The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-06-04
MAKING MONEY.
The Government Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing.

There is always great curiosity in regard to
the manufacture of money In Philadelphia
the mint is daily visited by scores OF people,
who look with anxious eyes at the various pro-
cesscs through which the gold and silver bull
lion &c before they finally become the "coin of
the realm" So in Washington the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing. where the paper cur
rency is manufactured is an object of the
greatest interest, and hardly any stranger comes
to the city who does not make 4 tri p to the
handsome building in which the Bureau is
located to see how the money which he has in
his pocket is made. This building is situated
OH the southwest corner of Fourteenth and L
SITS. S. W. and is an imposing structure, with q
high tower on one corner and its numerous
chimneys, from which smoke may be seen issu-
ing as if it were a large factory. Its location
upon rising ground makes it visible from the
Treasury Department, with which it is SO in
timately connected, aud the line Of vision be-
tween the two buildings is only interrupted by
the massive shaft of the Washington Monu-
ment, which looms up in about middistance.
Formerly the Bureau occupied space in the
Treasury Department building in the upper
story, but its work was 81 greatly increased
and the Inconvenience were so numerous that
Congress appropriated 100000 for the erection
of the present building, and in 1880 all the
machinery, fixtures and operatives were trans
feIred to their present habitation.
The history of this Bureau is identical with
that of our national currency. Prior to the
war paper currency was issued only by the
various State banks, and the Government con-
tented itself with supplying the coin circuia-
ton but the necessity for an additional supply
of money was Immediately felt upon the out
break of hostilities in 1861, and the act of July
IL of that year, authorizing loan of S250. 00O,-
900 to meet the expenses Of the army of volun-
teers who quickly rushed to the defense of
their country, also authorized the Secretary of
the Treasury to issue such proportion of this
loan as in his judgment was proper in United
States Treasury notes.
OF course the Government had no facilities
for preparing these notes, for it was never
dreamed that it would have any cause for
meddling with paper money, and contracts
were made with the various Bank Note Com
panies to execute the work. Although the
notes could be engraved and printed by the
Bank Note Companies, they must be issued from
the Treasury Department, and when they
rived here in sheets then came the problem of
signing them and separating them into individ
ual notes. At first Gen. Spinner, who was the
Treasurer. undertook 10 personally atlix his
hieroglyphc signature to each ncie, but he
soon found that the task was beyond even his
vigorous energy. Then a corps Of clerks was
formed who were authorized to sign his name,
and this worked for while. but the signatures
were unequal, and this irrcgularity afforded an
opportunity 10 inc COuRttIlGItSI. lildliN III
was decided to have Gen. Spinncr's signature
engraved for surface printing and the work of
printing done in the Treasury Department.
The work Of separating the notes was at first
performed by women with scissors, and this
labor furnished the first opportunity for the
employment of females by the Government. As
the notes began to increase in number this
method was found too slow and cumbersome,
and so other means were sought. The solution
nf thp nrohlarn nrpSnutpn n Snpratsr y
Chase by Mr.. S. NJ. Clark. who was at that time
employed in what is now known as the Super
vising Architects Office. He invented ma
chine which would trim and separate the notes,
and the Secretary authorized the construction
of some machines and placed him in charge Of
the work. 1t was Mr.. Clark, too, who suggested
the idea of engraving Gen. Spinner's name and
printing it ON the notes. and in March, 1862,
some presses were purchased and the printing
of the Treasures signature was also entrusted
to him.
Thus Mr.. Clark soon became the head of quite
little force and as he performed the work
effectively he gained the confidence of the Sec
rotary of the Treasury SO that when soon after
wards he made another and holder suggestion
that the Government should do 4 portion of the
work of engraving and printing the notes itself,
in order that it might net be entirely dependent
upon outside parties, the Secretary favorably
considered the subject and empowered him TO
make the experiment. Plate presses were
bought, engravers and printers were hired and
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing sprang
into existence.
This man seems to have possessed peculiar
inventive genius, great administrative talent
and indomitable energy, and the rapidity of
the growth of the Bureau shows the earnest
ness with which he entered into the work.
After securing the establishment of Engraving
and Printing Divisions he turned his attention
to the manufacture of paper, and long series
Of experiments were conducted in the base
ment of the Treasury building, but TO practi-
cal benefit resulted from them. When the
National Bank Note currency was authorized
the infant Bureau competed with the National
Bank Note Companies in design for the notes
and estimates for the work. The pictures that
were upon the backs of the National Bank Note
currency until the recent issues, and those still
used upon the face, were the idea Of Mr.. Clark.
As the notes having those backs are fast going
out of existence, it may not be uninteresting
to give them in the order of their value. On
the backs of the So notes was the picture of the
Landing of Columbus; Oh the SO, De Soto
Discovering the Mississippi River; on the $50,
the Baptism of Pocahontas; on the $50 the
Embarkation of the Pilgrims; on the 800. the
Signing of the Declaration of Independence;
on the $780, the Surrender of CORVALLIS, and
on the 81 900, Washington Resigning His Com
in the various denominations for years, it is
doubtful if any considerable number could tell,
if asked, the engravingS on the backs, or the
historical incidents sought to be illustrated
upon the faces of these notes. These latter may
be enumerated as follows On the face of the
So notes, Columbus Discovering America; on
the $40, Franklin Discovering Electricity; on
the $40, the Battle Of Lexington; on the $50,
Washington Crossing the Delaware; OH the
500, the Battle of Lake Erie; on the $500,
Morse and the Telegraph, and on the $1,000,
Gen. Scott Entering the City of Mexico.
The fractional currency, which Is something
about which little is known by the present
generation, but which is we'll remembered by
those who have memories of the war; was
among the first work engraved and printed by
tho Bureau. The denominations were then
5, TO- 10, % and so cents. A good deal of the
printing of this currency was done by the use
of hydrostatic presses, q dry process which
seemed to squeeze the fife out of the paper and
cause it to become brittle and break easily.
From this fact, and because the notes were so
small in size and easily became soiled and worn,
they were generally known as 'shinplasters."
Still, the fractional currency was convenient to
carry and handle, and there are many who
would much prefer it at the present day to the
silver COIN that is now used.
Mr. Clark remained in charge of the Bureau,
of which he was the founder until March,
1867, when he was succeeded by Mr.. George Il.
McCartee, who continued as Chief until Feb.
81. 1876, when he retired, and Mr.. Henry C..
Jewell was appointed. On May /. 1877, Mr..
Jewell was removed and Hon. Edward Nc
pherSon ,yae ,no5e Cbiaf This chopon yyoc