Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-07-08
UNCLE SANS REFUSE
FATE OF THE GOVERNMENTS
WASTE PAPER.
Burning Secret Memoranda Of State
Congressional Bills for Butter
Wrappers-PublieD Documents
In Junk shops.

Bache IN the Boston Iran
script. At the treasury trusted women
ar. employed to do nothing else int 20
over the contents Of the department,
scrap baskets This task they perform
chiefly for the purpose Of picking ont
the money which now and then finds
its way into such reeeptacles. Quite
often considerable sums have been dis
covered In this manner. On one occa-
slo,i n package Of signed warrants from
the office of the first Controller. repre-
ecnting many thousands of dollars, was
come across among the rcfus. Where
such enormous quantities Of cash IN
different shapes are handled daily it is
not surprising that some Il il should
be lost and should eventually reach the
place of deposit for all waits AMI strays.
Money is most frequently found In
express wrapper. which have contained
sums in paper notes and certificates
sent III for redemption hy banks The
temitter is obliged in every such case
to pay the charges both aavs Very
often, ut the last moment, IL will sir
| into the parcel the amount III change
| required for the return transportation
AS likely as not the coins drop between
the folds of the stiff brown paper en-
velope and conceal themselves They
| are not discovered until the wrappers
arc carefully torn TO pieces III the waste
| room. In some cases they nre only
disclosed by tearing off the seals. he
meath which they have hidden them,
| selves away. The scaling wax Is all re.
moved from the scraps and burned, to
get rid of it. Love letters written hy
treasury clerks of both sexes to one
another and carelessly thrown away sell
| dom afford amusement 10 the sorters
The Department Of State always has
good many secrets to keep. To sell
it's torn-up and waste bits Of paper TO
the Junk dealer without discrimination
would not do at all Scraps, might be
put together SO to reveal most ESQ
teric points in the policy of the admin
istration. Accordingly, all writings Of
private nature that are to be de
stroyed are burned in the open fire
place in Secretary Grcsham's own
room. His confidential messenger su-
perintends the operation. The material
thus disposed Of is mostly notes and
official memoranda representing imror-
tant diplomatic and other documents
in the preliminary stages Of Their com
position All other refuse scraps are
put into the furnace IN the basement,
because nobody has been found 10 hny
the stuff The Navy Department has
trouble to sell It's waste paper at ~
cents per 100 pounds. The War De-
partment get si1ty-thrce cents per 100
pounds, because much Of l;ss refuse
paper is III the shape Of trimmings
from the office Of records. The cards
of heavy paper used for inscribing the
records Of soldiers are Of the finest
linen substances The sheets from
which they are cut come half an inch
bigger each way than ls wanted, &c
that they may be trimmed perfectly
square for convenience III filing.
The two branches ofihe National Leg
Islature throw away an iInuaense guam
tl:y ofpaper During snort session the
doorkeeper Of the House sells $500
worth Of il, anei the amouu. Is doubled
in the long session From this eui oil
the Capitol loo, 900 pounds Of re,
away 10 the junk shops dnrlne eaci
Congress They fetch from 81 25 s.
j A. per loo pounds All such doca
uents arc kept for oae year II 'Ae doc
uiaent room and are then dlsposed a
a. many bills and la=s, which are soi'
II the same say BY the s.rgsan'-a
arm. Unt,l very recently sas EnArke:
ren II Washington used 10 n,;lsz
Congressional bills exclusively for Ii
; purpose Of wrapping butter. The.
eos. airnos: nothing. tbs paper IA
smooth and good. and there vas les
i 1 y. fssEs y.