The Portland daily press., 1894-01-01
Paper Moneyis Made.
III


If you t. look at the pictures upon a
one doIls, I'LL you will see that the por
trait of NJ tina Washington or Of Stanton
is compo / altogether of curved or
i ss-the only kind of engrav-
ing that i allowed to be done in the
bureau; cause unless it is done IN
this mani :, and unless the lines are cut
very dee the engravings cannot be
used. NJ wv this portrait was engraved
in piece sof steel by the use Of very
sharp lii tile instrument known as a
graver.
Every little scratch on the steel plate
will, in I printing, show black line, SO
you will see how very careful the en-
graver hi Is to be that he shall not make
any false scratches, and that the lines
shall be just SO long and just SO broad.
Now st eel engraving is the direct oppo-
site of W God engraving. The scratches
and cuts made on wooden block will
be white in the print, and it is only the
uncut pc rtions of the block that print
black; While on the steel the unscratched
portion leaves the paper white.
When adesign has been cut on steel
plate an dit is ready to be printed the
ink is p ut on the plate or block, and
all the :uts and scratches become filed
with il TX. Then the ink is carefully
rubbed off Of the surface, SO that none
remains except what is in the lines.
When a piece Of dampened paper is
placed IN the plate and subjected TO very
heavy E ressure, it sinks into the lines;
and VIII en- it is taken eff it draws the
ink out with it, and thus the picture
is print ed on the paper.
1t taE les an engraver about six weeks
or two monthns to complete one por-
trait, and man who engraves the por-
traits ever does any other kinds of en-
CRAVING Each engraver does certain
portion Of the work on note; no one is
permit led to enerave an entire note so
that be sides the PORTRAIT engravers, there
are son he who do nothing but engrave
the fgl Tres, the seal, the lettering, the
border etc. In this way it would be I'M
possibl esfor an eneraver to make com
plete e. ngravinp for his own use, II he
were Z dishonest enough to want to do
such thing.
Besle les this manual work, some of the
engraV Ing Is done by machinery, as
fof exa mple the background OF the nor
tra1t a % Of the borders, and the shading
of the letters-.this being done by what
is kno' wn as the ruling machine, which
can r ule several hundred perfectly
straigl 1t lines within an inch. The
intrica tie scroy and lace-like work
arount the frnres On the face and the
back fthe aote is done by wonderful
machi ne known as the geometric lathe.
rms Il aschine consists of large mum per
Oh wns ses of all sizes and in all sorts {, OF
arrays ,snents, together with conpil-
o III mechanism Of eccentrles anu Gora ~
al OIL which is incomprehensloi TO
ahyon out an expert machin1st.
By Proper adii,stment of its parts the
deiica adiamond point that moves about
over neface re the steel is made to
work out a nsrfct and eartistic pattern
with Greater accnracv and much more
speed Than could be done by hand; and
t nenc c. ,this delicate and intricate part OF
S Sne sssVlng is one OF the greatest o.
s ~ coT with which the counterfelter mas
n W eli sno, for he finds it next TO I'M
pofRSS or ~ ~ % initiate it correctly. 49,.
49, -, s,.aaatelg for Uncle sam, tne
geoM' Vic lathe IS a very duplicated and
very Spensiya ,,1acf,in and the coun-
eelre' ; el is generally poor man; ana
even nhe did ,,aanaee to lay up enough
i.Tu1 y to bn,. the lathe, it is hardly
learn how you'd i've ro for there
to or cry, toar men who undsrsta aha now now
has 6s ase It Indeed the mah Ish a. n The
Bare gsO soa Pf lasns IS IS the
prese ut i'll the = hles' oI1 In manage
it; a nd if1e who. Ehoms LID hannen To
him, il n. anythlng snou 4sars m for 3
Will il light tangie lhaVo e,io, IF orr
Unci hls Important a q Niche.
w 1'anuargs.