The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-04-26
How Greenbacks are Made.

NOiic VI tut puOllC INSTITUTIONS OF
the capital has the fascination of the
Bureau of Printing and Engraving.
1t is here where greenbacds-the
prettiest and the finest money in the
world-are made. When you en-
ter the Bureau you are politely bow
ed to sitting room, where you reg
lister your name and occupation, if
you have any. In few minutes a
guide comes and calls: This way,
please" Every morninga heavy box
Of a vehicle looking like a huge iron
safe on wheels, trundles from the
Treasury over to the Bureau, bring
ing the paper destined to return as
money. Every one of these myriad
sheets is counted at the Treasury
and charged to the Bureau. Every
one must be return in perfect money
or even if spoiled by some unlucky
accident. The careful account thus
begun continues through the many
landings Of that precious paper,
guarding every avenue of fraud,
making every human being who
touches it honest as the conductors
bell-punch is honest, because it is
impossible to be otherwise.
In q room on the first floor are
the engravers, about score of them
bending under mellow, milk white
shades, patiently putting features,
expression, grace end language into
the resisting steel. On the walls
hang some rare specimens of their
cunning. A finished money plate
is a work of art, and would cost
about $500. The government pays
skilled engravers SO well that coun-
terfeiting loses much of its charm.
The great vaults in this room hold
the plates, and there they rest every
mig mt. Tie locks are set so that
they cannot be opened until seven
o'clock every morning, and then
only by the presence and aid of
three officials, each with a different
key.
Up stairs We see the plates in use
on a hundred engraver'; presses.
The men run the presses while the
girls lay the paper in place and take
it away with the clear impression on
i. as it smokes from the heat neces-
sary in the process The pressmen
are paid by the piece, and some of
them acquire wonderful dexterity.
They are required to pay the girls
s1.25 a day out of their wages, but
| saw one who had $3.50 left for
himself on an average days work.
Every turn of the lever on the press
registers, and at the days close each
pressman has to account for every
sheet he has handled.
The money is printed from bills
on the sheet. After being number
ed and receiving the seal it goes to
another room, where it is counted
again and placed in a drying ma
chine, very much like a patent peach
dryer. When thoroughly dry the
sheets of four bills each are put un-
der a pressure of six or eight tons,
and this gives new bill Its inde-
pendent stiffness, SO that it wants to
get right out of your pocket, The
bills are then severed and done up
in packages of one thousand each.
These are carried to a room where
the final count takes place.
All the best counters are women.
Most of them are paid by the num-
Der, and some of them have fingers
of wonderful limberness. One wo-
man is pointed out to verybody.
She has national reputation. She
can count a thousand bills in six
minutes, the fastest time on record.
anc in all the millions she has count
ed has never made single mistake!
When the money is finally counted
it goes to the vaults and thence to
the treasury.