The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-29
BANK NOTE PAPER.
How 1t Is Made at the Dalton, Mass, Gov
eminent Mill.


Excepting the mechanical, material and pro-
ductive features, which are supern tended by
Murray Crane, this mill ls under the control of
the Treasury Department. The various orders
posted around IL all bear the signature of the
Secretary of the Treasury. The establishment
even has q small 9rray of treasury girls EN-
poyed i'll it-some eighteen or twenty in num-
ber-whO come from all sections of the country
They earn about So per day. and some of them
live in the neigHbor ng town OF Pittsfieid and
drive TO and from their work during this charm
ing season of the year. The duties of these girls
are not only to count the sheets, but to ex mine
each one closely and reject all imperfect ones
sis1 OF one superintendent, captain
OF the watch, four watehmeD, one
register man ana one laborer. The position of
the register man is all Important An automatic
register at the end of ths machine registers ev-
cry sheet as it is cut off and laid down. He takes
them away in even hundreds, and then they are
the various processes of finishing which follow
up to the moment of shipment, every sheet is
counted. More than all this, they again
counted upon their receipt at The Treasury De-
partmeRb IN Washington. IT, ny any cause what
ever. any Que of these various counts fails TO
correspond with the original automatic count on
the machine ON which the paper made,
there is lively search for the missing sheet
Something of an idea OF the fidelity with which
the paper ia guarded may be imagined when it
is stated that while the average daily product is
sufficient TO make 100000 bank bills, yet not a
the hve years since the contract
was awarded TO the Cranes "But
why should they be so particular about the loss
OF an insignificant sheet of paperf' will be asked
The explanation is a reasonable and easy one.
The great protection of the government against
counterfeiting lies in the paper here made, and
on which all the bills. bonds, gold and silver Ger
titicates, and everything of "A security nature,
are printed The distinctive feature is the In
PRODUCTION OF eoiored silk threads into the body
of the paper while in the process of manufac-
ture, IN combination with distributed fibre of
many colOrs. The threads are red and blue in
color, and the fibre is of various colors, as de-
scrlbed, and they are introduced while the paper
is in the pulp and carried along with 1t to the
end of The machine, where it is delivered as ac-
tual paper, This simple cOntrivance is effectual
against imitation, and has been more fatal tl'"-
any thing else to the professional cOunterfeters
However skillful they may he In initiating the
engraving OF the bill. they cannot duplicate
this peculiar paper. For this reason, the rule is
imperative that every sheet turned off from the
machine must be produced or its absence salts
factorilY accounted for. The silk employed tor
the purpose is partly manufactured in PUtsfield
and partly in Connecticut. When the sheets are
finished there ara certain number of thousands
packed in strong irOn-hoOped boxes, which are
office IN Pittsfed, and the express company
then becomes responsible for their delivery to
the Treasury Department. in Washington. There
is rather formidable looking arlnory on tho
main floor of the mill, and there would most
likely be considerable ammunition expended on
the government side before any band of mid
night raiders could make their escape with any
of the coveted paper
The paper on which the new postal notes are
printed is also manufactured at this mill, under
The immediate supervision of Murray Crane.