The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-02-20
FEMALE RETURNING BOARD.
Forty-Four Treasury Clerks
in New York.
Twenty Millions Worth Of Revenue Stamp
Paper to Count.
How They Look and How They
Do Their Work.

Treasury clerks Ia sitting here TO that there
is fair count Although the ntere1ts of 40 oooo 900
people not at stake In this count yet
the safety of $40 O0O 900 $25, 600 worth
Of internal revenue stamp paper is involved In IT, The
advent Of this returning board has not created quite
such sensation the recent appearance of Messrs
els Anderson Co. the political arena although
as between the two boards there is very little
doubt as which with the greater personal
charms Imagine delightful surprise Of the young
clerk Of the Metropolitan Hotel who, he twrl
ing that dainty little mustache OF HIS this bevy OF
fortyfour fair visitors rooping into the hotel They
arrived at halfp O'Clock yesterday morning,
and having travelled all night, ookod tired and worm
In spite of their fatigue, however, they had TO begin
their arduous work at halfpast one O'Clock in the
afternoon.
STAMP MANUFACTURE SUPERVISION.
Every year tho Treasury Department sends such
delegation of female clerks to the internal
nue. stamp paper which is printed by the three bank
note companies of New York, and thus to verify the
reports OF the quantities OF such paper made by the
government agents to tho Treasury in Washington.
There has been count for two years. however, and
tho present enumeration acquires special importance
from fact that II is made at tho end OF the Grant
administration and is Intended to assure the incoming
Secretary Of the Treasury Of tho correctness of the
accounts OF the bank note companies The paper
liar fibre, OF which thus far, claimed by revenue
officials no successful imitation has been accomplished.
There is an automatic register attached to the
machine through which the pulp passes during
the final process OF manufacture, and this machine
registers every sheet, that tho government agent
stationed at the mill render exact account OF
the number Of sheets manufactured AS most readers
will be aware, the paper Is OF various tins-volct
pink, green, &c.-green being moro used than any
lar OF tho number OF sheets received here by
the companies Is also forwarded SO that the
Treasury Department tell whether the
amounts or paper from the mill and of those re-
ccived by the bank companies correspond The
New YORK companies also furnish to the department
daily reports OF the number of stamp sheets printed
sent the revenue offices throughout the country
and the course OF this immense manufacture the
mutlation of many sheets Is Unavoidable the mutt
lated paper Is sent to the Treasury where II IS de-
stroyed II will be seen, therefore, that the govern
ment exercises rigorous supervision over the manu-
facturc and printing of It's revenue stamps; but to
make assurance douby sure, these annual counts by
| experienced clerks from the Currency Division are
| made They are generally chosen from that division
because their dexterIty and rspidty in counting cur
renders the execution Of their present task easy
| TRYING TO AVOID PUBLICITY.
Tho party female clerks which arrived yesterday
was In charge Of Mr. Charles h. Brown, assistant
chief OF the Loan Division OF the Secretarys onico;
Mr.. Charles Neil, chief Of the Currency " Division o.
perienced clerk in the Treasury Department The
writer paid visit to the fair delegation, who had been
assigned forty different rooms, but quite num-
| Der OF whom assembled ia one Of their private
parlors. With feminine modcsty which Is worthy
oi all respect, they requested that they should be
spared publicity as lar possible, and one lady,
VINO had been YEARLY reclining on The sofa. begged
=. shall not even say that Mrs smith or Mrs. Jones
This produced great outburst OF laughter, as the
lady on the sofa who had made this request happened
to bear ono OF these not unusual names, ana sh0
! heartily Joined in the merriment
MIN
The air visitors were found to DO mostly respectable
looking m:dte-nged women, who appeared to be
widows married ladies, and nearly all were dressed
with extreme plalnncss These clerks receive about
5000 year. great deal OF ppant and not very re-
girls. much OF which is unmerited and decidedly out
OF place. These TREASURY grls' are nearly always
poor. respectable women, who have seen better days.
many OF Them orphans and widows Of Union soldiers
who bravcy tough, for their country and nearly all
misses who have never been married, but who arc
nearly always we'll up in the twenties generally sup
port aged mother or an orphaned brother, but they
bear only small proportion to the number OF wives
some worthless woman who is quar.ercd
FRESHMAN. but there arc few of these Perhaps
The greatest popular illusion however, is IN the ordi
nary term ''rrcasury girl" The mind Immediately
calls tho picture young, blooming, cycling and
girsh maiden before IL, and highly imaginative WASH
nrton correspondents have lent themselves confirm
this popular notion by their rose-tinted accounts Of
female beauty and fascination In the Treasury But
the visitor al the Treasury will see glance how
ciiul and imaginative these accounts when he be-
holds these staid, sober, plain mddle-aged women,
dressed in the quietest coors and without as much
assn mpt,on of coquetry or girshness as even the
solemn female telegraph operator or tho busnesslike
/ female reporter. They are nearly oil women whose
very faces betray in instant that they havo known
the cares and struggles Of this lie and look ut tho
world from serious point OF view. Hence y Is cor.
tanly wrong to speak or write OF these worthy women
, IN VEN u '9 Tux WORK Tah HAVE TO DO.
Mr. Brown informed the writer that about loco, 000
sheets of revenue stamp paper have 70 DO counted,
. and he thought the task would occupy bis iorsyour
wards week or ten days. The stamps are principally
from five 10 forty stamps The sheets have to be
counted twice The women will work from nine to four
and each supposed 10 be able 10 count about 25 00(
sheets a day. AT the hotel, before they had begun
their work, they were quite lively and chatty.
as the Grand Duke Alexis herc?" one asked, with
natural curiosity; but she was evidently married
this inquiry undoubtedly free from any matrimo
NAL design. Then, the conversation turning upon
Mrs divers breach of promise SUIT against the youth
fur Senator Cameron, ono OF the women exclaimed
charges were only trumped up to "blced tho wealthy
I'VE have boon travelling all night; that's the rca
son why We look BRIGHT" still another rcmark Cd
ironically, while the others remained absorbed in thel
: newspapers.
Their work was begun yesterday afternoon ut tho
American Bank Note Note Company, and when IN. ,n'
2 had counted nearly 400, 600 sheets One of ih,
managers Of the company said they averaged 2 So'
Counters averaged an hour The scene Of count
Ing not very lively one. The women SAT al
: tables IN u one OF tho highest stories
with bundles Of 200 sheets each before them
and silently aud rapidly turning over tho upper rgh
hama corners with their middle finger, which the,
every and then wet sponge lying DO
Q fore them. No word is spoken, and when on,
Z has finished a bundle and finds II corroc
another goes 1t again. The company
experts count In a different manner. They take p,
OF Sheets and turning them over, spread the edge
before them and count them by lives. This liz un
doubtedy quicker process, but II Is questionable
whether Il Ia safer one. Tho manager did not
TO think that this work was very exhausting.
kX.stco amid ba knan ms prl from
y eight TIL Ave. and not from till four The
tins Is rather nice holiday excursion for these
men; but just think OF all the money IL must Il
keep them here u"
AS a matter of statistical Information II should b
Z, added that there twenyone misses In the part
y and twenty three who appear the hotel registe
u with the prefix of Mrs. This Is rather unusuall