The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-15
CAREER OF THE GREENBAcK.
INTERESTING PROCESSES THROUGu
WHICH A DOLLAR hill PASSES.
Special Manufacture of the Paper
and the Printing OF the BIIIs-Other
Interesting Details Of the Currency
OF the United states.


OF the United states.
From the washington Times.
That crisp one dollar note just paid out
! over the cashiers counter az the treasur,
| department has passed through a greater
variety OF processes. has been subject to
more landings and checks. and has been
counted oftensr than many who use Il
ever pause to consider.
| II is a beautifully wrought piece OF work
| pretty as a picture" some are wont to
exclaim. and fashioned with view 10
! dcsirability and usefulness. Its intrinsic
/ value IS but little abose that Of an ordi-
| nary sheet OF pure linen paper. but it has
Uncle Sans guarantee that for tho pur-
chase Of any commodity known to the
markets of the world it is the equivalent
of 100 cents.
| How was IL made7 Depends upon what
| you mean by the term. The high-pricsd
official spent an hour at his desk sizing
up his mail" for the privilege Of owning
1t. while II It goes into the possession OF
a street car driver &c represents something
more.
The process Of manufacturing the paper
dollar. though, is one OF intricaey and
covers a multitude OF details. A first on
sideration is the procuring of proper
| quality and grade of paper. 1t must be
distinctive paper made according TO
| specifications prescribed by the honorable
Secretary of the Treasury and its manu-
/ facture must be hedged about with safe
| guards, to prevent misuse or duplication.
One of the sources of weakness of the
early output Of paper money was the ia
/ eility with which IL could be counterfeit
/ ed, and experience has taught the custo-
dams of that kind of circulating medium
/ the necessity of observing the greatest
precaution. Hence the distinctive paper
The material that enters into its compo-
sition must be and Is of pure linen 1t
/ is composed of scraps and cuttings pur-
chased from the great linen mills at Bel
fast, Ireland, and no foreign substance is
| admitted.
The firm of Crane & Co. Of Dalton,
/ Mass, has the contract for its manufact-
| ure, and enters into a new contract, I'M
| der heavy bond, each year, for the faith
full observance of all specifications and
requirements, and for prompt delivery at
| the treasury department. The contract
stipulates that the paper shall be manu-
featured under the supervision of an
agent of the gOvernment,rk known upon the
records as United States superintendent;
that it shall be under the care of guards
appointed by the treasury department;
| that il shall be delivered in irOn-bound
boxes of a certain description and size.
| and under seal. each box to contain a
| given number Of sheets Of stipulated size
Each shipment of paper is accompanied
| by two reports, one made by the manu-
| facturer and the other by the superntend-
| ent, which must tally in a statement of
| efy of ma he n
warded, and for what it is to be used
In the manufacture of this distinctive
paper, short pieces of red silk are mixed
with the pulp in an engine constructed
for the purpqse. and the finished mate
rial is conducted to a wire without PASS
ing through any screens which might re-
tain the threads.
BY device placed above the wire cloth
a shower of short pieces of fine blue silk
thread is dropped carefully upon the pa
per While 1t is being formed, and thus the
pretty, delicate lines. so much admired
and the subject of SO much wonder, are
| formed.
The lower side on which the blue silk
is deposited, is used for the back Of the
note, and from the manner In which the
threads are applied must show them more
distinctly than the reverse side, although
they are imbedded deep enough to remain
fixed. ss.a
featured, and Immediately passes into the
hands of the superintendent. When a
! shipment arrives at the treasury depart
| ment it is taken in charge by the division
of loans and currency. Where 1t is counted
and examinedss-the imperfect sheets being
rejected and returned to the manufac-
| turer, to be replaced at his expense Up
to this stage there has been observed a
complete system of checks TO avoid loss
and prevent fraud and duplication.
This prevails through the various offices
and processes of printing to the issue of
the note, and also in the redemption from
circulation and to final disposition.
But the dollar is not yet in circulation.
1t has yet to be printed and to receive the
red seal and official signatures, which give
it the power of purchase.
Were you to inquire of Chief johnson of
the bureau of engraving and printing. or
his assistant, Mr. T.-Js- Sullivan, the de-
tails Of the journey of thatAsmall piece of
paper through that wonderful house of
Industry, you would probably receive a
sign for an answer, so elaborate would
have to be the explanation.
But he would courteously conduct you
through the intricacies of the various
processes and talk to you in this wise:
We first want a design. That is pre-
pared by an artist of skill, who submits
it for the approval of the Secretary of the
Treasury. This design, when approved
is engraved on STEEL the original die
being placed in the keeping of the custo-
dian of dies, rolls and plates We are
i then ready to make plates for actual
printing. The steel is hardened, then
| given to the transferrers who, by pressure
on a cylinder of soft steel, takes up the
entire design of the note.
This cylinder, which Is called a roll, IS
then hardened in turn, and from this roll
the transferrer reproduces four times on
a sheet of soft steel, called a blank plate
okla inches in dimension. The design of
the note, and the four notes are respect
lively designated by the letters A, b. c
and D. The plate is then hardened, as
were the Others and lis ready for the
printer. sps
That is the face plate only, and plate
| for the back of the note is required This
| is obtained in exactly the same way and
by the same process that the face plate
was supplied. and is also given into the
charge of the official custodian. Neither
can be Withdrawn from his. keeping ex-
cept upon the order of the Secretary Of
the Treasury. 49,
The design for the face plate is made
by any skilled engrayer WHOSE work hap
| pens to obtain the sanction of the Secre-