Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-10-21
WHERE BANK NOTES ARE MADE
BY z. @. CALHOUN.

reon of Endraving and Printing is the
most attractive to strangers. ferhaps
the most remarkable thing about the
nIace is the ease with which access Il
had to the building. Visitors entel
without being challenged, and are
shown through without being watched
II looks as if there was nothing to
preyent any one from pocketing two
or three million dollars, and when the
visitor Is ushered out by the polite
oude. he generally leaves with the idet
that Uncle Sam is very careless indeed
Rut he isn't. The visitor is watched
from the moment he sets his foot IL
the building, and if the guide did po'
accompany him to the door, the visitor
could not get out without written pass
The visitor is prisoner, and II ne
touches plate or note he Will surely
regret it.
All the employees, without excep-
ton. are prisoners during the day,
having no freedom to leave the build
ing until they have rendered full ac-
count of all that has been placed In
their keeping by the superior.
In the corridor at the main door,
where the watchmen sit silently all tay,
there is a metal plate set In frame In
the wall. In this rlate there are tweve
little round holes, one under another.
Each hole is labeled with name, rs
wettlng room, mess-room, vault, am
SO forth. Each hole represents one dc
partment of the bureau, and as long q,
the hole remains empty the watchmen
will permit no one from that depart
ment to leave the building unless he
has a special permit.
When the force of one department
are through work. for the day, and all
have rendered their accounts straight,
the superintendent in charge of that
branch marches down at the head OF
the whole force, and, while they wait,
places little straight key, with but
ton at the end cf it, into the hole desig-
mated as his division. Then there is
loud ringing of an electric gong that
sounds throughout the building, and
the watchmen seeing the key in the
hole, permit the men to pass out.
This is 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 Is
supposed to be empty except of watch
men. Any enc found in the building
after that would have to remain there
until there was an order from the prop
er authority to let him out.
The closing scene at the end of the
day in this great money factory Is in.
teresting. In the morning each man
and each woman has been given the
proper assignment of work. The wo-
men are the counters, testers, wetters
and helps to the pressmen.
Each employe taking the material
for work, whether it is paper or plates
gives a receipt for it to the custodian.
No one ever gives anything to any one
else without receipt.
The paper on which the money is
| printed is counted as so much money,
and every time it changes hands must
be counted and receipted for. Even
the girls who act as helpers, and carry
the paper from the wetting- room, have
to count 1t for their own protection
and give a receipt to clear from respoI
sibility the superintendent of thai
room.
At the end of the day, each must re-
turn in one form or another all that hii
receipts show him to have had during
the day, and until he has a check
showing that this has been done he
cannot leave the room.
When the paper and the notes and
stamps have all been turned in by
those working on them, they are taker
to the custodian of the vault, in whose
/ presence everything is counted and
checked off. Every scrap of paper,
| blank or otherwise, which was giveI
out in the morning must be returned
This being done, the custodian putt
| it all IN the vault.
Then the keeper of the inner dool
of the vault must pull that door tc
without as much as putting his foot in
side the vault, and, while the rest stand
apart from him, so as not to see the
combination, 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 fas
tened, it cannot be opened before the
| next day at the hour set.
This being done, the custodian and
his assistants are free to go after the
key has been put in the board at the
main door.
Then all the plates which have beer
in use, and all those which are IN pro.
cess of engraving, and all rolls anc
parts of plates, have to be returned to
the custodian of the plate vault.
No man can leave the room until
every bit OF engraved metal has beer
| returned to the custodian. If one of
these plates should be missing, not 6
| soul would be permitted to leave the
building until 1t was found.
1t is almost impossible for anything
to go astray, as nothing changes hands
even for moment, without the change
being made of record. Each man takel
sole responsibility for whatever he i.
charged with.