Daily Republican., 1886-09-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.


WASHINGTON, Sept. IA, 1886 OF all
the CABINET officers OF the present sd.
ministration, Mr.. Bayard appears to
be the most ill-starred in his selection
of men. We have long been traduced
of foreign nations because Of the ignor
ance and vulgarify of the members of
our diplomatic and consular services.
The Sedgwick scandal has scarce y
been silenced when we hear of another
In relation to our Consul at Hong Kong,
OK Senator Robert Z. Withers.
The people Of the great Chinese city
America, If they judge her by her re-.
haven been lodged at the State Depart
ment against the present consul there.
1t Is alleged that he defra uds American
sailors stopping at Hong Kong. A rigid
Investigation will be made, and 1t will
probably result in Mr.. Withers' recall.
General Atkins, the Com missioner Of
Indian Affairs, has ordered the agents
at various places on the Sioux reserva-
tion to Issue Invitations to the different
bands to attend grand feasts to he held
at the agencies. The object of this Is to
count the Indians, ana thus to ari live
at some approximate idea as to how
many there are on the reservation. Gen
Atkins believes that the Government
is now furnishing rations for q much
greater number of Indians than really
exist, and since Congress has failed tt
make an appropriation for q census
| taken in the eeular way, the Com mis-
sioner thinks that call to q feast will
certainly bring the Indians together
and enable every buck, sQuaw and
pappoose to be counted better than by
any other method.
1t is big step from the Sioux reser
. walton to the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, but the subject of how tt
make money 10 always interesting and
l propose to explain it to your readers
| free of charge.
The sreeubacks bauknotes, bonds
silver and gold certificates, and pos tags
ard revenue stamps ueed by the United
States are printed st the Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing in this city. Tn,
engraver takes a plate Of soft STEEL GOV
cred with wax, on which the det ign !,
be represented is transferred.
He then scratches the lines of tn
design ON the wax, and puts the plat
into bath of acid, which eats into tn
steel through the lines cut through th
twax. The latter is then removed, ant
the plate hardened in a furnace. 4
lcy Under Of soft steel is then rolled owe
the plate, receiving the impression
thereon. From this cylinder, nov
called die, any number of plates Cal
be made. After the plate mas beel
lcarefully inspected, it lie aves the en-
lgraver's hands, and Is sent up stairs t
Iths printer.
AS every note has two colors of inl
upon 1t, lit must be printed twice. Usual
ly the outer edge is printed frs. /: the
after being dried and dampened 1t re
ceives the impression of the portrait @
ivigr ette. Then it is numbered, tn
white ecges clipped off by little ma
chine, and smoothed under powerful
hydraulic press. 1t is now ready to b
sent to the United States Treasurer, W b
aft xes the great seal, or If it is q Ma
tional Babb, it is cent 10 the bank
receive the sigC atures of ths presiden
and cashier.
1t may be thought there is danger {
! some of the money being lost or stole
; as 1t passes from hand to hand. Br
a this great money mill moves even in /
most petty details with such clool
woTS sy stem hat every piece Of none.
finished or otherwise, aud every she
iof paper is accounted for, and the lea
,irregularity in one printers returI
? would be at once noticeable.
2 1t may not be gent rally known thu
! American engraving is far superior
, that of any other nation, and that
t this country the art has beer brouRl
, to such perfection that at the preseI
time the notes and bonds of fftee
European ard South American natiol
alities are printed in the United State