Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-01-10

Every kind OF work has us bpecinl INK,
and thore arc dozens Of shining tin
palis standing In rows, filled with Ink
and markod ''silvcr," ''one-half barrel
becr,s hfty cigars" etc, Indicating tho
class of notes or stamps each 3 intended
fex This * the finest Ink used In this
country, and Ia no small itom in the ex-
pense account.
Now We can go up TO the top floor by
the heavy, crealsing elevator, and there
VIC find the wctting room. This Is where
tho paper Is dampened previous TO print
ing. Wet cloths, well pressed out, are
put between every twenty sheets OF pa
per; the paper Is stacked. we'll covered,
weights put on top, and II is left so over
night At one end OF this room Is
great tank with running water, whore
the cloths arc thrown to soak after they
are removed from the paper. The blank
paper IL dampencd before 1t goes to the
printer. lie prints one sido and before
1t has the other side printed It must 20
through the dampcning process again,
and for every impression II receives II
undergoes previous wetting. The
number Of sheets Is counted and record
ed when It goes into this room and
again before Il Is issued TO the printers
assistant f
In the plate-printing division there are
$50 hand presses, and at each press there
Is q printer and his assistant. Since the
LIST OF July all tho steam-presses have
boon taken out, and the platc-printing
is done entirely by hand-prcsscs- When
the plate-printer and his assistant ar
rive In the morning the printer goes TO
a little cage at one end Of the room and
draws his plate, his ink, whitening, and
even tho rags hc uses for wiping the
plate. For these be gives check for
all the world like a trunk.check, and
until no retnrns the plate in tho even
ing. whom his work is done, he can not
get the check, and until no gets the
check neither no or his assistant can
get permit to leave the building.
When he has drawn the plato his assist
ant goes TO similar cage at the en-
franco OF the wetting-room and draws
the paper, for which sho givcsa receipt,
certifying 10 tho counting OF the paper.
This plate-printing Is dirty and corre-
spondingly picturesque work. The
printer, generally in undershirt and
trousers, with his sleeves rolled up to
his shoulders and his hands and arms
covered with ink, not little OF which
finds Its way to his faca hrst heats the
steel plate over a gas-stove, then inks
II, wipes It with cloth, and rubbing his
hand over big lump OF whitening, hc
pollshes IL with his hand. Then II Is
puts on tho press His girl assistant,
generally pretty, and sometimes be-
witching, with paper cap on her head,
put the paper In place. ho. turns tho big
wheel, and she removes tho sheet, on
which in the money division four notes
are always printed. Each press Is pro-
vided with an automatic register that
registers the number OF sheets printed,
and this number must tally with the
number OF blank sheets drawn and also
with the number OF printed sheets sent
down 10 the examining room to be
counted. Every two hundred sheets are
collected from tho printer and sent to be
counted. Tho initials Of the printer are
on the plate no uses, and Of course on
every sheet he prints, and even II a
sheet is spoiled In printing he is Obliged
10 send IL in.
When ono side OF shoot Is printed II
goes TO the oounting-room and again
through the wetting-room before IL re-
ceives Its second impression.
The only surface printing that Is done
on money is on tho National bank notes.
Ion these the charter number Is printed
by Hoo press, which also has reg
lister, and n q number is printed on a
piecc OF plain papetit has TO be turned
oyer with the money to mako things
tally. ass
As these sheets arc taken from tho
prcss, pieces Of brown paper are put bo-
tween them 10 keep them from blurring.
In the counting and examining-room
these sheets are carefully removed and
counted and examined to see that NO
money Ia between thcm. Tho money Is
counted and examined to sec that every
sheet 10 perfect by women who. work
with the swiftncss that only comes after
long practice. Some OF tho fast counters
can handle 100000 sheets day and
whom thoy count and examino IL is not
unusual for them 10 handle 40, 900. All
errors arc reported by the counters and
entered In books. These clerks meet In
the committoo-room In tho afternoon,
each with an account OF the work, and
II these accounts vary, all tho workers
stay until the throe statements are