Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-25

man. a major general or scores OF public
ofncials Much OF this costly work IL
IN these plates that have outlived their
usefulness. But the originals of his
vignettes are preserved to be used in COM
bination with various other designs TO pro-
duce bills or bonds. For IL should be UNI
derstood that when n new bill is 10 be
brought out the whole design is not en-
Sraved newly and originally. but from the
vast stock of borders. ornaments figures
tint designs and scrolls a new bill is mod
eIed or combined When the new design is
approved by the Secretary OF the Treasury
plate is made from the various bits Of en-
craving that are assembled in the model
ana from that a steel roll from as many du-
pIications as may be desired of the new
bill may be made on plate and from this
plate the printing is done. Thus hundreds
OF thousands Of dollars worth OF fine en-
craving is represented in the plates de-
stroyed; yet the most valuable designs are
preserved.
Among the plates boxed up this week for
destruction was the elaborate invitation 20
the dedication cf the Washington monu-
ment. in 1885. The plate for the diplomas
given at the centennial exposition at Phila-
delphia In 1876 is also on the way to tho
furnace So, too, are all the souvenirs for
the various presidential inaugurations
prior to President Mckinleys. The plates
OF the old silver certificate, History In
strucung Youth. are I'm the boxes. All the
Old newspaper and periodical stamp plates
are going. For these stamps collectors go
wild and pay fabulous prices at times. All
the Omaha exposition stamp plates are
also TO be destroyed, as well as those for
the old internal revenue and beer stamps.
The New Bills.
While the old plates are TO be destroyed,
there are plenty of new ones being made
every day to take their places. At twenty
minutes of every day fifty expert engrav-
ers, among them the man who gets the
S6,oOo a year, jump up, grab their steel
plates and rush TO the desk of the chief of
the engraving division. Mr.. w. {. Hill and
turn IN their work to be checked off and
carted into the vaults under Mr. Ralpf1's
supervision. Mr.. Hill is one of the oldest
cmpioSes OF the bureau, and he is the fin II
pfaStlcal engraver to occupy his position.
lie Us not only a good engraVer. hut he is
an artist in oils. and TO his good taste are
que many very agreeable improve meuts in
the designs Of recent bills and bords He
Is now ar work on the new .one and two
dollar bills soon To appear. These ones and
twos are silver certificates, treasury or
gold notes and greenbacks. The new fea-
lures in these bills will be a source Of pleas
ure to bank tellers and accountants every
where who handle much money.
Besides printing stamps and money tho
bureau is just now working on a lot OF
proprietary war stamps for the big patent
medicine concerns. Ii looks rather queer
TO see the government engravers making
advertisements of cough cures. stomach
bltters and like mixtures. The medicine
concerns pay for engraving these stamps
and buy them In $1,000 and 5000 lots. The
stamps are made in denominations of
nVe-elghths OF cent, and in some ases
they are three and one-eighth cents eacht