Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-12-05
BUREAU oF ENGRAVING.
Interesting Sight to See How the Govern.
ment Daily Turns Out Tons Of
Bank Notes.

On the understanding plain over
which the Washington monument casts
its slim shadow when the sun IS setting
stands "A tall brick building made CON
spicuous by a still taller tower and
waving flag. All day long the chimney
belches forth black smoke that drifts
out upon the Potomac and noisy
steam-pipe sends forth cloud Of white
VapOr in respiratiOus. At 8 o'clock in
the morning nearly 1000 people pass
under its archcd doorway, and at
o'clock they emerge again, like bee:
from a hive. In the meantime they
make money make it in a purely
malter-Of-fact way as a weaver Wsaves
carpets or cobbler mends shoes foT
a daily living. They exist in an at
mosphere OF wealth. Great stacks OF
money that are sight for poverty.
stricken eyes stand around them. The
poorest girl in the bureau Of engraving
handles enough money every day tc
make her rich for life.
1t is an interesting sight to see how
the government turns out day by day
tons and tons Of crisp, new bank notes
or silver certificates to watch the
silent cngrayers etch the steel the
shirt-sleeycd plate-printers take the
in pressions, and the careful mes
sengers carry of the finished bills by
the cart-load. So interesting. indeed
is this work Of mOuey-makiug, says che
Washington POSI-. that the bu.eau be-
gan to be oyerrun by visitors, who
seriously intcrlered with its work. Now
visitors are only admitted between 10
a. m and 2p N. Saturdays and during
these hours nearly every stranger ia the
city presents himself at thearchcd door
and under the leadership Of pretty
girl-guidc sees how Uncle Sam re-
DlcWishcs his cash.
When congress has ordered the issue
of new series of notes the first step
in the bureau is the preparation of what
is known as tie model This is gen
orally handsome pen-and-ink draw
ing Of the proposed bill and is sub
mitted TO the secretary Of the treasury
for his approval. Nothing about the
note is left TO mere chance. The banker
does not regard money from n purely
artistic standpoint. He wants the de-
nomination to be plain and distinct.
and he asks that the figure Of the note
be placed in the upper right-haud
corner to facilitate counting. The fact
that note must bear a certain title
rather restricts the artist in the pre-
paration of the model. but very fire.
queutly, rs in the case OF the new $50
silver certificate, which bears the por-
trait Of the late Secretary Manning,
both utility and artistic beauty arc COM
bned In this particular bill the artist
has made striking innovation. The
portrait, instead Of being at one end of
the uote. is in the center, and is sup
ported on the sides by figures of Pros
pcrity aud Labor The lettering is at
the cNtrcmite4 Of the certificate, and
the effect produced 10y this new idea is
really very striking,
The model having been adopted the
next step is ne engraving of the plate
The room in which this work is done is
a large, well-lightcd apartment on the
posed for a moment that the entire
face of note is engraved hy one man.
The portrait goes to one, the lignette
TO another. the lettering script and
borders to others and so ON until no
less than twelve men are at work. 1t
is "a long aud tedious task, lequiriug
great care and accurate skill. No less
than six weeks time is necessary for
the engraving of portrait like that of
Secretary Manning. The steel used is
all imported from England and is a re-
g. d