Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-27
THE GREAT MONEY FACTORY.
How the Employees I'm the Bureau of I'm
Eraying and Printing Close Their Mork.


craving and Printing Close Their Work.
IF PALMER COX'S BROWNIES SHOULD
= get loose in Uncle SANS bureau Of en-
craving and printing some night what
lot Of bloated millionaires they would
be before morning. The widest dreams
OF the greenbackers would be realized.
But no less mystical being than a Brownie has
the ghost OF a show OF getting at the presses
plates and paper that is there giving promise
Of prodigious wealth 10 the manipulation. An
Immense amount of money could be printed
there In notes of big denomination il the pub
lie were given free swing for q few hours TO do
as the Farmers Alliance song says, set the
Presses Going"
VI all the places OF public interest at the ma
nonal capital this bureau seems the most at
raenve to strangers. who come from far and
wide to see how the government makes money.
After seeing how easy il is to strike of . few
million dollars ID may not be clear TO the
western rural mind why money should he so
scarce up IN his part Of the country. IL looks
10 the casual observer as il there we're nothing
10 prevent any one about the place from
poeketins ~ oo0. 900 or 50. 900 go to take home
win him after his days work. or from taking
an impression from one of the plates and print
ing at his own home money enough 20 meet his
daily demands.
EASY TO ENTER. HARD TO LEAVE.
Win all the thousands Of plates from which
money Is printed there. access to which would
enable man to all but bankrupt the govern
ment and to tax its credit to the very extreme:
Win all tae possibilities for theft that access 20
such pace seems TO open-that Is. seemingly;
one OF the freest Of government buildings 20
the public. Visitors enter without being chai-
iSnge0 n a. a.
seriousness of being watched. A polite guide
SHOWS them TO the door when they leave. and
tnev go their way rejoicing without knowing
mat they have for a time been prisoners of
state. 1t Is easy enough to get into the build
ing, but no man, woman or child gets
out without assistance.
That polite guide or that kind official Who ac-
companies them TO the door is their passport to
go out and, II alone, they would have 10 pro-
dace written pass or remain prisoners until
the proper passport were procured. No one
has the experience of being detained because
that is carefully looked after so that the visit
ors are not conscious of any restrictions placed
upon them.
All the employees are prisoners during the
day, having no freedom to kave the building
until they have rendered a full account of all
that has been placed in their keeping by the
superior.
THE KEYBOARD.
In the corridor at the main door, where the
watchmen sit silently all day, there is a metal
plate set In frame in the wall In this plate
there are twelve little round holes, one under
another. Each hole is tabled with name. az
wettlng room. press room, vault &c. Each
hole represents one department Of the bureau
and as long as the hole remains empty the
watchmen will permits no one from that depart
ment to leave the building unless he has a spe-
cial permit. When the force Of one depart
ment are through work for the day and all have
rendered their accounts straight. the superin-
tendent in charge Of that branch marches down
at the head of the whole force and while they
wait places little straight key with a button
at the end OF il into the hole designated as his
division. Then there is loud ringing Of an
electric gong that sounds throughout the
building and the watehmen, seeing the kew in
the hole, permits the men to pass out. This il
repeated as the days work of each division is
done. The last key to be put up is that OF The
custodian of the vault where the plates are
Kept, and when it is there the building 10 sup
posed to be empty except of watchmen. ANY
found In the building after that would have &c
remain until there was an order from the
proper authority to let him out
INTERESTING CLOSING SCENE.
The closing scene at the end of the day in
this great money factory is interesting. In the
morning each man and each woman has beer
given the proper assignment of work. Tn,
women are the counters testers wetters and
helps to the pressmen. Each employe on tax
Ing the material for work. whether it is paper
or plates, gives reception it TO the custodian
No one ever gives anything to any one else with
out a receipt The paper on which the money
Is printed Is counted as 20 much money anc
every time it changes hands must be counted anc
receiptcd for. Even the girls who act as help
ers and carry the paper from the wetting room
have to count 1t for their own protection anC
give receipt to clear from Responsible,
the superintendent OF that room. At the enc
of the day each must return in one form o.
another all that his receipts show him to have
had during the day, and until he has a checl
showing that this has been done he canno
leave the room. When the paper and the note.
and stamps have all been turned in bv rhos,
working on them they are taken to the Gus
todian of the vault, in whose presenc,
everything is counted and checked of
Every scrap of paper, blank or other
wise, which was given out in the morn
ing must be returned. This being done
the custodian puts il all in the vault. 1heI
the keeper OF the inner door of the vault mus,
pull that door to without as much puttinl
his foot inside the vault and while the resi-
stand apart from him 80 as not to the com
bination, must lock it securely. The custodian
of the vault then locks the outer door, which
is provided with a time lock. SO that being
once fastened il cannot be opened before tn,
next day at the hour SET. This being done the
custodian and his assistants are free to &C
after the key has been put in the board at tn,
main door.
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Then ali the plates which have been in us,
and all those which are in process O; engray
ing, and all rolls and parts Of plates have to b.
returned to the custodian OF the plate vault
No man can leave the room until every bit O.
/ an Va1 has haara