The National tribune., 1885-05-07

notes, bonds and other securities which have
been reported to him as on hand are really
there.
WHY THE CASH Is COUNTED NOW.
The resignation of Mr.. A. NJ. Wyman, United
States Treasurer and the appointment Of Mr..
G. IL. Jordan as his successor, makes a count of
the money in the Treasury necessary at this
time. The Office Of Treasurer has never been
considered political one. and consequently the
term of Office is not limited TO four years, as is
the case with other heads of bureaus. Changes
are not frequent. aud so the thorough, syste-
matte and exhaustive count which is now going
on does not take place often. Indeed, no such
extended and complete examination has been
made since the resignation of Gen. Spinner,
who was succeeded by Hon. John C. New.
Then the count was as rigid and extensive as
it is at present. When Mr.. New resigned he
was succeeded by Mr.. Wyman. who had been
Assistant Treasurer. and who was supposed to
know as much about the accuracy of the ac-
counts and balances as did the Treasurer, so
there was no special necessity for so thoroughly
scrutinizing things. The same was true when
Mr.. Gif Han was made Treasurer, Mr. Wyman
dropping back to his old position of Assistant
Treasurer. from which he again emerged by
promotion, when he was made Mr.. Gilfllan's
successor.
TIRE COUNTERS.
The committee now engaged in the count are
MI JOnn tstssell, OF Tue DiStriCt, lot mEN Eui1E,
the retiring Treasurer; Mr.. DuSkam, Chief of
the Public Moneys Division, for the Secretary of
the Treasury and Mr.. III. A. Smith, a New York
banker, for Mr.. Jordan, the new Treasurer.
There are eight vaults, the contents of which
must be examined and counted These are the
cash-room vault; the reserve vault; the silver
storage vault; the bond vault; the National
Bank Redemption Division vault; the District
of Columbia vault; the Loan Division vault,
spd the Redemption Division vault
They first commenced in the silver storage
vault, which has been but recently constructed,
and which is capable ofholding about Al, 600
silver dollars. There is not that amount stored
there now, however; only about 100000.
Though they have been at work in this vault
for some days, the committee have not yet
finished the count of the dollar OF our dad
dies" The vault is situated in the sub base
mcnt of the Treasury building, Immediately
beneath the reserve vault, which it is connected
by an elevator, with which also ascends one story
higher into the casii-room vault The commit
tee is assisted in their labors by labOrers, who
handle the bags of coin and Tighten the muscu-
lar exertiops of the three members. The coin is
placed in bags containing 81 coo each, and these
are piled in huge masses in the vault. Each
bag, as it is taken by the committee, is placed
on pair of scales Of extreme sens!tivenesS, and
the register is scanned to see if the standard is
reached. If that is correct. the bag is marked
ana uUHDcfeu anu TttuTUtu, anu tue UeAt DAY
is brought out and subjected to the same test.
If there is any discrepancy from the standard
weight the bag is emptied and the dollars
counted one by one. Silently and industriously
the committee performs its work. the results of
each thousand dollars. as well as the number of
the bags, being carefully recorded No sound is
heard save the talles as they are called and the
calling is made in subdued tones, and the chink,
chink of the coin rs it is counted out.
COUNTING. THE GREENBACKs.
While the committee themselves are engaged
in the silver storage vault, expert counters are
at work upon the contents of other vaults, so
that the total number OF assistants now engaged
in the counting is about a hundred. The most
expert are ladies' and these. by long experience,
have become very rapid and accurate. One
lady, who has been in the Department since
1862 has acquired such remarkable skill that she
can count $4,000 notes day, and her accuracy
is equal to her speed as u counter Yet, with
the speed when it is considered that in each
vault the securities reach into the hundred
millions of dollars, the magnitude of the task of
verifying the Troasurer'S balances eau he ap-
preciated. Then. too this work of counting
must be performed so as to interfere as little as
possible with the regular routine work of the
various Divisions. which cannot stop. Take
the cash room vault, for instance. From this
the money required by the tellers is taken out
every morning and returned at night. During
business hours the money is constantly being
paid out, so that the committee. to avoid any
interruption of work, took charge of the vault
after tho balances had been made up at the
close of business on Thursday, and made the
count there at night.
THE CASH ROOM.
This cash room is probably the most beauti-
full banking house in the world. 1t is az feet
long, 50 feet wide, and q feet inches high.
The walls. except the upper cornices are built
entirely of marble-seven different varieties
of different hues being employed with beauti-
full effect. 1t rises from the main door through
two stories of the building, with upper and
lower windows. between which runs a narrow
bronze gallery encircling the entire room. The
marbles employed in the walls are the Burdig- /
lilo, Sienna and white veined Italian; black
and dove Vermont; notified Tennessee, and