The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-27
VoMEN IN THE U. s. TREASURY.
Their EmcIent Work ms Clerks, Account
ants. and Counterfeit Detectors.

Their Emcient Work ms Clerks, Aecount-
ants, and Counterfeit Detectors.
little over thirty years ago not one woman
was en- ployed in the United States Treasury.
To- day there are 5000 women on the roll
Then Gen. Spinner was Treasurer. lie had
been q banker. and as such had discovered
that his daughter could trim bank notes bet
ter than the clerks could. He accordingly sug-
pested to Gov. Chase. then Secretary OF the
Treasury. that a woman be allowed to try her
hand at the Governments shears.
He selected Miss Jennie Douglass who was
both brawny and bright. and gave her pair
~ shears that would cut the length Of sheet
with blow. One days work settled 1t. and the
male clerks employed in clipping bank notes
oave Mace to women. With this success TO
encourage him Gen. Spinner. in october, ioo2.
secured the nomination OF seven women ms
money counters. Two OF these are sui en-
ployed In the Treasury. The women oetectors
of burnt and counterfeit money are claimed TO
be the most expert in the world. Ihat Is tho
unsuestioned reputation OF Mrs W. a. Leon
ard and Mrs. E G. Brown.
According to phrenologists. form. Color ana
distance are strongly developed In Mrs
Ieonard. The record shows that this I'M
riyalled counterfeit detector handled in three
years So, 600 OOO.OO In one day no less than
$4,000 900 passed. through her hands. From
5000. 900 to 100000 is the daily average.
Although Mrs. Leonard has been married
second time during her Treasury service. she
was not allowed to resign. because she was
In IS75 Mrs Brown began counting trac..
tional currency. but when the 1dentiilcation OF
burnt ts ehs Atsr money has been
identified by a dctector and paid by the eIo 10y
the detecor mast esnr 1 Ter ms
take. Mrs Browns intalli bilty may be luaGed
from the fact that during her Whole thir5 y
cents. Her work is the m ost interesting In me
redemption division. All mutilated bank notes
sns 10 1Ss SS notary CERTIFYING
the money was injured Notes bnrnet 70 IA
crisp notes that have been partly G,Ge into b ns
by mice. rotted by damp. or turned INTO s pup
BY water: all pass through Mrs = B iIont,S
By means OF a piece of glass the size OF q
t aaek face ee' 81 the bi is determined sixteen
OF these squares can be covered by the null
bill the Who'll ihS value ha, the
TWENTY-FIVE dollars found n the nest .ntv Of Of
fn1 that deed recognition by the naked
eye. Mrs. Brown went to work with micro Nero.
s@osnt and dnD hsnayed and sshy
which went through the Vanderbilt five at at
NswpS Of psper Witch to t She
Wben an express car is burned. the safe is
| sent unopened to the Treasury Departmcnt.
| There II is opened by women experts. who
empty the contents often only mass ss OF
| hits of money are then picked out and submit
tod to microscopic exam1atlon r No5 t%nd
| BY sitting the ashes third time before Purn
ing them The vaults are often iliea WIN d tne
stencil Of money recovered from dead nHuie ~
| In pesti,ent districts. as during the prevalence
| Of yellow fever In the South. Such money Is
| fumigated. and no d. seases have ever peen
| communicated to empl oyees.
| Gold and silver are also counted by women
| and women manipulate the machine when
has taken the place OF shears for trimming
notes The machine viii stamps the bank
| notes Ia also in charge OF women.
! In the Treasurer's office is the last o. IN, me
| original seven woman employees-Aiss EiiZa
| beth Stoner. She keeps the payrollS OF tht
navy. Her work necessitates the reducing OF
every variety Of foreign money to our yalue ei
most the same desk room. and many time
| has she heard "heelers" ousted win SINAI
ceremony when til ey came to urge the Tr"asur
or to discharge her to make room for voter.