The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-03
TRUE TO
HIS TRUST.
One Man Handles All Uncle
Sans Cash.
Only Two Men Have Held Money
Packers Post.
NEGROON $1,000 YEAR
NEGROON $1,000 A YEAR
Every Dollar Issued by the
Treasury in Currency
Goes Through His Hands -
Sometimes $25,OOO,OOO Daily.

Washington, Feb. 3.-James F. Meline,
the assistant treasurer of the United
States, says there is sure to be one place
where automatic safeguards and checks
trust to one mans honesty. John r.
Brown seems to be standing in that place
To understand exactly John r; Brown
rency printed at the bureau of engraving
and printing is completed IN the treasury
on -i It there re It Comes to the treasury
building in sheets of four notes each, ana
den the sea- mas oe9n nd the On notes
are put into packages for storage i e n+ T me
he packages al and seal them. -
'--0 WORKS. IN A GAGE.
John Brown does his work in a cage,
which stands at the end of the room in
which the completion of the notes is &C.
the issues This cage is of wire. 1t is
built, not to screen the worker, but to
protect the notes after they have passed
The notes are arranged in packages of
100 before they are brought into the cage
which the number and denomination of
Of these packages forty are put together
in two piles of twenty each and placed in
a lever. 1t is something like an old style
cotton press. There are openings above
slipped after Brown has pulled the lever
and compressed the package. These
strings hold the package together while
around it. This paper is folded about it
and is Sealed at the ends with wax Then
a label is pasted on it, showing in plain,
1t is true that these packages are of
uniform size and that any variation from
is equally true that a dishonest man in
Browns position could slip a prepared
wad of paper into one Of the packages
when no one was watching and put the
notes that repGHsenea INTO ms d h9ck t6s
the crime might not be known for six
months or year S or even longer E Ih zen
flee of the treasurer of the United States
Te9Tisi9n 60T Ra6kg 6f notes OF
package would be issued It would be
he Shortage " would be found. However,
the government has never had to meet
ONLY Two MONEY PACKERS.
There have been only two men engaged
III eLe nca + be PTe Ev a denaTtment Was
organized. John II. Barnes began the
convention which nominated Lincoln, and
he received his appointment in the treas
ury the recommendation of Montgom-
cry Blair This was in 1861. In 1862 he
was assigned to the new duty of making
that duty to the time of his death in 1894.
In all the years of his incumbency no mis-
though he handled every cent of currency
issued by the government for thirty-two
would take a week to figure them up.
Mr.. Barnes died August 10 1884; His
% %eafs !, When When John r Brown was was
appointed to the place. He has filed it
satisfactorily since.
so greatly trusted, Barnes at the time of
his death was receiving only 81 400 year,
and Brown now draws only 81, 200. Barnes
received 81, 400 the first year of his service
in the treasury, and in the thirty-two
years that followed he drew aggregate
of S44 500 more. For every dollar that the
government paid him he handled millions.
Ordinarily the bureau of engraving. and
printing delivers to the issue division
about fifty-siX packages of paper money
of / 600 sheets each, four notes on a sheet,
making. when separated. 224,OOO notes.
These notes usually range in value from
81 to $40, and their aggregate might be
81. $4,000. But as they are of assorted de-
nominations the aggregate is usually 81
600 900. The government, however, issues
currency in denominations of $50, 500, $500
and LOCO. The largest are not printed
very often because the amount issued is
VerY small.