Sun River sun. [volume] (Sun River, Mont.) 1884-1885, 1884-10-02
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.
Its Famous and Unique Paper, and
Row It is Manufactured.


whose ancestors came over from Eor-
deaux after the revocation of the
Edict OF Nantes, bringing with him
the art of making fine paper, which.
like those of silk weaving and dyeing
scarlet, was up to that time unknown
in England. Except by burglary, it
is absolutely impossible to obtain n
scrap of the beautiful water-malkcd
paper produced at tho mill of I.aver-
stroke. Every piece of this paper is
registered before it is removed from
the frame, an account is kept by u
locked dial, and every damaged note
is accounted for before being ground
up again into pulp. Mr.. Partal's pa
per has potential value, quito apart
from its worth merely as paper, for ii
has always been regarded as so essen
tial to u passable forgery that the
world at large felt perfectly easy re-
garding any attempts TO impose ON
them through the Bank of England.
This paper-it is, perhaps, needless
to tell any onc--is quite unique.
Tested by touch, it cmits Il crisp.
cracking, sharp sound, and in color it
has been described as neither blue
wove, nor yellowwoye, nor cream laid,
but white of hue that can be com
pared with, no other white" The
three deckled'edges show the natural
boundary of the pulp when first
moulded. The fourth is left smooth
by the knife which cuts the notes in
twain. The paper is tough 80 tough,
indeed, that after the addition of one
grain Of size it will hold Il weight OF
sixty pounds without tearing. Yet
the quantity OF fiber in II five pound
note il not more than eighteen and Il
half grains, and the sheet Is so thin
that crasurcs are oftentimes found TO
be difficult.
But what constitutes the main safe.
guard Of the Bank il the water" on
moro properly, the wire mark that
transparent design which oan DO in
stantly detected when the paper il
held up between the eye and Tho
light. This devise is obtained, as all
wnter-marks are, b. twisting wires to
the desired shape, and sticking them
on to tho face of the mould, so that
when the pulp settles down it must Of
necessity be thinner on the wire de-
sign than on tho other parts OF the
sheet. Tho water is then allowed to
run through the icyc-likc face of the
mold, and the sheet of paper in en-
bryo, ''couchcd" by the mould being
gently, but firmly pressed upon II
blanket to which this spongy sheet
clings. Sizing is a subsequent pro-
cess, so that when dry the water
mark is plainly seen. being transpar-
ent whore the substance was the dri-
est. This water malk is secured 10
the Bank by virtue OF n special Act
Of Parlimcnt, so that, apart from tho
pains and penalties which attach 10
circulate forged notes, it is Il risky
gam eto initiate even the trade mal k
OF this most important monetary in
stitution in the world.
The largest amount Of a bank note
in circulation, in 1897, was el,00O IL
is said that two notes for GlO0,0O0
each and two for f50,O0O each, were
once engraved and issued. A butcher,
who mad amassed an immense fortune
in the war times, went one day with
one Of these 100000 noIes to a private
banker, asking for the loan Of $1,000
and wishing to dcposito the big note
as security in the bankers hands,
saying he had kept ii for years. The
$4,000 was handed over, but the
banker limited, at the same time, to
the butcher the folly of boarding such
a sum and losing the interest.
"Wery true, sir" replied the butch
cr, 'but ! likes to look ont SO Very
we'll that / have tothcr one OF the
same kind at home" An eccentric
gentleman in london framed a bank
post bill Of 100000, and exhibited it
for five years in one of his sitting
rooms. The fifth year he died, when
the picture was at once taken down
and cashed by his heirs.
Some years ago, at nobleman's
house near Hyde Park, a dispute
arose about certain passage OF scrip
turo, and q Dean who was present,
denying that there was any such text,
q Bihie WAS called for. When it was
opened MARKER was found in it
which, on examination, proved to boa
bank post bill for 100000. ii might
possibly have bccn placed there as Fl
rcproacb to the son, who, perhaps, did
not consult the Bible as much rs his
mother would have wished. Paper
World.
----.--.z-.----- o -~=------