Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-11-28
THE NATIONS TREASURY.

THE NATIONS TREASURY.
A Trip Through the Governments
Depository for Its money-uncle
Sam's Strong Box-How Money Is
Made and Issued-The Beautiful
Cash Room-The Great Vau1ts-m11-
lions on Millions OF money-The
Observation-Disclosures Incidents.
From Our Washington Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-Having a few
moments to spare the other morning,
dropped over to the treasury to see what
every visitor coming to the national cspi-
tai goes to see, how our money Is made aud
Issued from the latter department.. After
pushing nay way through a crowd of some
fifty visitors, more than half of whom
were newly married couples, reached the
Office of the treasurer of the United States.
Being duly announced by the oily tongued
and we'll dressed negro who faithfully
guards the portals of that officials Office,
WAS ushered in, to be kindly greeted by
Treasurer Morgan, who ia so ably filling
this honorable and important position.
Upon making known my desire to inspect
the department as visitor, I was turned
over to Private Secretary Watson, who,
was informed would show me around, and
who, by the way, is a Bridgeport boy, who
is making many friends in Washington.
With pleasant smile Mr.. Watson deftly
pressed an ivory button in his desk, and
the next instant q messenger boy stood by
the desk making a series of bows which
turn green with envy. Gland me the key"
said Mr.. Watson, and then knew that I
was to see things from the inside.
'We will wait until the crowd gets out
of the way" he said, turning to me, ''or I
will have dozen guests instead of one,
and while waiting just look at this set of
engravings." Turnings my eyes in the d.
rection indicated I saw q large frame con-
tanning some hundred samples of work
done by the bureau of printing and engrav-
ing in the copies from the plates of nearly
every portrait ever ueed upon our paper
money. CHANGING around the room also
noticed an engraving of General E Spin
ner. who was we'll known as
THE WAR TREASURER
and the only treasurer who ever undertook
to sign the bills by hand instead of having
them struck off from steel plates. General
Spinner only tried this for few months,
after which he had two men practice imi,
tating his signature and assist him in sign
ing. This only lasted few more months
during the war, when few bills were
signed, after which the plate system was
adopted.
General Spinner was also the first to
give employment to women in any depart
ment of the government, and the ladies
| now employed in the government service
have succeeded in raising several thousands
| of dollars, which will be used to erect 9
suitable monument to General Spinner'f
| memory here in Washington, but just
| where has not as yet been decided upon.
| On the walls of the treasurer Office are
also to be seen the receipt by Treasurer
Morgan to ex-Treasurer Nsbeker for $40,
O00,0 900, the receipt being for the largest
| sum ever given between two men.
| Here also is displayed $500 bill made
up from sixteen different $500 bills, sent
in for redemption by dishonest banl
clerk. The clerk in question would cut {
small piece from every $500 bill, bat al
ways from different part of the bill. This
he did until he had sixteen pieces, which
when put together, made the completed
| bill, which he sent to the department fol
redemption. The treasury officials, how
| ever, discovered the fraud, and the bill
was never redeemed, while the young mar
paid the penalty for his crime.
BEFORE COMBINATION LOCKS.
Of interest, also, are the keys to tn
treasury vaults and the money boxes uset
before the day of the combination locks
which, with frame containing the frs
four silver certificates bearing the sigma
ture of Treasurer Morgan, go to make a
the sights of this official room.
The crowd by this time having disap
peared in charge of messenger, Sscretar
Watson escorted me down the hall to the
CASH ROOM,
which is considered to be the handsomes
room in the building The side walls o
the room are composed of six differen
kinds of marble, three italian and thre
domestic. In this room 1t was that Ger
eral Grants first Inauguration ball wa
held.
The room is known best as the treasur
banking Office, and the amount of bushes
done there each day amounts to
OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
This division has as its duties the shiI
ment of money to the sub-treasuries an
national banks, the paying of interet
checks and preparing the money for pay
masters Of the different department
throughout the United States.
! In one corner of this room is sma
| vault which contains about a million do
lars, for the current use of the divisio
during the day.
IN THIS VAULT
is the only $40, 900 greenback in existence
There was Only one package containin
1000 of these bills issusd and they wer
redeemed as soon as possible, as 1t wa
considered extremely dangerous to hav
them in circulation, and they were car
celled. This bill hangs next to an exec
lent engraving of Treasurer Morgan.
just outside the door of this vault is
steel elevator, which carries the money
the reserve vault above. where
$50,000,00 OF PAPER MONEY
is kept, as an average. 1t was on this eli
vator that the Princess Eulalie rode whe
on visit to the treasury department., an
1t has carried in the past twenty years
vast amount of money.
After holding for blissful brief momer
package of $40 900, 600, under the supe,
vision of guard, We returned to the cas-
room and stepped across the hall to the
NATIONAL BANK DIVISION,
where all the bonds for national bank ci
culation are kept and registered. At tt
present time in the vault of the division
carefully packed away in large envelope
are $25O,OO 900 of these bonds. Tt
, largest deposit of any one bank is a So
|. 900, 900 package of the National Bank
Commerce OF New York, which all visito
are allowed to hold.
The general business of this Office fl
the last six months has been much great,
= than ever before, and has greatly increase
the arduous duties of Treasurer Morgan
which even in the dullest times in the
partment are more than severe.
We next take drop to the lower fo'
and enter what Ia known as the
REDEMPTION AGENCY
? By far the most interesting division of Il
department., where all United States Gu
: rency is cent, assorted and redeeme
Here we were met by Mr.. Albert b. Re
yea, Connecticut man, from Westpo1
who ably acts as chief of the division.
In these rooms bills are received fro
the various banking houses and others
the amount of nearly 81, 900, 900 a ds
! | The packapes as thew come in are fir