The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-06-09
GREAT TREASURE VAULTS.
I RECEPTACLES FOR UNCLE SANS
MONEY IN WASHINGTON.
How Money is Handled in the Treas
ury Building-Printing and Count
ing Paper Money.


ing Paper Money.
The great chilled-iron and steel vaults
of the treasury in Washington ale objects
of much interest to visitors, but only GER
tain ones can be entered by outsiders,
and these only on permit from the
Treasurer. The five principal vaults are
>nnected with the Treasurer's office, for
the contents of which he is responsible.
They are known as the cash vault, the
reserve vault, the silver vault, the re-
demption vault and the National Bank
vault. The cash vault is used more than
all the Others combined in the daily
transaction of business, and presents
more interesting features. 1t is con-
structed on the most approved modern
| principles, and is strictly speaking, an
iron bound apartment lined with gold
and silver. The walls, floor and ceiling
are of chilled-iron, built in sections
These walls are over foot thick, the
space between the inner and outer plates
of iron being filled with heavy iron balls,
forming a compact mass, the removal of
which would require much time, skill and
labor. The operation of removal would
also be attended with much noise and
danger to the workmen. There is only
one entrance to the vault-through an
iron door, which is only reached by pass
ing through the cashiers room, then
through high iron railing always kept
locked, and afterward through the cash
room, with another iron railing. After
the outer door of the.vault is passed there
are two inner doors of chilled-iron and
secured by two combination locks on
each door. In addition to this, the outer
door has "time" lock, which precludes
all possibility of access until the hour set
for opening has arrived
Yet with all this the Government does
not rely upon mechanical appliances en-
tirely for the safety of its ready cash.
There are sixty watchmen provided by
law for the Treasury building, at sal
ary of $720 per annum each. They are
uniformed in blue suits and have powers
of arrest in case of necessity. The force
is divided into three reliefs, serving eight
hours each, so that there are watchmen
on duty every hour of the twenty-four,
all fully armed and prepared for any
emergency. These men are supposed to
patrol the halls. and each salute his neigh
Dor every half hour. AT night the corri-
dors are lighted, not brilliantly, but suffi-
GENTLY to enable the watchmen to see
each other, or to distinguish strange
presence. There has never been a raid
upon the Treasury, except by the office
seekers and official rings, but the authori-
ties were little nervous at the time of
the labor riots in Washington in 1877,
when the notorious Cohen and his
gang were parading the streets, armed,
and vociferating against everything
that represented money. The clerks in
the different Offices were armed with
large revolvers and formed into squads,
with the chief of each bureau as the
commanding officer. This army of clerks
was to act in concert with the force of
watchmen, who were urged to extra Wig
ilance and precaution. The arrange
ment was that, if the mob should attack
the building at night, certain signal
would be struck on the fire-alarm bells,
upon hearing which the squads of clerks
were to ASSEMBLE upder arms in La
fayette Square and march to the assist
ance of the force on thea ainside. There
were five hundred Government pistols
distributed among the clerks, so it will
be seen that the authorities were really
to much, however, and was soon sup
pressed by the local authorities One or
two battles with the police took ali the
courage and desperation out of the mob.
The Treasury remained unmolested, ard
the valiant department clerks did not
have an opportunity of distinGiishingI
themselves on the glorious field sl bat
tie.
The Bureau of Engraving and Trin,-
ing, where all our national currency is
manufactured, occupies a large brick
building built especially for it, at cost
of some $500, 600. 1t has three stories
and high basement, and is in the Re-
manesque style of architecture. Here
$50 plate PRESSES are worked by hand, anGs.
over 500 men and women employed iIr
She various processes of printing sheetss
of bank notes, bonds, and internal reyeN
nue. stamps. The long spacious room,
running the entire length of the third
story, is a scene of intense activity during
business hours. Six hundred sheets pa.
day are printed on each press, and after
each impression the d8licate copper and
steel plate must be removed from the
press, carefully wiped dry, polished with
whiting, luhCu anu AAtu IGluIutA To IFS
place for another impression. The fiber
paper must be handled expertly, and
everything about the work dove with
precision and care. All is porfectsystem
and exactness here. The aeenbaclls and
other securities issued by the Govern
ment, from the time the paper is man
ufactured until the finished aote is issued.
are subjected to a system Of registering
and checking at every step, so minute
and precise, that the chances of any error
or dishonesty in the handling of this
most valuable product is reduced to a
minimum.
The sheets, before being wet, are de-
livered to the plate printers counted and
charged to them, and again counted in
the presence of a lady assistant, who GER
titles TO the count. Attached to the
presses by which the wetting is done are
registers which automatically count the