Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-10-17

The bureau OF engraving and print
ing, of which Capt w. NJ. Meredith
is chief, turns out-but to make the
matter plain, let me begin at the be-
ginning, good ways further back.
Let me go back to the first ION de-
mand" notes issued by the govern
ment
And to make it very plain, let me
take the stand as a witness, at the
risk of talking about myself and being
egotistical.
About the time of the first bull run |
became a correspondent of the New
York Tribune with the army of the
Potomac; and, incidentally CATER the
fashion Of that time), a clerk in the
treasury department. l was put into
long room where, during the months
Of autumn, thirty of us were engaged
from morning till night in signing
treasury notes.-the first issue by Sec
rotary Chase. Each clerk signed his
own name under the words ''for the
treasurer. | signed two million dol
lars worth or SO, and for ten years
thereafter | often came across bills
bearing my name. The notes were
payable ION demand" and soon became
as good as gold when all other credit
went to wreck.
After a few months this expensive
method of attesting the currency was
superseded by machinery. One day
S. NJ Clark, chief of the construction
bureau, went to Mr.. Chase and said:
Mr.. Chase, | can release those fell
lows from that Jail and save you lot
of money"
"How?" asked the great secretary.
Il will make a machine to sign
Spinner's autograph a hundred times
as fast.
Can that be done?"
Certainly. Give me three weeks
leave of absence"
The request was granted. Clark
came back with the machines and we
were released for other work.
The first notes were made by the
American bank note company but when
the issues multiplied Mr.. Chase found
that he must do his own work.
You cannot do it." said the favored
company.
"N by not?" asked the secretary.
"You cannot make number of dies
CA''Nlly "AUlOuJ
press N which steel in a soft state can
iake The impression. There are only
two makers III the United States and
we have hired them for ten years"
The troubled secretary sought his
chief of construction and told the di-
lemma.
Mr. Clark said: ut is true. They
have hired those men TO keep you from
getting the presses. Bat they can be
made piecemeal. Give me two months
and | will put twenty of them al
work.
He secured the country for skill
made contracts for bit of the pres:
here and another bit there, and within
the time specified the presses were a
work and the government was printing
its own notes. This was the egg from
which Capt. Meredith's spurred game
chicken was Matched.
When the rays of expiring day cast!
long shadow eastward from The
Washington monument its top almos
touches the handsome pile of bricl
buildings which shelter the bureau o
engraving and printing. Above it
roof steam pipe coughs and exhale
white vapor and a tall chimney spit
black smoke that sends argosies o
clouds to Richmond. Here a Thousand
human beings make money-a vas
volume every day. Not real truly
money, but the substantial shadow O
money; national bank currency an
greenbacks; not values, but evidenc
of Indebtedness; not money, but prom
ises to pay money, which, with cas-
behind them, are even more acceptable
than cash itself. 1t is one of thos
rare cases where the shadow is pre-
ferred to the substance.