
ment where they print the forms and rui,
the paper used in the department. w,
pass huge fires that run the printing presse
IN the upper story, and the furnaces ths
heat the building. In one room man 1
indnstriously reseating chairs. Another 1
billed with the waste paper of the notes
and men are sprinkling and packing then
ready for sale. A large room is ftted u
as luncheon room, where the clerks an
pease their appetites at noon, ut their oTI
expense Of course.
And we retface our way up the prison
like stone steps, and passing through tn
marble hall again, we deparL having hne