The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-03-03
Where ssa Hs~ swr Paper Mssev
IL Msde.

Where ard wss~ swr Paper Msses
The general public, while capable q,
recognizing any flaws in the imprcs,
of hank notes or fractional currency,
knows very little Of the care exercised
by the government in protecting itself
against their fraudulent use, or of the
many safeguards thrown around the
various stages which greenbacks un.
dergo before they are placed in circula.
tion. Every possible contingency Is
so surrounded with strict cuactmcnts,
and so much red tape is necessary that
the expense Of printing Treasury notcs
is enormous. In the first place. the
manufacture Of the peculiar paper
used is supervised by government in.
spectors, against whose integrity num-
berless check and courter-checks have
been devised and are strictly enforced.
In the next stage. in printing the
backs Of notes, the closest supervision
Is exercised, aud the strictcst account
required. For instance, IN printing
the backs Of fifty cent notes, which
work is done by the Philadelphia Bank
Note Company. in the United States
Appraiser building, on second street,
above Walnut. the sheets are counted
at least eight times. and a register Is
kept of each count. In this establish.
n'ent over forty presses are continual
ly employed in printing the backs Of
notes required to replace u worn out
currencv. The paper Is received in
sheets Of sufficient size To take an i'm.
preston from plates on which sixteen
engIavings Of the note have been
made. The number sent in the pack.
age from the paper factory is no:
stated, as the box is sealed with the
stamp. A return is made
by the party receiving the paper Of
the exact amount without the
knowledge Of each Others coun.. 50
that the possibility Of any fraud upon
the Treasury Is prevented. As spn
as each sheet is accounted for, the pa.
per is sent into the wctiing room.
The chief Of that department, beiore
he acknowledges the receipt of any
package, requires that the number OF
sheets be ascertained by one Of his
assistants. After the paper has under
gore the soaking process. it's again
inspected and an account opened with
each printer. who, in turn, must fur
nish receipt for every I'll ct thus
given him. Then u hand press. with
a girl adjusting the sheet to the plate
and to the press, the printer strikes OFF
the impressions one by one until one
hundred have been printed. The
sheets are then transferred to the dry.
ing department and again counted
racks are arranged in warm room so
as to expedite this work, and in few
hours the sheets are taken to the
counting room, being twice counted in
the change. Then they are returned
to the superintendent Of the printing
department, Mr.. John McKur, under
whose management all these intricate
details have been followed out. and
the notes packed up for shipment to
Washington. where the face is printed
and the seal Of the Uuited States
Treasury affixed. 1t Is therefore,
safe to calculate that before fifty
cent note reaches the public it will
have been counted ut least twenty
two times. So il is with all the cur
rency aAoat. The appliances for car
rying on this work must be complete,
and nothing but the best workmanship
is allowed by the government in print.
ing the circulating medium. The de-
signing and engraving rooms. with
their delicate machinery and skilled
labor, througout the various branches.
such ss to render the con sumption
Of any frauds upon the Company or
the government an utter iInpossibility.
-(Philadelphia Times.