The Indianapolis journal., 1893-09-10
EXPERT WOMEN DETEClORS
How They Came to Be Employed in
the United States Treasury.
Spinner Made Experiments in 1852 and
Decided that Female Cleverness
Excelled that of the Male.

six thousand women are enrolled In the
service of the government Seven women
were introduced into the treasury about
thirty years ago by General Spinner as an
economic experiment. and time has iusti.
fed his prophetic wisdom. The story of
how these seven secured their entrance
into the government service has been vari-
ousIy told to be vsriously contradicted. A
letter of General Spinner's. written in
1885, when he was in his eighty-ffth year.
settles the question.
During the summer of 1862 when the
first issue Of 'iegal-tender' United tates
notes was made. some twenty odd clerks.
at 81. 200 per annum salaries. were en-
ployed in trimming these notes with shears.
When o banker / had learned that my
daughter could trim bank notes faster and
better than the clerks in the office or
Chase. then Secretary of the Treas.
ury, to employ women instead
of the men employed. that they
would be glad to do the work for half the
would be done faster and better if the
change should be made. / insisted that
young men had better handle guns instead
of shears In their country's service. Mr.
Harrington, then assistant secretary. Sec
onded my suggestion. and so 1t W as agreed
tn at might send woman to try her hand
with the male clerks then employed.
IL selected Miss jennie Douglass. q great
tall. double-fisted girl that physically and
mentally was more than q match for any
with sheers that would cut the length OF q
sheet with blow. That first days work
settled the matter forever in hers and tie
women's favor. The men left. the women
took their places Now. the notes came to
with their more nimble fingers could
count faster than men. and as
they could be had at half the price paid for
the service of men. l nominated seven
ladies to the Secretary as clerks for this
service in tho treasury Oct. Q. 1862. The
appointments came down to me as follows:
Misses annie York. Fannie l.. Halstead,
Belle s. Tracy. Libbe Stoner. Mary Burk.
Jennie l.. Well and Mrs. A. c. Harris.
"Of these Miss Tracy and Miss Stoner
are now. after twenty-four years. still
clerks In the United States treasury. and
there is no doubt their record will COM
pare fayOrably with male clerks. This.
l think. is the true history of the
within the walls of the department. of the
government of the United States. Several
years before the war of the rebellion the
Land Office. and / don't know but other
bureaus of the government. employed
These were paid by the folio. but they had
no appointment or desk within any depart
ment.
Il don't claim" concludes General Spin.
ner. that | have done much good to the
world. but my success in introducing
women into governmental employment
makes me feel that have not lived in
valn."
WOMEN COUNTERFEIT DETECToRs.
The women in the United States treasury
are claimed to be the most pert dotectors
of counterfeit and burnt money in the
world. Such is the unQuestioned reputa-
tion of Mrs. w. A. Leonard and Mrs. E. @.
Brown, of the division Of redemption. ThIr-
ty and eighteen years. respectively. they
have done good service In preserving Uncle
Sans monetary credit.
All the paper money issued by the United
States, whether legal.tender notes. gold cer-
tificates. silver certificates. treasury notes
or fractional currency, must pass through
the redemption division of the United
States treasury. There alone can il be re-
deemed. By express. mail or messenger,
from all parts of the world. packages of
money of all sizes and amounts come daily
to this division. Each package Is entered
by number In q large ledger. Then it is
given out to o counter. who gives her re-
ceipt for the same. verities the amount
claimed, and asserts and puts up for dis
tinction the different kinds. issnes and de-
nominations of notes. A statement
is then made of the package or case"
as 1t IS known In Office parlance.
showing the amount duo the sender. to-
gether with deductions. il any, from the
amount claimed, through cOunterfeits.
altered or rejected notes. shortages or dis
count Ii large discrepancies are dlscov-
cred the facts are at once reported to the
chief, who has a recount made.
ha 60 80 hA nnk
the fact is communicated to the senders by
telegraph.
All this work is intrusted to the skill and
the conscience of the counting corps. which
AVERAGES fifty women.
When the counter has finished q lease"
she has each bundle OF money
strapped. This strap bears her signature.
the ledger number of the remittance of
which 1t is a part. and on both upper and
lower halves the amount lt contains. This
memoranda is then Cancelled by having
four half circles cut out by o machine.
The counter then delivers both money and
statement to teller. who verifies and re-
ceipts for the amount on q book she has
payment Of the amount due rs
made by check. new monev or credit
while the old money is turned over TO the
cutting rOom. where. by meane of a gigantic
knife. the bundles are cut length wise and
are then sent. the upper halves to the
REGISTERS office, the lower ones to the Sec
retary's office There they are recounted
by separate sets of women counters. If it
is found there that the packages contain
less than the amount marked on It. or
spurious money inclosed. then the counter
whose name it bears is obliged to make
good the amount. as 10 was upon her state
ment tEat the full amount was paid by the
United States Treasurer.
The new apprentice often has large por-
tIon of her salary absor bed In this manner,
but, as n rule women quickly become dex-
terOus. Two years ago young woman. two
months in the service. never having hand
led money to any extent, detected q two
dollar counterfeit.
After the recount in these Offices the
money Is once more Cancelled. Then at
stated periods IL is destroye ed by being sent
through a huge macerator, which reduces
it to q pulp that is subsequently, sold.
Not by touch but by facial impression,
are counterfeit notes generally detected.
In running through package of green
backs to encounter o counterfeit produces n
shock upon the counter not unlike that of
an unex peoted face in crowd. An inde-
Unable something arrests her attention.
One and two-dollar notes are most fire.
Quently counterfeited. Five distinct conn
terfeits have been made of the two.do liar
! bill. Defects are quickest discerned In the
portraits. The part of hair in General
Hsncock's portraits is never straight in the
counterleit; the mustache turns up in
ond button of the coat is fiat instead OF
feet. and the lines under them are heavier.
hx- fAr fat -