The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-16
The Treasury Department.

The Treasury Department is great
white marble building, four stories high,
and longer than the Custom house in
New Orleans. Everything dealing with
the money affairs of the government
goes on in this building. During the
illness of Mr.. Manning his Assistant,
Secretary, Mr.. Fairchild, occupies his
office. There is an entrance to the
building on all four sides. A door
keeper has charge of each entrance.
Visitors can come in up to two o'clock
of each day. After that no one is ad-
mitted without permit. The keepers
art very strict, which is good, and very
rude, which is bad. Employees must be
in the building at the hour of nine. If
they are one-half minute late they are
reported. Three reports are sufficient
for the delinquent te be discharged.
Not long since clerk who was going to
be half minute late fell down and
broke his leg, though hurrying in mortal
dread of being reported. During hours
no employe can be visited or seen. Hi s
or her house might burn down and
whole family die off, but those stern
guardians of the iron gates will say nay
to any and every messenger. At noon
1t would make your heart ache to see
those old grandmothers, those thin-faced,
anxious hearted women racing like
school children terrified, lest in returning
to work they may be one-half minute
late.
In some of the rooms absolute silence
is required. No whispering is allowed.
The ladies are not allowed to leave
their desks except at the noontime hour.
The work of most of the women clerks
is patient and responsible. Some have
to be skilled mathematician
accounts, make out claims and army
pay rolls Others have to count money,
new and old.
In the Redemption Department, that
is, where old money is sent in to be re
deemed by the government, the money
is counted many times over. Every
clerk has receipt-book; every bundle
of money she is given she has to receipt
for, aud no person touches dollar with
out receipting for it. The ladies sit at
a long table, and the money counters
move their fingers with the dexterity of
a slight of hand performer. Some of
the money is inexpressibly filthy and
and dirty, and old and ragged. In this
department are several ladies who are
experts at redeeming burnt and other
wise destroyed money. The chief of
these experts is Mrs. Fitzgerald, a
little white haired lady, who has been in
the department for twenty-one years.
Once, when the Adams Express Com
pany had $4,000 worth of bank bills
burned to cinders in safe, they brought
the little packages of cinders to Mrs.
Fitzgerald. She laid them on the table,
and lifting then up, fake by fake, iden-
titled all of the amount within a few
dollars. An identified bill must show the
name of the bank, number and at least
three corners of the bill, or if only Two,
satisfactory proof that the rest CT the
bill has been destroyed must be given.
A burned bill, even when the paper is a
mere einder to crumble at the touch,
shows the heavy lines of printing and
stamping in it, and can be read, but
maryelously delicate touch is required
to handle these ash-fakes. Dodges are
often resorted by sharpers, but unless
the government wants, it is hard for it
tn be deceived
The other day a farmer sent box of
burnt paper saying it was $4,000 which
he wanted repaid him. The charred
paper was all tumblod together, but an
expert soon discovered it to be nothing
but common writing paper in which
few two-dollar bills had been burned
and mixed. While / was in the Re-
demption Room postal card was sent
in. 1t had the torn half of $50 bill
pasted on it and the writer of the card
claimed its redemption. "Will he get
his money! | asked. Not unless he
can prove that the other half of the
note is destroyed" was the answer.
An expert was busy on a pocket-book
that had been taken out from the
charred remains of some man burned to
death. Ii was burned to crisp and had
terrible, strange odor. She worked
with couple of penknives; removed
clasp, burnt leather, paper, identified
the $50 it contained. Every afternoon
all money thus proved, all bank notes
sent in for redemption by banks, etc.,
are, after being redeemed, locked up in
the macerator and reduced to pulp.
The ceremonies of final destruction are
quite elaborate The macerator has
three separate locks. The money to be
destroyed is taken to the proper place,
put in the macerator locked up by the
| Cutcts Va ttlc sctcidi dcp1ftH1euLS- his
is done always at 2 o'clock. After
being thus locked in. il is legally null
and v5id. | should say that all notes
for destruction have cat-a-corner piece
clipped off of each side. The macerator
reduces the money to black and grayish
pulp. There's a funny little chitter-
chatter of an old woman who had q
news and picture stand up in the Capt.
tol who sells monstrous looking cats
and dogs and images made of this de-
stroyed money. You can buy for q
quarter eat that is made up Of ten
thousand ground up dollar bills Under
the old Republican regime, clerks could
come and go just as they pleased, attend
all the matinees, do all the official
calling, and take life at their own ease,
Now, the rules are rs strict as il tue
place were reform school - Catherine
4 Cole in Picayune.