National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-09
GRINDING UP MONEY.
How the Treasury Macerator Workable
sfrucfiOn OF Notes.


In bright, neat room in the basement
of the Treasury Department there is a beautiful
piece OF mechanism, known as the macerator, and
used to destroy the redeemed national bank notes.
It is globe shaped, and the engineer has painted
and ornamented il in a tasteful manner. The
heavy machinery connected with it is kept in per
feet order. This manner of destroying the notes is
a great Improvement upon the old method OF
burning them, which was not only extremely Of
fensive to those engaged in it, but positively
dangerous; and, even with the greatest precau-
ton, it was impossible to prevent large pieces OF
notes escaping. During the process fine yellow
dust was formed, which penetrated every crevice
and was ruinous to papers, books, and furniture.
The present system is clean, effective, and inter
esting.
The PACKAGES OF MONEY
come in from the banks to the National Bank Note
Division, which has no connection with the Treas
ury Department except SO far as to rent and &C.
cupy rooms in the building. They are counted in
this Office and the lower corners are cut off From
there they are taken to the Redemption Division
and are again counted, and each package l.
punched with an instrument provided for the pur-
pose. After this they counted by the committee
representing the national banks, and, If found
correct and no counterfeits among them, are ready
to be destroyed. A committee of three gentlemen,
representing respectively the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Treasurer, and the Comptroller oil
Currency, go with them to the macerating
room, and they are also accompanied by the COM
mittee representing the banks. The macerator
has small door near the top securely locked
WITH THREE BRASS LOCKS;
of entirely different construction, making it i'm
possible for the Secretary his representative TO
unlock it without the aid of the Treasurer. or
either of them without the aid of the Comptroller
C,rro II &c ror oil
three to be present. The packages are placed in
the machine while the committee are waiting; il
is then securely locked and LEFT in charge of
the operator for the present. Cold water is turned
in upon them, and after Office hours-fsr the ma
chine makes fearful notes.-the engine is fred,
and the revolving cylinder, with its double row of
keen knives, soon reduces the great mass to q
pulp Before this is allowed to pass out into
the pit below, it must pass through en- outlet
into a basket of double wire, which can
only be reached by the same keys mentioned
above. Ifthere are any pieces which have escaped
the knives they are destroyed. After all these
precautions
THE PULP FALLS INTO THE PIT
below, and from there is pumped into large tanks
outside TO drain, and is afterward taken 10 the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing and made into
coarse wrapping paper. The fibre is so efectually
destroyed that it is impossible to use it again for
bank notes. The process requires about an hour
and half, and from one to three millions of dol
lars are destroyed every week. The notes are not
always old and imperfect, for, when bank stops
business, to enable it to recover the bonds depos-
tied with the Treasurer it must bring enough cur
rency to cover the amount and sometimes this
money is perfectly new. Some ingenious persons
have utilized the pulp by molding it into various
fancy articles, such eagles, crosses, dogs, paper
weights, &c. With a touch OF humor, the engineer
has chained fierce looking bulldog of this ma
terial but of diminutive size, quite near the ma
chine, who, with the stars and-s stripes waving
over him, no doubt feels very important as watch
dog of the establishment.