The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-15
GheGatelhgettter.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
where The Money Comes from
The bureau Of Engraving and
PrInting-Eight Hundred Fe:
male EInpioyees-Thcir Moral
nIaahfIiticS.


male EInpioyees-Thcir Mora
Disabilities.
Correspondence Of the Wheeling lnselllsenocr.)
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 10, 1876.
Everybody knows the way the none
poe., but it is not SO we'll known whenc
Il comes. In these days Of financial d.
preston and politico.fnancial scheme
and remedies, Congress has turned It's at
tention TO tho discussion ofwar question
and the cruelties practiced in military
prisons. We will hear Aas! too mucL
Of these before the close oithis Centennia
year, and l am sure you VIII excuS'
your correspondent for having Iell IN
reporters gallery, above tho heated arena
IN amend an hour in the place whence the
money comes. the Bureau oil Engraving
and Prin,ing This Bureau has eighI
hundred female employees. There are
two thing. says Jean Paul, that wo
man cannot do, she can neither train Q
doc nor command an army; he might
have added, nor steal 4 large sum Of mon
ov Perhaps this last mentioned good
disability Is what recommends her here
One Of them passed me with twenty-five
millions OF dollars in her little hand,
What II Katie King should find employ
ment here and dematerializc with that
amount in her handl .Nt
The initial step in the organization Of the
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing was
taken in 1862 under the administration o.
Secretary Chase. twas an attemptwhich
proved eminently successful, to apply ma
chinery to the trimming and separating
Of the Treasury notes, that work having
been previously executed by manual
labor.
At this period the public issues were
printed by the bank note companies, il
New York City, and forwarded thence to
Washington for signatures by the proper
officers, the Register and Treasurer Of the
United States. A change OF system, how
ever, soon ensued, for il was physical
impoSsibility for The officers to perform
10 large an. amount Of clerical work in
addition to the more important duties in.
yolyed' upon them, and by authority oil
Congress they we're authorized'to employ
other persons 10 discharge the mere
ministerial duty Of allixihg their official
signatures. But the impracticability Of
this system soon became apparent. Not
only was the cost Of issuing public secu'
rites very much increased thereby, but
in the multiplicity OF signatures, there
was found an element OF insecurity seri.
ously affecting tho public credit. Mr.
Chase gave.to the subject prolonged and
deliberate attention. 1t having been
suggested that mechanical agencies for
this work might be adopted, he was favor
ably impressed by the idea, and was the
first one who inaugurated the policy
Of printing together with the signatures Of
tho officers the seal Of the Treasury upon
allforms Of the public issue. This policy
was also approved by an act of Congress
February 18th, 1862, and according to its
provisions steps were taken to procure
the necessary machinery and quarter,
therefor, assigned within the Treasurer
building. There soon followed, as thu
needs OF the public service became mani
fest, inventions which enabled the trim
ming and separating OF tho noles to be
performed by machinery instead OF by
hand, and with very great saving Of ex'
pense. Urged by considerations thussug.
rested and stimulated by tho success Of
The work then prosecuted in the depart,
ment, it was determined that an effort
should be made to do, Under official over.
sight, the entire mechanical work upon
public securities. By an act OF Congress
June II, 1862, this was also, granted, and
prior to the passage OF this act none Of
the public securities OF the United States
had been engraved. or printed otherwise
than by private contract. The Secretary
Of the Treasury was prompt to act in nc.
cordaucc with the authority thus con.
ierred, and at once secured lirst-class en-.
graycrs and all necessary machinery to
accomplish all printing required by the
Government, Independent Of outside cor
porations. Thus it will be seen that
while at the outset the Bureau Of En-.
craving and Printing was an admins.
trative necessity, its subsequent develop
meut into its present proportions has re.
suited logically from the pressure Of pub
lie exigencies and demands, especially
those by which security and economy
have been demanded as chief considcra-
tionS, in the issuance OF public securi-
ties.
Respecting the relative merits OF q
system relying upon engraved safeguards,
il seems to be settled that distinctive
paper, similar to the one now in use, in
The manufacture Of public securities, the
production Of which is guarded by gov.
ernmental authority.is the most essential
element Of safety. The most. important
feature Of the paper, and that by which it
is distinguished from all other bank pa
per, is a localized fibre ingrained at the
time OF manufacture, into the texture of
the article, and SO distributed assto give
it distinctive feature. This paper is
easily recognized, and the sole right to
manufacture tho same belongs exclusive
ly to the government.
The excellence and superiority Of the
Governments ingrained work is attested
BY the fact that at the Vienna Exhibition
in 1872, where specimen vignettes were
exhibited, the first premium was awarded
to the Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing.
The engraving division Of the Bureau
has.irom tho outset produced work Of the
highest art and merit, and to this division
belongs also the distinction Of having
made several important inventions
whereby the art OF engraving has been
advanced and signal economies intro
duccd into the public service.
The following data will give general
view Of the engraving process: A piece
Of decarbonized steel, one.eighth Of an
inch in thickness, and somewhat larger
than bank note being selected, the pre-
paratory work is that Of softening Il by
artificial means. This being done it is
ready for the engrayer. The principal
engraved work by the Bureau consists Of
vignctte portraits, and the ornamental
work upon bank notes, with which all are
familiar, the denomination counters, con-
sisting Of a variety OF oval and circular
forms interlacing each other in series Of
lines aud elongated dotd thus forming
curious and complex s{shres, which
are executed by a geometrical lathe,
complicated and ingenious mech
anism, having almost kalei doscopic
power. When tho engravers' work Is
finished, the steel plate is next subjected
TO a hardening process, after which il is
placed on transfer press, and a decar-
BOMBED cylinder roll being adjusted over