Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-01-20
MAKING MONEY. 4.
Greenb;lcks Counted wenty
Times Before They Are Issued.

The general public, While capable of
recognizing any flaws in the impress OF
bank notes or fractional currency.
knows very little of the care exercised
by the Government in protecting itself
against their fraudulent issue, or of the
many safeguards thrown ground tue
various stages which greenbacks un-
dergO before they nre placed in circu-
latiOn. Every possible contingency is
so surrounded with strict enactments,
and so much red tape is necessary, that
the expense of printing Treasury notes
is enormous. In the first place, the
manufacture of the peculiar paper Ilsed
is supervised by Government inspec-
tors, against whose integrity number
less checks and cOunterchecks have
been devised and are strictly enforced.
In the next stage, printing the backs
of notes, the closest supervision is ex-
ercised and the str;ctest account requi-
red. For instance, in printing the
backs of Hfty-cent notes, which work
is done by the Philadelphia Bank Note
Company, in the United States Ap-
praisers' Building, Second Street above
Walnut, the sheets are counted at least
eight times, and a register is kept of
each count. In this establishment
over forty presses are continually en-
ployed in printing the backs of notes
required to replace wOrnout currency.
The paper is received in sheets of suf-
ticient size to take an impression from
plates on which sixteen engravings of
the note have been made. Tne num-
be sent in the package from the paper
factory is not stated, as the box is seal
ed with the Government stamp. A
return is made by the party furnishing
and the party receiving the paper OF
the exact amount without the knOwl-
edge of each Others count, so that the
possibility of any frana upon the Treas
ury is prevented. As soon as each
sneet is accounted for the paper is sent
into the wetting room. The chief of
that department, before he acknowl-
edges the receipt OF any package, re-
qu.res that the number of sheets be as
certained by one of his assistants. A-
ter the paper has undergone the soak
ing process it is again Inspected and an
account opened with each printer who,
in turn, must furnish a receipt for ev-
cry sheet thus given him. Then on a
hand press, with girl adjusting the
sheet TO the place and to the press, the
printer strikes off the impressions one
by one until one hundred have been
printed. The sheets are then transfer
red to the drying department and again
counted; racks are arranged in warm
room so rs to expedite this work, and
in Il few hours the sheets are taken to
the counting room, being twice count
ed in the change. Then they are re-
turned TO the superintendent of the
printing department, Mr.. John McGur,
under whose management all the iniri-
cate details have been followed out and
the notes packed up for shipment toI
Washington, where face is printed and
the seal OF the United States Treasury
affixed. 1t is, therefore, safe to calcu :!
late that before fifty-cent note reach
es the public it will have been counted
at least twenty-five times. So il Is
with all the currency afloat. The APP
plidnces for carrying On this work must
be complete, and nothing but the best
of workmanship is allowed by the Gov
ernment in printing the circulating
medium. The designing and engra-
wing rooms, with their delicate marhi-
merry and skilled labor, are marvels,
and the system of checks employed
throughout the various branches Isl
such as 10 render the corsumnation OF
any fraud upon the company or the
an utter impossibility.
Philadelphia Times.