Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-09-23
Prom our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, Sept. IA, 1856.

OF all the Cabinet officers OF the present
Administration, Mr.. Baysrd appears to be
the most ill-stsrred in his selection Of men.
We have long been ,raduced by foreign
nations because of the ignorance and vul-
garity Of the members Of our diplomatic and
consular services. The Sedgwick scandal
has scarcely been silenced, when we hear OF
another in relation 10 our Consul at Hong
Kong. Ex-S Senator Robt. +. Wl,hers. The
people Of the great Chinese city must have
very little respect for America. il they Judge
her By her representatives. or late serious
charges have been lodged at the State De-
partment against the present consul there.
Il i alleged that be defrauds American sail
ors stopping at Hong Kong. 4 rigid in
yestigatiou will be made, and it will probab-
Is result in Mr.. Withers' recall
Gen. Atkins, the Commissioner Of In
dian affairs, has ordered the agents al
various places on the Sioux reservation to
issue invitations to the different bands to al
tend grand feasis to be held At the agencies.
The object Of this is to count the Indians.
and thus arrive at some approximate idea as
to how many there are on the reservation.
Gen. Atkins believes tina, the Government
is now furnishing rations for a much greater
number Of Indians than really exist, and
since Congress has failed to make an appro-
prlatlon for a census taken in the regular
WAY. the Commissioner thinks that 4 call to
feast will certainly bring the Indians to-
ge,her and enable every buck, squaw and
pappoose 10 be counted better than By any
other method.
Il i big step from the Sioux rescrs alton
to the Bureau Of Engrav ing and Printing,
but the subject of how 10 make money Is al
ways interesting, and propose to explain It
TO your readers free Of charge The green
backs, banknotes, bonds. silver and gold
certificates. and postage, and revenue
stamps used by the United State. are print
ed a, the Bureau Of Engraving and Print
ing in th, city. The epgraver takes plate
Of soft steel, covered with ~rs, On Which .he
design TO be represented is transferred. He
then scratches the lines Of the design on the
wax, and puts the plate into bath Of acid,
which eats into the steel through the lines
cut through the wax. The latter IS then re-
moved and the plate hardened in furnace.
4 cylinder Of soft steel is then rolled over
the plate. receiving the impression thereon
From this cylinder now called die, any
number Of plates can be made. After the
plate has been carefal, inspected, il leaves
the engrayers' hands, and is sent upstairs TO
the printer.
II, it must be printed twice Usually the
outer edge i, printed first then after being
dried and dampened il receives the i'm
preston Of the portran or signette. Then
it is numbered. the white edges clipped off
by little machine, and smoothed under a
powerful hydraulic press. It il now ready
to be sent to the United State, Treasurer,
who aiiixes the great seal, or # it Is a Nation
al Bank note, il is sent 10 the bank to re-
ceive the signatures OF the president and
cashier.
Il may be thought tia. there i, danger
Of some Of the money being lost OF stolen as
il passes from hand TO hand. Bat this great
money mill moves even in its most pelt,
details with such clock-work system, that
every piece of money, finished or otherwise,
and every sheet Of paper is accounted for,
and the least rregularity in one printer 5
returns would be at once notice
able.
1t may not be generally known that Am
erican engraving is far superior to that of
any other nation, and that in this country
the ar, has beer. brought to such perfection
that at the present time the notes and bonds
of fifteen European and South American
nationalties are printed in the United
States.