The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-26
ike ,ao ooo hnt the nns NOW naeh hr .hn Gov.

a finely tempered steel engravcr. The little
pins may be pushed in or drawn out and the
sign may be traced on steel block but turn
ono of those screws the hundrcdth part Of an
inch and that design can never be repeated.
although ii may be approximately duplicated.
THE TRANSFER PnEssis.
As soon MS one of these designs is nm
ishcd the block is Immediately sent to the
custodian. and should the portrait. vignette.
scroll pieces; and other work for q note be fin;
lifted together nicely IN their proper positions.
and sent to the transfer division on the other
side OF the room in order NAT pate may, my be
transfer presses, looking sonnet hing like medi-
um-sincd trip hammers. = number q operators
two watchmcn guarding both men and ma
chimes. and the whole enclosed in stout wire
partition. This ia the mos, closely watched and
whole bureau. Each press is locked and sealed.
And the key kept in q vault Whom the cu nt',
plate i, j. copied into register and then sont
TO one Of these transfer prrssmen; with instruc-
tions to do the work required. The pressmun
joining room for u blank plate-a piece, of
steel about fourteen inches long, ten inches
Tdo aI ha an to inch 6 SSc MStc6 syes
whose duty it is to unlock the press and stand
guard while the work Is being done. The dies
placed on The bed OF the transfer press and II
roller OF sol" stSs run myer 1t TSyera timSs UNI
course. receives an impression of every line OF
the engraving on the harder metal beneath
and when All impression of every block has
been taken each on n separate roller the dies
are ready 10 be taken intof an adjoining room
and hardened. Then the plate OF soft steel is
pered rolls or dies passed. over it several times.
each leaving an exact fac simile Of the engray-
tempered. and after polishing. it is ready for
the printer, or. II not to he used Immediately.
the face OF IL IS coated with a clear WAN to pro-
tect II from dampnrss. aud 1t is placed In II
vault for snfr keeping. Plates vary in size ac-
cording to whether they N" for stamps, bonds,
or notes. and on some money plates there are
pounds, and are made to print four backs or
faces Of bills, About 100000 Impressions can
be taken from II plate before 1t becomes neces-
sary to reGntcr' or roll the dies over It again.
But more about the Waterman. lie has fol.
lowed every movement Of the FRESHMAN and
as soon as the operat ion of transferring is com
pleted lie relocks and seals the press makes u
record OF the time 1t was onen. and returns the
Key To the vault. So much care may appear
unnecessary. but this j. the weakest point in
the whole money making establishment. 1t
would be an easy matter, indeed, We're press
men and watchmen in league. to slip blank
plate from some convenient hiding place to the
transfer press and in few seconds almost
nave finished plate of some large denominu-
ton OF bank note. either face or back. and the
other side could be obtained III the same man
ner after patient watch for few days or weeks.
But there sits the custodian Just across the
room. with two or three assistants. one of
whom is nearly always looking ia this direc-
ton: and the vault keeper too. has eyes for
other than his own business.
IN THE VAULTS WHERE THE PLATES ARE KEPT.
The vaults! What d sight to make a counter
letters fingers witch Two immense store
rooms. larger than Il dozen ordinary bank
vaults Combined, walls two feet thick and lined
with steel. double doors of the best workman
ship. almost covered with safeguards-kcy
locks, stub locks, combination locks and the
latest improved time locks 1t takes three men
a quarter Of an hour to open these doors in the
morning after the time lock has ceased its tick
ing. In the vaul to the right 5000 bank note
plates are stored away on shelves. each plate
resting on edge In little niche properly num-
bered and labelled. These are all used in the
tional banks in the United States. The 2 500
plates for legal tender notes are stored in the
other vault in the same manner, and also the
internal revenue plates and all the dies and en-
grared blocks that have accumulated since the
lirst issue of paper money. There are about
$50 internal revenue plates, 3el of them for
cines. matches, de-. and the remainder for
general Internal reyrnues-heer. tobacco whs-
key. and cigars. The dies and hand and lathe
engraved blocks are stored away by the hun
dreds with the, most important portraits and
,heads"-al! the, Presidents. from Washington
down TO and including President Garfield Gust
hnishedl three Vice Presidents. Dallas. vii,
ilton and including Dix. Chase Fessenden
ten anE sc Of sss sHnr b Us
Clay Webster Seward, Fish. and Evarts ;
s ssn Wne 9? sco War and he ,r S,t
ziaeh Chandler. and Carl $sharz - Among
Tyner and Key. and of all the fine looking men
who have Graced the Supreme bench, past or
present: only three ,S are represented-Chiei JUS
lively few selections have been made from the
Senate aud House OF Representatives, although
there are twenty-siN, portraits Of this class Of
- he. fol cd
by stephen 4, Douglas. Charles sumner. Nor
ton, Frank Blair. Thaddeus stevens and among
Gusiave Schieicher Of Texas. who died Only a
year or two ago. y Science and literature are
Morse ffS 9 5Ssa Bhn Hsnrr W EGE c5
ihe list q army and navy oifisers We ind Paul
Jones Decatur. and Perry Admiral Farragut
Gen. sherman, and among others Surgeon
General j. X. Barnes whose name has become
50 famiIia since the sad events Of last summer
There is also in this stock q splendid medallion
very good head Of Martha Washington; OF III The e
NOR" than one half the number appear on ma
Tn nY i ssk :, currency pr "ga tender notes
checks, orders, and blanks Principal among anon:
the subjects are the national Capitol, the White
t HGuf;n and al Al the Government department
patriotic CHARACTER. Under an act Of Congress
approved in December. 1879 tl0 United States
Treasurer is authorized to furnish impress ions
o. any portrait or vGnette u the stock Of the
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing AT the re-
quest OF Senator or Representative. the head
library, at such prices rs he may drem nec.s.
sary 10 cover the cost. The rates established are
very low for such fine ,enGrNyi ngs although they
proofs, three times rs many for the same sum.
Ther" Is something else in this division not
connected with the manufacture of money in
any way, but which attracts fully rs much at
t"ntpn as the vaults with their stores OF steel
i piatrI ana .,ngr4yings. IhiS is glass case