Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-09-04
VAGRANT BANK NOTES
PASSING IN REVIEW THROUGH THE
REDEMPTION AGENCY.
The Wear and Tear Of Bank Notes and
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of bur ned
Notes-Expert Counting Catching
the CountcrfeitA
New York PoFcl

the Commercials
New York Post
When tie national bank notes have
tramped about the country until they have
become ragged and vagabond, and have
reached tie lowest depths Of degradation.
they are bundled up ana sent to the treasury
department fo- redemption. Many millions
Of these Migrants are received at tho DO
partment each year. They have To pass in
review through the national bank relenr-
ton agency, where those that are utterly
depravei and good for nothing are sentenced
to be cbewei up. aud those that have got in
through the rec Of association. but are
still not % far gone that some good may rot
lie got out of them, are sent back into the
tervice. In the place Of those that arc con-
demnet, nice, new notes. crisp and clean,
are sent out TIE experience Of thess notes
is varied. and in some cases very novel
and interesting. but their tale is told only by
their ragged and dirty appearance when
they get back to the department.
The average length ~ time that now
note can keep up respectable appearance
is about three years. Some have been found
a; the cad OF twenty years to DO as cri- p as
on the day Of their issue. but these are ex-
CeEtioDhi cases, Wbe!c they nave laIsen into
the hanis of people who made pets II them
and carefully guarded them from rough
usage. The wandering nots sooa becomes a
tramp. 1t rapidly goes TO pieces il it starts
out for the west, stopping along at the cross-
roal inns. or if it frequents drinking saloons
ami falls in with low company. Bad habits
tell on a bank nota very quickly.
ORe lady in the comptroller Office IN this
case has charge OF them, and they ars sent
TO her for Identification before they can 10
redeemed Her name is Fitzgerald and she
is said TO be very expert. seldom failing To
identify a note, giving its proper name. date
AMI classification. no matter how badly
burnt i. i. Sometimes packages OF several
hundred, done up to be expressed. are sent
in all stuck together anil burnt clear through
TO black crispy mas. She then separates
them one by one with very thin-bladed
knife, and places the charrei remains o;
each one separately upon a glass slab AMI
examines it very carefully with magnify
ing glass. She Is familiar with all pacuii-
arities Of the issues of the various banks and
note must be reduced almost TO ashes 10 be
beyond her recognition, though TO an insx-
perienced eye il might not bs distinguished
from piece Of grocer's paper which hal
gone through the fire.
All those notes otherwise mutilatei e. di-
rectly to the redemption agency. The de-
gree OF expert efficiency displayed there is
some thing remarknble. This branch Of the
service was organized about eleven years
ago by Gen. Spinner Prior 20 tina. there
was no systematic redemption OF the paper
currency as il became too worn for circula-
ton, AMI a good many ragamJffn notes
were wandering about tho country The
service began with about l52 people en-
plcyed IN counting and asserting the notes |
that came In for redemption. Very nearly
tho same amount Of work Is now done by
iifty-seven. TIE counting in and asserting |
Of the notes require great caro-, aud it is
only after long experience that II can DO /
done rapidly.
There Is an average OF about $50. 900 600 |
notes per year handled AMI they have to b, |
counted about five times IL 'herc is no hitch |
in the count, and oftener If any mistakes |
are made. But the amount is variable from 4
year 10 year. and even from month % |
month Tee lowest number was in iAS1-si. |
when 60 OJ1. 900 were redeemed, and from /
that u hes run up as high as go. 600 coo in n 4
single year. Some months II runs ~ low a. /
4 900. 600 or !. 900, 900. then again il runs ~
in other months TO 10000 or 20 oJo. 90
The months Of January ami June always 1
take the lead, those being the periods Just /
after the fall and spring trade respectively.
when the currency worn out by the rough |
usage in traffic is collected ami sent in u 90
replaced by new notes The force Of fifty- /
seven. all except two or three Of whom are \
ladies. can handle just half n million notes
each day This is very expert counting
The notes waen they come o. bs ia iSsi
have first % b. counted in This requires
the -count + ia t. 20 over then twioo, and
-. -aaAf. h.
counterfeit, o. the loss thus causei VII lie |
dsduc;sd from her salary. she IA given
from G, 900 - 1000 note. Tor walch sbe
gives a receipt: then she counts them ia
then SIZE counts them back and II the two
counts agree she Is given credit Cor them
when she settles up In the evening. turn
ing in the money bound AMI latsis1
with her n,n1s AMI amour: on each Pack
age. IL the package. or any q them, are
fogn! short, shs has % make good the do
fciency. Next, tho notes have - 10 C.
sorted. :hoze Ia good condition from tho-s
in had condition. then they have - -
grouped a. todsrominsti1a. thea 1istribu;s8
into banks % sssna, and then intoisnoniaa-
ton. under tie beads % teaks
Then they are counted oat The aoossn-
ter N" has % handle them twice and TIE |
Counter cut tt.rie-. bit tts former has the
most responsibility, and mus; Dc ths fao-t
expert The counter in hansles from !
9. 90 70 1000 notes twice. CO o0ant= ~ 90 |
% y. go per dag. Will. tbs -cgzatsr cut
handles FROM 3 90 % 200 thrsz tines. %
coalts from i5. 90 q q ,eoc PER day Ths.
is provided they make no mistake. witch
makes reoonn, necessary ami aDsbiss lie
work. To do tbs r-qsirss constant a;csE-
ton and is a great strain "a The ssrves. a.
each nots has . bs ssrUtiaizsi very elossiy |
% that u /. oot couutss,sl. AMI ths |
-ooErter IN must know he na1ns q every !
taslx that haz . c1zateFfsst u;sa 4. s-sf |
have Ia his rslDi fGE 4sscT. Is:iazl 4 tAs
salSs note. - a. = y sbls % 1s.@ct ], e.
estt
T5s EEpsrsa.sns!snt sAys coars1.tss: sss..-- |
az. thrown cat ~ tb-s@ srv~r-s ~5:boa. |
h@sitAt.os every Tine .b@y conss - ;bsrr
TbsF have LIS 4 no.es passing .~for.
their eyes al he tine. ao4 a5y fsz - DE-
Zee; her no.ioe On to instant Two hun |
tr~d All :o-ty sFSozntHssts hass h~~a
r.,ads daring tss steven year q tie aSsrscy's
eIss.saos, and far7y Il .bs ssfy ssvsz en-
psoyes row ;seFs have s-rvst 'roaz r.s frsI
A rss hA5s5 1. es4zx rsEzark.tsy sci Il -
% sbs learns u AZ uson;hs 70 c2ani 10 p~r
day % The .s<S-1nsz.. -sscA = ,as sa<-a~.,
-h5s thezs Cd ha-4s VII ossz-; %. 90 s5sy
z tie sa<es s-s fairly god
Women ar, sDpioysi for tAis t<s=tn>~
tsca1a 4 tbs cell1aey Il tas4r .1S>s AID
u aroszz; Z tks tat tAxs ,Esy ar nE - |
sys % tsvz hs9 k.sttx Tesy Hgs -
ygszS e-l>k al hrsesny %. vsli - scs:s1.
AID tss4- ss1Arsss, vh-cA a,s pad /. ,srozxs
Us a&1zz-y b. t4- haskss fa- .ks tk..s
rr,6ss q vaxs ars rssss ., $40. q. 30 s.s
ST. 90 Tss eazkse-z AL two n sErse 4 sas
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