Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-08-12

| accompanied by memorandum stat
| ing the number and amount of the
notes contained in it. This memoran-
| dun is marked with certain number,
and then each note in the parcel is
stamped to correspond, the stamping
machine automatically registering how
many are stamped, and consequently
| drawing immediate attention to any
deficiency in the number of notes as
| compared with that stated in the mem,
orandum. This done, the notes are
sorted according to number and date,
and after being defaced by punching
out the numbers indicating value, and
tearing off the corner bearing the sig
nature, are passed on to the "Bank-note
Library" where they are packed in
boxes and preserved for possible future
reference during period of five years
| There are one hundred and twenty
clerks employed in this one depart
ment; and SO perfect is the system1of
| registration that if the number of a re-
turned note be known the head of this
department., by referring to his books,
can ascertain in few minutes the date
when and the banker through whom it
was presented; and if within the period
of five years, can produce the note it
self for inspection. AS to the ''num-
Der" of bank-note, by the way, there
is sometimes a little misconception,
many people imagining that by quoting
the bare figures on the face of a note
they have done all that is requisite for
its Identification. This is not the case
Bank-notes are not numbered
consecutively ed S1fnituna, but in
series of one to one hundred thou
sand, the different series being
distinguished as between themselves
by the date, which appears in full in
the body of the note, and is further in
dicated, to the initiated, by the letter
and numerals prefxed to the actual
number. Thus-9o758 on the face of
note indicates that the note in question
is No. 90758 of the series printed on,
May 21' 1885, which date appears in
full in the body of the note. = in like
manner indicates that the note FORMS
part of series printed on February 19,
1888. In ''taking the number of
note, therefore, either this prefix or the
full date, as stated in the body of the
note, should always be included.
The Library" of cancelled notes
not to be confounded with the Bank
Library proper-is situated in the bank
vaults, and we are indebted to the
courtesy of the banh-note Librarian
for the following curious and interest
ing statistics respecting his stock. The
stock of paid notes for five years-the
period during which, as before stated,
| the notes are preserved for reference
| is about seventy-seven million seven
hundred and forty-five thousand in
number. They fill thirteen thousand
| four hundred boxes, about eighteen
inches long, ten wide and nine deep
| If the notes could be placed in pile
one upon another, they would reach to
a height of five and two-third miles
Joined end to end they would form
ribbon twelve thousand four hundred
and fifty-fve miles long, or half way
round the globe; if laid so as to form
carpet, they would very nearly cover
Hyde Park. Their orig iginal value is.
somewhat over seventeen hundred and
fifty millions, and their weight is about
| ninety-one tons. The immense extent
Of space necessary to accommodate
such a mass in the bank vaults may be
imagined. The place, with its piles on
piles of boxes reaching far away into
dim distance, looks like some gigantic
wine cellar or bonded warehouse.
As each day adds, as we have seen,
about fifty thousand notes to the num-
Der, it is necessary to find some means
of destroying those which have passed
their allotted time of preservation.
This is done by fire, about four hun
dred thousand notes being burnt at
one time in a furnace specially con-,
structed for that purpose. Formerly
from some popularity in the ink, the
cremated notes burnt into solid blue
clinker; but the composition of the ink
has been altered, and the paper now
burns to fine gray ash. The fumes
Of the burning paper are extremely
dense and pungent; and to prevent any
nuisance arising from the cause, the
process Of cremation is carried out at
dead of night, when the city is COM
paratively deserted. Further, in order
to mitigate the density of the fumes,
they are made to ascend through a,
shower of falling water, the chimney
shaft being fitted with special shower
bath arrangement for this purpose.
Passing away from the metropolis of
dead and buried notes, we visit the
Treasury, whence they originally is
sued. This is quiet looking room,
scarcely more imposing in appearance
than buffers pantry in a West-end.
mansion, but the modest looking cup
boards with which its walls are lined
are gorged with hidded treasure. The
possible value of the contents of this
room may be imagined from the fact
that million of money, in notes of
one thousand pounds, forms a pocket
only three inches thick. The writer
has had the pleasure of holding such a
parcel in his hand, and for quarter of
minute imagining himself million
alre, with an income of over thirty
thousand per annum for lifei The
same might occupy even less space,
than above, for Mr.. Francis tells a.
story of lost note for thirty thousand
pounds, which, turning up after the,
lapse of many years, was paid by the
bank t2UIce O7,erf We are infOr1,aA