Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1895-09-12
MAKING MONEY.
How Uncle Sam Prints hi.
Grecnbacks.

All the paper money now used in
the United States is engraved and
printed at the bureau of engraving
and Printing in Washington, ID G..
The plates, described in a former let
ter, iroa wlith the money Is priu,,d 1t.
are stored by the ton in an enormous
vault on the ground II Dor OF the bull.
ding. Here, a short time before VIZ k
hours begin, the printers form in line
and receive from the custodian he
plates they are to use for the day.
These plates are duly numbered, anI
each man gives receipt for his pr.
cious charge.
The presses, some two hundred N
number, are all hand presses, - i.
each requires the attendance OF tsp
persons, the printer aud hi. ASSISTANT.
usually young lady, whose dui, II
is to place the sheet upon the ,v
tor printing, and then lremoye ir
same aud exaiIine it to see if ih, 60,
preston taken is satisfactory. I =.
assistants receive 81 % per day u,y.s
which is deducted from the pay OF IA
printer. They are appointed thru /,
the civil service commission and "A o..
ally are laced under the charrr
the printers and remain with thes mr.
ones who have instructed them ia Il q
duties of the trade.
The paper, in rheeis large enough
ior four bills. comes from the Trea,u
~ department in bundles of 900
sheets, When it arrives it is counted
into packages of one hundred she, l..
each, and thoroughly moistened, 10
that il will absorb the ink.
The printer applys ink to the pla
with a baud roller, wipes with a cloth
aud then polishes it with the or,L
palm Of his hand. No satisiactnr,
substitute has been discovered for the
human hand fJr this finishing touch
in preparing the plate for priutin-
the steel eugrayings, aud for that rea-
son fine work can MT b. djne on tn.
steam presses.
The design Is cut down into IT,.
plate aud the fne lines are filed With
ink. Each plate has to be studied by
itself, for the skill Of the printer Ne
ponds on his knowledge of the pr ..
way in which the particular plstr
should be rubbed. No two plates ~. |
quire the same treatment. When th,
plate is polished off, the attendant
places a sheet upon the same, aud
then by turning wheel the table
the plate is passed beneath a
roller under great pressure, and the
NIX in the lines adheres 10 the paper.
Every imperfectly printed sheet is
thrown aside. and tor each press an
allowance is made Of one pDor sheet
out Of every hundred. If the num-
Der spoiled exceeds this, the printer is
charged NTH the estimated cost of the
paper, aud ali the work put .on il up
n the time the injury is done. The
backs are printed first, then after a
seasoning and remoisteniug the faces,
hen the numbers are applied. and
inally the red seal is affixed and tie
'llls are cut apart.
The printed sheets, good and bad
IRE turned in and counted. IL a sheet
; missing the printer has to pay the
the full face value of
he four bills, no matter how high I
he denomination. The sheets are
ounted some sixty times from begin
ing to end, and the system Of work
so perfectly arranged that it is al 4
iost an unknown thing to find a mis-
ale maze anywhere.
A good printer prints about nine
undred sheets day, though occa-
onally an extra rapid worker can
iru OF a thousand. The pay is by
ne day, and depends upon the work II
one. After doducting the wages of z
lie assistant the printer has from four 4
six dollars day left for bis servi. b
g. The printers are now entitled TO
leave of absence for thirty days per Il
Ear. the same as other government b
erks, and duri.g this time they re. b
i've the average amount earned for Z,
certain period previous to taking Il
cir vacations.