The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-15
.icerone and show US the whole process.

cicerone. and show US the whole process,
from the commencement. Up I'LL 1924 the
Test supplied all the motive power. Al
that date steam was first introduced, nut
has not entirely superseded the river.
This our guide tells US as we pass
motionless turbine, on our way 10 the
first process room" Here are SACKS MI
ell with strips OF linen one or TWO incnes
long. The fines quality Is for the BANK OF
England notes, the coarser Tor rupees,
dividend warrants, postal orueis' anu
Bank OF Ireland notes.
The linen is soaked for three and a
half hours, until the fibres separate. ana
they are then torn into atoms by toothed
rollers revolving at enormous speed on
a roughed plate This process is not CON-
plete until the individual atoms which
compose the pulp are scarcely Larger than
notes When the proper consistency has
been obtained, this mixture flows below
10 the wat room. We descend two or
three steps, and, standing on bridge,
watch the birth Of bank notes. The fore
man leaves us in order 10 unlock an indi-
Gator. 50 that We may see how complete
a check is maintained on every action.
Beneath US two men are standing one
at the head, the other at the left-hand
side OF a vat full Of this linen I'm pulp.
The man at the head is called. the wat
man." the one on the left the "cOacher.'
The former holds in both hands a frame
marvclOusly wired. outlined IN accord
ance with the framed 'Water-mark." lie
clasps the frame IN a square wooden band.
and dips the whole Of 10 I'm the PUPPY
mass. on Withdrawing il. he shakes 1t
TO and fro TO allow the superfluous water
10 pass away. and to secure equality Of
distribution. He then lays the frame on
the side Of the vat. and slides it towards
the "c0acher." As the frame passes along
the edge Of the vat its weight presses
down on a balance and Is registered ten
feet away. by the indicator which our
guide unlocked. The "cOacher" receives
the frame, turns It over. and LAYS It, face
downwards, on broad flannel sheet about
Is inches wide and q long. On lifting It
no the pulp, now split into four rcctan gu
lar pieces remains behind. on this is at
once laid another sheet of flannel, which
serves as a covering for the last and n
bed for tie succeeding output of the
frame The alternate layers of notes ana
flannel rest on low truck, which Is
wheeled away as occasion requires. stu
unlisturbed, they are subjected TO eX-
trcme pressure, which eXpels the water In
streams and knits the fibre tightly to-
gelher From the press the notes are
conveyed 80 an operator, who stands in
front of a broad, endless, flannel band,
which revolves slowly under and over hot
rollers He places his thumb-aail cleverly
under the corner Of each sheet, picks II
deftly up. and lays them, two by two,
with marvellous regularity on this NOV
ing band. At the farther end they are
collected-tough, crisp and rustling. At
every step Of the process each scrap OF
&. .f,. 81 H. rnpfefqFc
and the total must agree I'm each room
before the notes are conveyed 20 their
next resting-place. In the slzing-room
there is In progress a process similar TO
the one lust described-there Is the end
less flannel belt working over rollers, this
time permoated with size, and the paper,
having completed this journey, is at once
transferred 20 the "size-drying room.
Here Us employed "A great number oil
hands. our guide called our attention 10
the girls employed IN counting the notes.
Each OF them stands at a little table.
From it rise an upright having little
cr0qs-har, covered with leather running
parallel 20 the table itself As the girls
pick up each note. they draw II over tnls
bar. which is. in fact a most sensitive
balance connected with tel-tale beneath.
The pay for counting 600 Is three
half-neuce. if correctly done. II the total
disqgrses with the Indicator, and mis-
take is discovered, the three half-pence Is
forfeited. In the "size-dryins room tho
notes are practically finished.
At the bank they are printed and num-
bcred by the machine given in illustrd-
ton. Three thousand TWO hundred notes
uar hour IS its output. and test OF thir-
tasn wears at thc bank has failed 10 sug-
eest i'm what more satisfactory way this
could otherwise be accomplished. The
number of the matchmaking does not
correspond with the facial number inn
priuted by the bank, and is merely a
memorandum OF the vat, date or week
and year of It's manufacture. Thus, j
1921 would mean that the note was made
at vat b I'm the sixth week OF the year
1891.
Throuehout the building are notices
stating that persons are liable 20 b'
searched hv the police at any moment
Al NIGHT the constables who patrol the
buildings have six tell-tales to ring every
quarter of an hour If by any chance
This duty is omitted. an alarm sounds
i'm the foreman's house, county police
station and other places, at the lapse 81
"A second quarter. Thus. humanity speak
ing. 10 would be impossible for any gang
however powerful and adrOit, 20 remair
I'm uncontrolled possession OF the building
for more than half an hour. I'm that spac
of time IL would be entirely futile 20 at
tempt TO force the safe room, TO whicl
place. at night, everything is taken.