The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-10
THE GOVERNMENTS MONEY.
How Old Bills Are Destroyed and Mis-
haps Are Rectified.

Brooklyn Eagles Washington Dispatch.
All the paper money that passes through
the treasury in the ordinary course of
business is carefully examined and every
bill that does not alook quite as good as
new is rejected in order that it may not
go out into circulation again. Each pack
age Of notes sent In for redemption is re-
ceipted for in a register kept for that pur-
pose
In the basement of the treasury depart
ment are employed a corps of expert
counters, whose bushes it is to carefully
verify the value of each bundle received.
They can be seen at work each day by
visitors at the department. They are
seated at long tables and from the indif-
ferent manner in which they toss about
the precious packages before them one
might imagine they were handling dry
goods. The contents of each bundle re-
ceived from the banks is given to these
sorters for examination. A close scru-
tiny is made of each pile to see If any
eounterfeits are concealed in it, after
which the bills are sorted by denomina
items and issues, and are finally put up
in packages of 100. A canceling machine
then drives four holes through the pile,
which makes them forever useless 50 far
as circulation is concerned. Then t1nal
entry is made on the cover of each pack
age, in which allowance is made for dis
crepancies, counterfeits or 'overs," and
then the money Is handed to big strap
ping negro. He takes it to table on
which a powerful automatic knife is at
tached and a pull on the lever brings the
blade down and through the center of
the mass of money.
One-half of each. pile is delivered to the
Office Of the secretary of the treasury anu
the other half TO the register of the treas
ury. In both offices the halves are re-
counted and if the counts agree the
amount represented Is credited to the ac-
count of the treasurer of the United
States, who issues new crisp notes for
the old ones. All of the halved bills must
De destroyed and the utmost care Is OBJ
served to prevent the pieces from getting
into the hands of those who might be
tempted to put them into circulation
again.
A big receptacle has been built in one
of the vaults of the treasury, equipped
with revolving knives Into this vat the
bushels of cut bills are thrown, where
they are chopped into fragments so small
as to be of no use TO anyone. 1t is then
conveyed in a vehicle built of chilled
steel to the bureau of printing and en-
craving. where it is boiled in large watts
with hot water and alkalies until 1t is re-
ouced to an unrecognizable pulp. The
next time it is seen is in the shape of lit
Washington monument, which are dis
played on the stands of souvenir stores in
various parts of the city. One of these
objects. which may represent value of
$500 coo or $5GO0.O0O can be purchased for
% cents.
One of the most interesting things
about the redemption bureau is its work
in connection with issuing new notes for
money that has been burned, eaten, buried
| or otherwise icfaced so that it could not
| be offered as purchasing medium. Two
hundred and sixty dollars came into the
redemption division some time ago in a
queer shane. The sum in question was
hardly more than a mass of pulp, and to
identify the bills composing 1t was almost
Impossible. However. 2 number OF eX-
perts who have had years of experience
in just such work. accomplished the task
after a great deal of trouble. The reason
the money happened to be In this condi-
ton WAS all the fault of the thoughtleSs-
resS of A man.. He went to BED ana look
his wad of $3.50 in good bank notes with
him. He Dut them in the pocket OF his
night shirt. thinking they would be safer
there than under his pillow. Next morn
ing he forget all about the money ana
went off to business. His wife sent the
robe to the laundry together with other
Washablos and in a short time the money
WAS in a tub and thoroughly soaked. BY
the the time the owner of the money
thought Of his error the bills were going
through a Churning process under the
influence of the. automatic washers in use
in modern laundries.
When he arrived at the laundry the ma
chinery was stopped after his explanation
and after a search his night shirt was