The National tribune., 1886-06-10

GLANCE AT UNCLE SANS BANK.
As you enter the Treasury building at the
north end your first impression would be that
you were in big bank, did you not see aboveyou
in large gilt letters, Treasury OF the United
4 States" There is long marble counter, with
a stoat iron screen rising from it four or five
! feet, with little doors at intervals through
which the business is done. Here is where all
the warrants on the Treasury are paid. Un-
like bank, there is no receiving teller. The
4 money goes out here, but IL comes in by an
other channel. Everybody likes TO see and
hear aud talk about money in large sums. So
( il il that this place has a strong fascination
for the tourist Nearly all the sight-seers 90
there 10 peer through the openings or the screen
ITSELF or better still, 60 into the gallery which
4 runs around like that in a church. aud from
which can be obtained a good view of the
whole interior of the office" Half dozen
! spry young men are hustling around or sitting
at their desks making entries in big ledgcrs
| that have an impressive appearance. Heaps OF
money, cola and paper, lie around in an exas-
peratingly miscellaneous way. You cannot help
feeling what a nice thing it would be If you
could be turned loose in there and told to help
yourself 1t is safe TO assume that some thought
| of this kind crosses the minds of 90 out OF
every 100 persons who look down from that
gallery
warrant is presented at the cashiers win
/
il for a moment noting carefully the signature,
TO assure himself that il is regular and genuine.
| Ii may be for five dollars or it may cali for
million. In either case the money is handed
over promptly. Uncle Sam is often very tardy
in coming to a settlement with his numerous
creditors and getting ready TO pay his bills.
Sometimes he higcles over them for good
many years. But when it comes to the point
of actual payment he is always ready with the
cash. lie never tells you 10 call around to-
morrow" or that he changed his trousers and
left his wallet in his other pocket He always
pays in bright crisp, new money, that has
never been in circulation before This refers,
of course, TO paper money, or rather promises
10 pay, for paper currency is not actual money.
You can get gold, or silver, or both, il you
want them, but the chances are a thousand to
one that you do not want coin, especially il
you are TO draw large amount The green
backs" or United States Treasury notes, are
good enough, and vastly more CONVENIENT to
handle. None but the Government issues of
paper are paid out here. This department of
the Treasury has nothing to do with the Ma
tional Bank currency.
Sometimes it is considered desirable to get
coin into circulation, aud the cashier viii In
sist on paying il out to you. II your warrant
is large one he will give you part coin and
part paper. The coin is legal tender. 1t is
the very money itself, and you cannot refuse to
take ii. But if you get more than YOU can
comfortable carry, and want TO get rid OF IT,
you can step 10 another window and exchange
it for gold silver certificates, as the case may
be. This puts the coin virtually into circula-
tiOn, in more convenient form, and increases
TO that extent the volume of the circulating
medium beyond what it would be If only paper,
the issue Of which is limited by law, were paid
out. The fact that nobody wants gold, except
in special cases, as for abroad, is the strong
est possible tribute to the stability OF our present
system of paper currency. The notes of any
National bank, secured as they are by United
States bonds, are equally as good as though
issued by the Government itself The bursting
of bank may be rough on its depositors, but
nothing can impair the value of its notes.
As has been said. all the paper money paid
out here is "brand new, just as 1t comes from
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where
they make it. IL is in uniform packages, each
containing 100 bills, irrespective of their de-
nomination. If they are SIS package has $500,
if zoos, $4,000, ii l.000's $4,000. These
packages, during the processes Of manufacture,
and in being transferred from one custodian 10
another, have been counted 90 times, by as
many different persons. It is pretty safe to
assume that each contains the value designated
upon its wrapper. 1t is not likely that mis-
take would be found in n million packages. So
when the cashier hands yon package you are
very likely 70 receive IL unquestioningly.
There is a little desk near by which Is provided
for the use of the doubling ThomaSes You
can 20 there and count over your money il you
want 10.
There In a large cash vault connected with
the Treasury Office, heretofore described. 1t
viii be readily understood that this in not open
TO the general public. Indeed, 10 IN not often
! that any person not connected with the Office il
admitted. The vault is. perhaps, ID feet square.
The walls. floor aud ceiling are composed OF
many thickDesscs Of chilled iron and are
heta In hu nj
felonious attempts Of burglars. The money II
. piled ON shelves extending one above another
. around the interior. In front of the shelves
Is screen OF large iron wire, reaching from
floor 10 ceiling. Doors with big locks on them
afford access to the shelves when necessary.
I'VE haven't much money on baud lust
D now" said the functionary in charge the other
r day, not more than five or six millions We
: only hold enough here 10 keep the business
Q running. Every few days we get n fresh sup
a ply from the great vaults below. We often pay
; out hundreds Of thousands Of dollars in day.
In that lower tier you see the bags Of gold coin.
There are half million dollars or such a mat
Z ter, In that pile. On this side IL the silver
= also IN sacks, Of all the various denominations
c On these upper shelves yOu see packages oil
: United States paper currency. You can see
:. the figures on them, running from 500 tc
10000 each, according to the size Of the bills
q The keeper of the vault is responsible for all
a money placed upon its shelves. The paying
4 teller receipts 10 him for all taken into his
4 custody. Al the close Of business each day hs
!. turns in ali money remaining for safe keepi ne
q during the night, taking the vault mans re-
0 ceipt The difference between this and the
] amount for which he has receipted during the
!. day shows what has been paid out. This o
: course, must tally with his vouchers. There
+ are 30 many checks upon all who handle In
r any way the money In the Treasury that pecu
{ latiOn is almost impossible 1t could only b,
:. accomplished by the collusion Of n large mum
|, Der Of persons working together. They could
a not succeed unless all were knaves, which Il
scarcely a possible contingency. The books
cash and vouchers of every man handling
money are carefully examined, verified anc
balanced every day. and if the slightest dis
: crepancy is found there IL no sleep until tn,
: error is corrected.
: THE BRIDE AHD GROOM.
9 An hour after the nuptiaIs at the Whit,
: : House on Wednesday evening Of last week th,
7 President and his bride slipped out by the bach
= = door OF the White House TO avoid the crowd ir
!, front entered carriage aud were whirlcd q
= point on the Baltimore Il Ohio Railway az ;
street crossing about mile from the depot
Here special train was in waiting. and in /
: few minntes-while even the sharp-eyed cor
respondents were unaware Of the fact that the,
! had left the White House-were off for Deel
< Park, Nd. This delightful resort on the cres
9 OF the Alleganies. The bridal pair have beer