Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-22

reckoned over and both counts must agree
This accomplished. the treasurer il credited
with the amount represented.
pEsrRoYED BIZ MIGRATION.
The divided halves Of the bundles Of bills
are then packed in wooden boxes and con-
veyed in q big covered wagon to the bureau
Of engraving and printing. The progress
OF the wagon Is watched by nye men in
one-horse carriage who follow closely
These are the members Of the committee APP
pointed to oversee the destruction of the money.
The latter Is taken to a room on the ground
floor OF the building and poured through an
iron funnel into a great iron cylinder in the
cellar below. The cylinder is partly filed with
water and heated by steam. Its contents thus
contributed are boiled for thirty-six hours. at
the end OF which they are reduced to q mud-like
pulp. The pulp is carried up stairs and passes
through . machine which transforms IL into
sheets one-fourth Of an inch thick. In that
shape it is dried, after which il is sold 70 payer
mills for stock
This paper stock is valuable. fetching $40 a
hundredweight. because it is mostly linen fiber
1t is reduced so per cent in weight BY the pro-
cess Of driving Anybody can buy the crude
pulp for "a . hundredweight. Certain persons
do purchase it in considerable quantities for
the purpose Of casting it into crude representa-
tons Of the Capitol the Washington monu-
ment and busts OF famous men. These are
sold in great numbers to strangers who visit
the capital OF the Union. To each one Of them
is attached what is called an estimate Of the
value in nnscerated money represented. The
manufacturers make their own guesSes. The
estimate on "a large-sizcd REPLICA OF the
monument is ordinarily 100000. but the only
certainty about it is based on the yeriancy of
the pilgrim from afar. Formerly the paper
cash was all destroyed by means of IRE made
intensely hot with an air blast; but Congress
decided that it was better plan to preserve
the pulp and sell il. All of the national bank
notes are treated separately at the Treasury
Department, being cheged up into minute
fragments in a sort Of tub with revolving
knives.
DESTROYING SPOILED POSTAGE STAMPS.
The Postmaster General has the use Of the
maceratiDg machine at the bureau of ensray-
ing and printing one day in each week He en-
ploys it for the destruction of spoiled postage
stamps. The contractors who furnish Uncle
Sam with these stamps have an allowance OF ?
per cent for what Is termed spoiiase. They
are printed in sheets of 400, and if one stamp
is imperfect the entire sheet Is rejected. How
ever. ell OF the stamps produced, including the
bad ones, must be given into the hands OF the
Post Oihce Department. Formerly they we're
burned, but the person who had charge OF this
WORK at one time choSe TO save some Of these
stamps from the flames, subsequently selliug
cordinsiy IT was decided that the boiling pro-
cess was safer and more eficacious. From the
2-cent stamps the makers of such Castings as
have been described turn out in mods small
red Indians; from the 1-cent STAMPS they manu-
.acture blue Quakers. while from iO-cen: stamps
they produce green Africans. identified as such
By banjos. 1t is not known why the Africans
should be green, unless il is supposed that their
complexion has been affected by over indul-
gence in the surreptitious moonlight water
melon.
The amount of money. both metal and paper.
that Is lost By the people of the United States
enters Importantly into the financial calcutta
tons OF the government. A few years ago il
was reckoned by congressional committee
that Of the unreGeemed fractional currency
outstanding $4,000. 0c0 worth had been lost or
destroyed. Accordingly this amount was SNIP
tracted from the Sl0.000,0 600 previously appro-
priated FOR the redemption of these small
''shinplasters." and was transferred to the fund
for the payment OF pensions It is now be-
Heved by treasury experts that not more than
sl.0oO,O00 worth Of the fractional currency has
been destroyed or lost They are confident
that OF the Sl5.000.000 IN such notes as yet out
standing $4,000. 900 is in the hands of persons
who hold them as curiosities Many are owned
by collectors. but there are hundreds of thou
sands of individuals who have retained speci-
mems lust for fun" However. only a few
dollars worth of them are handed in to the
less remain just so much ahead. Out of the
go GOO COO worth first issued in 1868 81 600 900
remains outstanding. There were four suisse
Guent issues. including Scent and scent notes,
which aggregated s447 ,0o0, 900 OF these ell
900 600 remains unredeemed. OF the 5-cent
notes 40 per cent are outstanding, of the 10
cent notes 50 per cent, of the 25-cent notes
20 per cent, and Of the 50-cent notes IL per
cent.
SMALL COINS LOST.
Small copper coins are lost in such enormous
numbers that the government is obliged to
keep on coming cents at the rate of several
millions Of them every month. They change
hands SO often as to be subject to a multitude
of accidents and owing to their small value
they are not taken care of. This is no cause Of
regret to Uncle Sam. inasmuch as he buys the
pennies in blank from firm in Connecticut at
tine rate of 1000 for 81. On reaching the mint
in Philadelphia. whence all Of them are issued
they have merely to be stamped. There are
10000, 900 old copper pennies somewhere. No.
body knows what has become of them, except
tina: once in while single specimen turns up
in change. few years ago 4, 500 900 bronze
2-cent pieces were set afoat. Three millions
OF them are still outstanding Three million g.
cent nickel pieces are scattered over the United
States. but it is very rarely that one Is seen.
OF SEQ, 900 half cents, which correspond in value
to English farthings, not one has been returned
to the government for recoinage or is held by
the treasury.
Congress appropriates from 300, 009 to $780,
600 yearly for recoining the uncurrent silver
coins now in the possession of the Treasury.
These are mostly half dollars and are not cir
culated because there is no demand for them.
Not long ago the stock of them amounted to
$50 900 900. but ii is only about half that now.
The money set aside for recoining is no: in
tended to pay for the cost of the minting. but
is required to reimburse the treasurer of the
United States on account OF the loss of weight
which the silver pieces have suffered by abra-
sion. This loss amounts 10 $50 on every S1.0c0.
and it has to be made good in order to set the
treasurers accounts straight.
RENE BAcHE.
Ginger Cream.