Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-05-28
HOW PAPER MONEY rs MADE.

If you will look at the pictures
upon a one dollar bill, you will see
that the portrait of Martha Washing
ton or of Stanton is composed alto
gether Of straight Or curved lines
the only kind of engraving that is al
lowed to be done in the bureau; be-
cause unless it is done in this manner,
and unless the lines are cut very deep,
the engravings cannot be used. Now
this portrait was engraved in a piece
of steel by the use Of a very sharp lit
! tie instrument known as a graver.
Every little scratch on the steel
plate will, in printing show a black
line, so you will see how very careful
the engraver has to be that he shall
not make any false scratches, and that
the lines shall be just so long and just
so broad.
Now, steel-engraving is the direct
opposite Of wood engraving. The
scratches and cuts made on a wooden
block will be white in the print, and
it is only the uncut portions of the
block that print black; while on the
steel the unscratched portion leaves
the paper white.
When design has been cut on a
steel plate, and it is ready to be print
ed, the ink is put on the plate Or
block, and all the cuts and scratches
become filed with ink Then the ink
is carefully rubbed off of the surface,
SO that none remains except what is
in the lines. When a piece Of damp
ened paper is placed on the plate and
subjected to very heavy pressure, it
sinks into the lines; and when it is
taken off it draws the ink out with it,
and thus the picture is painted on the
paper.
weeks Or two months to complete one
portrait, and man who engraves the
portraits never does any other kind
Of engraving. Each engraver does
only certain portion Of the work on
note; no one is permitted to en-
grave an entire note; so that besides
the portrait engravers, there are some
who do nothing but engrave the fig
ures, the seal, the lettering, the Dor
der, etc. In this way it would be i'm
possible for an engraver to make a
complete engraving for his own use,
if he was dishonest enough to want to
do such a thing.
Besides this manual work, some of
bo &c n NV
as for example the background of the
portrait and of the borders, and the |
of the letters-this being |
done by what is known as the ruling |
which can rule several hun |
dred perfectly within an inch. The |
intricate scroll and lace-like work |
around the figures on the face and
he back of the note is done by a Won
lerful machine known as the geomet-
,ic lathe. This machine consists of
md in all sorts of arrangements, to-
,ether with complicated mechanism
If eccentrics and rods, all of which is
comprehensive to any one but an
expert machinist.
By proper adjustment of it's parts,
he delicate diamond point that moves
bout over the face of the steel is
made to work out a perfect and artis
ic pattern with greater accuracy and
much more speed than could be done
~ hand; and hence this delicate and
part Of the engraving is one
{ the greatest obstacles with which
he counterfeiter has to contend, for
e finds it next to impossible to imi- ,,
ate it correctly.
Fortunately for Uncle Sam, the ge-
metric lathe is very complicated :
nd very expensive machine, and the q
is generally poor man;
nd even if he did manage to lay up
nough money to buy the lathe, it is !
ardly likely that he would live long
nough to learn how to use it proper
Z; for there are only four men in the h
7orld who understand how to oper-
tie it.
Indeed, the man who now has charge t
the geometric lathe at the Bureau +
Engraving and Printing is the only
ne in the United States at the pres f
ut time who knows how to manage
; and if anything should happen to
m, it might tangle matters up for
lille in this important branch of I'm
e Sans big government.
An everyday religion-one that
YES the duties of OIlr common walk.