National Republican., 1880-06-18
THE ENGRAVING BUREAU.
The Money-MakiHg Department in
Its New Quarters.
a Dimcult Task Promptly and Successfully
Acoomplishcd-The Complicated aud
Delicate Machinery Safely Trans
fcrred - Six Hundred Em-
pioyes FurIooshed--The
Employees Ell, etc.
Colonel irish in His New Quarters.


The work of removing the paraphelnalia Of
the bureau of engraving aud printing from tho
treasury building to The new edifco just COM
petod for The service or the bureau was sub
stantially finished yesterday. IL practically
commenced last Monday morning, and, al
though an undertaking of immense magn-
tude, requiring tho utmost dclicacy of touch
aud skill in moving, is thus completed in four
days, and with such quietncss aud dispatch as
scarcely to attract notice from oven the sharp-
eyed aud omniprcscnt reporter Tho euer-
getic aud executive mind az the head Of tho
bureau was the directing spirit Of the work Of
moving, as be has long bocu of the operations of
the bureau, and consequently the former went
on with the speed, quiotutSs aud success that
have always distinguished tho latter
II Is probable that no bureau of the govern
ment of equal magnitude 10 tho bureau of en-
| craving and printing has vacated one set of
pr misses and carried its household goods TO
another since tho scat Of government was
| transferred to Washington. In round num-
bers thcro are about GOO mpoyes of this office,
| u majority of them trained aud skilled work
| men, each OF whom is accompanied by costly
aud heavy machinery, each pioCe of which
required to be taken down and apart caro-
fully handled conveyed 10 its destins-
| tion, put together again and set up for
active use This machinery consisted al
most altogether of different kinds spe-
CiHlly usod in the peculiar work Of The
bureau, with, Of course, those for motive power
and general utility which ure common to all
| forms VI business. PrOmincr, among this ma
chinery were nearly 250 nOlo-prinling presses,
several steam presses from which were run OF
| various kinds of revcnie stamps, numbering
machines, cngravers' appliances, ard all tho
Other intricate and unwicldly appurtenances
| necessary to the manufacture Of paper money,
bonds, etc. and the preparation of revenue
stamps Besides the machinery peculiar to
| the work Of this bureau, thero WIS an inn
mense amount of offco furniture, ordinary
mechanical tools and other tmpcdime,sia, which
required time, caro- and skill in their moving,
| and which have all been transferred to tho
new building in perfect order, aud with the
| other machinery of the bureau, are at the
| hour OF writing, set up in their places waiting
| TOR the power to be applied 10 them TO perform
| their part IN the work OF the bureau. Tho
bureau OF engraving and printing may we'll
| congratulate ltseif on the prompt and SUCCESS
iul transfer OF its paraphorDaNa to its new
| quarters without even u jar or jostlc, much
less on accident, in the transierral. The oili-
GERS OF the bureau inspired by the example Of
| their chief, worked with the most cnCrsctis
elrnestneSs, aud deserve much credit Tor tho
success that las attended their efforts.
To accomplish this end il wRs necessary
that the entire force Of the bureau excepting.
OF course, the chief officers and those subordi-
mates dircGtly concerned in tho act Of mOV-
ing, should be furloughed for awhile To
effect this with as little annoyance rs possible
to the employees Colonel Irish, with his usual
torOthought and active sCnsC of justice, divid-
cd them into two bodies so that the minimum
Icf time and consequently of comreusat ion
should be lost. Those first furlou.hed will
resume work on Monday, while those who
were relieved from duty on the l2th instant
will go back to duty on the 9th OF July. AS
the law is explicit on the subject, giving the
lsupcrintcudent OF tho bureau 40 Discretionary
power in the premises, 1t Is TO bo regretted
that congress before adjouining did not take
final action on Senator PaddOcks resolution
authorizing the chief OF the bureau to pay Tho
employees for the time lost through the ncccs-
sary work of trarsterrnl. A bill similar 10 this
resolution will, however, undoubtedly bo
passed at the next session.
How the Engraving Bureau Dill Failed
Ono congressman at least will leave Wash-
ington without tho kiudest wishes Of soma
whom he leaves behind il story current at
tho capitol yesterday proves true. A Joint
resolution bad passed the senate authorizing
The payment OF wages to the employees of tho
bureau of engraving and printing while that
Office is being removed aud had been sent to
the house aud was in the hands Of member
of the committee on printing who excused
himself from not pushing it, on the ground
| that he could not obtain recognition from tho
speaker. Some OF the friends OF tho measure
went TO the speakorand pleaded for recognition
OF the member for this purpose, pointing out
that the Woodworking women in the bureau
could i'll ailurd this involuntary sacrifice of
portion Of their sclnty income. Tho speaker.
who is naturally kind-hctrted man, iui-
mated that If opportunity offered he would
recognize the gentleman quite ruHber of
interested individuals with this hope watched
eagerly from tho galleries, and wh,m, finally,
they saw their man catch the uyc 0t tho
speaker and send up his bin with = motion TO
suspend the rules and vuSs H., they were highly
elated. In an instant their expect t,ious wore
dashed to The ground as the clcrk read iho
ttle-a bill for pubic buillue, in tho
members own state! What nude the mat
tor worse was that IL WAS hnu5r bill aud
could not be passed by the senate al this ss,-
sion, rhilo The ether bill must havn been
passed tben to be elilctiye. l. is need o,s TO
stale that the expressions Of upiuion u tho
conduct Of this statesman viii not Jc highly
complimentary.