The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-24
MILLIONS IN SIGHT.
A Stroll Through the Strong Box of Uncle
Sam.
Philadelphia Record |

"tGGlONO NV Si0tA's
A Stroll Through the Strong Box of Uncle
Sam.
Philadelphia Record
There was money enough in the U. s.
subtreasury yesterday to ransom a hun
dred kings. When Subtreasurer Walters
counted up last night, just before quitting
time, he announced that over $50, 600. 900
were stored snugly away in the steel
vaults under his care. Then the captain
leaned back in his big armchair and
talked airily of the boundless wealth as If
il was no more to be coveted than golden
bubble.
OF this vast sum SIP ,OOo, 900 are in gold
coin, $9,000.000 in silver and the balance
in paper and minor coins backed up with
gold. Every penny Of it is genuine.
At least Capt. Walters is willing to bet
his entire salary against half as much that
all the money in his possession belonging
to Uncle Sam is just as good as guinea
gold, and every body knows that guinea
gold occupies head seat at ali financial
banquets.
This condition of affairs is brought
about by one system-eternal vigilance
| and money handlers who are experts
| among experts. Every coin, no matter
how small, and every note, no difference
what the denomination, is handled and
scrutinized twice, and when it is finally
stacked away in the vaults Capt. Walters
has grounds for his assurance that every
penny is good and not to be disputed.
The staff who pass judgment on the
| millions consists OF George Cremer, who
| handles all the paper money, and five
handsome young women, the Misses Van
Lear, Pascoe, McCready, Boyer and Cook,
nh lab int tho ra6IOroa and trIiGt-
| worthiness of every coin that enters the
portals of the din9y-looking stone build
ing. The schooling of this staff was not
theoretical, but practical.
As soon as each one enters the employ
| of the United States he or she is put to
work at once counting money. Alter a
certain length of time the supporting and
| directing OF Uncle Sam is Withdrawn, and
the money handler must personally pay
| for every mistake made. AS an illustra-
| ton of the efficiency of the money count
| ing force, the records of the last year show
that only $3.50 in bad money received the
| seal of approval.
George Cremer has counted money in
the subtreasury for years, and 80 sensitive
| is his touch that he can detect a counter
! felt Just as well with his eyes shut as with
| them open. He has been tested in this
particular time ana again, ana declares
| that il is q gilt of nature, while Capt. Wal
tiers saws it ia the result of long practice,
study and keen attention to business In
the course OF a year Mr.. Cremer handles
almost enough money to defray the ex-
penses of a prolonged civil war, but in ten
years he has not been called upon to settle
for a single error. He has a hundred
methods of spotting q counterfeit, any one
of which is efficient. Yesterday he sat in
! his little cage fairly reveling in wealth.
Big bundles of bills were stacked up
around him. He talked while he told off
fortunes.
"The money handle is sent here from
| the banks and other financial institutions.
II bank cashier happens to be taken in
| on a bad bill he never fails to put it in
bundle and attempt to fool me into accept
ing it. simply throw the bill out and
send it back again. 1t generally comes
back the next day and the next. Then [
politely inform the bank that the bill will
be badly mutilated if get hold of it again
and tnst generally settles it.
81 have handled the same bad bill as
many as a dozen times, and in many cases
have been compelled to mutilate the tire
some tramp.
"How do detect a counterfeit so readi-
ly by touch? Well, if you'll tell me how
the shrewd old farmer can tell creamery
butter from oleomargarine, I'll explain
nv gift"
In passing upstairs to the department
where the young ladies count coin, Capt.
Walters opened the door of a big steel
vault and allowed his visitors to take
brief peep at the countless millions. There
were bundles, bags and cords of the stuff
that men strive for and die for. When the
ponderous door closed with clang it was
an easy matter to close the eyes and see
long line Of satisfied tailors, butchers,
bakers and candlestick makers.
few feet further on a dray loaded with
bags of pennies was backed up TO the door,
and the driver was handing the small coins
out to a guard. They both handled it with
q contempt and indifference that told
more plainly than words its plebeian char
acter.
The five young ladies' occupied each q
table in the same room. Before each was
| big heap of money. Each heap was
constantly replenished by an employe,
who time and again brought in heavy
bag and spilled the glittering contents be-
fore the fair counters. They counted and
chatted. Every once in a while, as an
evidence of contempt, one of the young
ladies would plunge her arms elbow-deep
into the sordid, yellow stuff, and, raising
them slowly, make dancing music for an
army of misers.
"How do we detect counterfeits?" said
one. cit seems to me every time | touch
one / get kind OF shock. Anyhow, we
tell by touch and by sight, and by taste
and by weight. Can you tell the differ
ence between piece of silk ribbon and
strip of coarse cotton? You can; well, the
same instinct stands by US in handling
coin. =
,-< Sunday Obssrvances.