Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1876-01-20
WASHINGTON.
ovRRGMr NEWS At TINE CAPITAL

CURRENT NEWS At TINE CAPITAL
wzKAs TEE MONEY consas YRoM-rzn BUREAU OF
1noAAvlH0 AnD P8mfIAa-kIoMr uunpRnD II.
MALE RMrIoYEEs-TARIa MORAL DrsABrIIrrys.
-- csrvesps~de~es e tAs Comm~etai.
WAsnlNaToN, D. O., Jan. II.
Everybody knows the way the money goes,
but 1t 10 not 10 we'll known whence IL comes,
an sure you will excuse your correspondent
for having left the reporters gallery above the
heated arena, to spend an hour In tho place
whence the money comss tho Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing. This Bureau has eight
hundred female employees There are two
things, says jean Paul, that woman cannot
do-ahs can neither train dog nor command an
army; he might have sddsd, nor atsal . large
sum Of money. Perhaps this last-msntoned
good disability 70 what recommends her here.
One Of tHtm passsd me with twenty five millions
Of dollars In her little hand
nt.lI WHAT n KATIE KING siH 1917
should nnd employment here and dsmaterialize
with that amount in her hand ?
rsss II Fngrayins and Printing was taken in
1852, 'Uit13r ehe administration Of Secretary
Chase " was an attempt, which proved emf
nently successful, 70 apply machinery 10 the
tsimDing and separating Of the Treasury notes,
thas wort having boon previously executed by
AT this period the public issues wsre printed
BY tho bank note companies, in New York city,
and forwarded thence 10 Warrington for signs.
tore by the proper officers, the Register and
Treaaarsr Of tho United States. A change Of
syseen, however, soon ensued. for it was q
phyaoAl impossibiiity for the officers to perftr rm
10 lAsgs an amount Of clerical work In addition
% shs more important duties dsvolved upon
theo, md BY authority Of Congress they we're
esseohssd A. 70 employ other persons to diseharEs
cial signatures. But the imWaoticabilitv Of this
sysesm soon became apparent; not only was the
cost Of isauing public securities very much in.
creased thereby, but In the multiplicity Of sig-
natures there WAS found an element of inBecur.
ny ssriously affecting the public credit
II Nh oHAsl GAVE TO TIE suRJEor
. prolonged and deliberate attention. 1t hav-
for this work might be adopted, he was favora-
bly, impressed BY the idea, and was the first one
who inaugur4ted the policy of printing,
together with the signatures Of the pro.
per oftcors, the seat Of the Treasury upon
~ forms Of The public is.us. The policy WAS
26th, 1862, and according to its provisions steps
wefo taksn 70 procure the necessary machinery,
and quartsrs therefor assignsd within the
1rsasurer's bnilding. There soon followed, u
sk0 uVo4S " t&A0 puUuC b0fVlC0 Do0AW9 mani
fest, inventions which enabled ths trimming
and Separating Of the notes to be performed By
machinery instesd Of by hand, and with great
saving Of expense. Urged by considerations
thus suggested. and stimulated by the success
Of The work then Prosecuted in the Depart;
be made TO do under official oversight,
TEE zarnz MECHANICAL WORK
upon public securities. By an aot Of Congress,
T1ryrA 4 As. al
the passage Of this aot none Of the public secur-
tiles Of the United States bad been engraved or
printed otherwise than by private contract.
The Secretary of the Treasury was prompt to
act In accordance with tho authority thus con-
fsrred, and 1t once secured hrst-olass sngrsvsrs
printing required BY the Government indepen-
dent Of outside corporations. Thus it will be
seen that while ~ the outset the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing was an administrative ne
cessty, its subsequent development into its pres
ont proportions has resulted logically from the
pressure Of public exigencies and demands es-
psciAlly those BY which security and economy
have boon demanded - chief considerations, In
issuance Of public securities.
Respecting the relative merits OF system re-
lying upon sns..ye saf.euard. y seen, p be
now IL % sss, IN The manu- scturs q public sscur.
tiles. tho production Of which 10 guarded by
governmental authority, is the most essential
element Of safety.
TEE MOST IMPORTANT FkArURB
Of this paper and that by which 1t Ia dsting
ed from ali other bank paper, 10 . localized fibre
inErAined 1t the time Of manufacture, into the
texture Of the article, and 30 distributed ~ to
give 1t distinctive character. This paper is
easily recognised and the sole right TO manufac-
tire 1t belongs to the Government.
The excellence and superiority Of the Govern
ments engraved work, 10 attested by the fact
that at tho Vienna Exhibition, 1879, whore speci-
men Yignettes we're exhibited the hrst premium
was awarded the Bureau OF Engraving and
The Engraving Division Of the Bureau has
from tho outset produced work Of the highest
art and merit, and to this division belongs also
the distinction Of having made several import
ant inventions whereby the art OF engraving has
been advanced and signal economies introduced
into the public service.
The following data will give general view of
tho engraving process A piece OF decarbOnized
steel, ono eighth Of an inch in thickness, and
somewhat larger than bank-note, being select
artificial means. This being done, it 10 ready
for the engraver.
TEE PRINCIPAL xNaRAvED WORK
by the Bursau consists Of vguetts portraits. and
the ornamental work upon bank notes, with
which al ere familiar, the denomination coun-
tsrs, consisting Of variety Of oval and circular
forms intsrlacing each ether In . series Of lnes
AAiu cAon&1t0u uotep sAuo forming CuTlOub Auu
complete figures, which are executed b. geom-
etrioal lathe, complicated And ingenious mech
anism, having almost kAleidoscopic power.
When the engravsrs work Il hnished. the steel
plate u next subjected to . hardening process,
after which 1t IL placed on . transfer press and
. decarbonissd cylinder roll being adjusted over
II, and then submitted to the pressure, the roll
being moved backward and forward until ID has
received the impression Of the original plate.
This roll II again hardened and made TO repeat
- many times ~ desired the original engraving
by means simply OF . transfer press. It may
perhaps be interesting 10 know that jacob Per-
kins, Of Massachusetts,. was
rHn MvnaTon OF FHH TnANsvER PRESS,
which rsvolutionixed the art Of engraving,
changed al il former conditions, and gave 1t
practical and popular recognition.
During tho last fiscal year the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing finished and delivered to
ths Treasurer Of the United States in nstss,
bonds, and other securities, the amount OF
eA26. .97l ,lS7, and to Commissioner Of Internal
Reyenue log. .620, 900 stamps 1t 10 due to the
management Of this great establishment to
mention. that In producing this enormous
amount Of work not . fraction Of ton cent
note has been mislatd or 10 unacoounted for