The sun., 1901-07-21

nzDssssaess e tAs MAJ WAs 1gaks Ylgurss I
AaoeeatsA CuYrsuey.

Aassrsssd Cssrssey.
In Q little Workshop Asar the Capitol at
wsshinston thsre tons ell day and usually
far into tho night - we'll. . man who
handles every day In the year more money
than passes through the hands Of any bank
ofYiosr In the country.
His craft u the mouldins Of maesratsd money
which. being Interpreted. means that he takes
shs Cover nmsnt's worn-out currency after II
has been torn and ground Into an unreoo gnis-
abls mass and fashions II Into busss and medal
lions Of prominent persons much - sculptor
might cast Q figure In bronse. Nine out OF
every Ten visitors 10 Warrington who 70 to
out money ohswed up by tho machine kept
there for that purpose straightway pay over
their new money for the old money dealt In By
the maker Of these msmentoes.
Years ago the Treasury ofhclsis dumped
the discarded money. after II had hesn sorn
into tiny bits. on the vacant lot at the rear OF
the White House. but this proved an expensive
practice for the nation. Tho great heap con-
tinually warmed with lynx-sysd boys. who
now and then discovered fragments Of grsen-
backs Of suiIioisnt size 10 be exchanged for
good bills under the Treasury ruling. which
provides that restitution shall be made for Q
damaeed bill II enough OF II remains intact TO
indicate the dsnomina tion-a regulation made
OF course. for the protection Of persons who
suffer losses BY the burning or other partial
destruction OF sresnbscks.
1hsn tie plan Of burning the old money
wss introduced. but svsr then was found
that fragments hoa, ed away and vere pvt to
ul,crior usss. md % resort was made to the
n, e.cnt rr,c,tcs OF disnosins Of the nlarers-
ted mass to manufacturers to be converted
into paps- once r,orA. Tie privilege OF
securing NE II oduct Of the macerator Is
awarded oncs each year TO no highest bidder
Formerly the old man who modals In sk's
uueer materal wn Obliged 10 purrhase his
supplies from the contractors. but through
the intrr yention Of several senators = lev
years aro hA secured the privilege cf pur-
chasing such q quantity ss no Night desire
direct from the Treasury The me oerstcd
money put to This use 10 o r,eie lrop IN the
tucksl a. compared 70 tho total output. The
Government machine crushes every month
more than forty tons Of retired CURRENCY,
and little more than q half ton OF this Is re-
aqMsS Mc. 20: Ts"at The @ont " %ssna asure.
IN dons Uy Henry Martin hlIrself. although
several votnen are employed 80 helpers
treasury hsll a ton at a time. and the un-
inuiatcd yieitor would scarcely. suspect thnl
the laI 70 dry goods tox packed to over
"wps w,sh Sss ns Scs n ss@ s's1 son erns
the final resting place ol Soyo,@ Lhs
busts and other !iairc. are made X pressing
th. stvr INTO plaster Of psrish me ,no",us ,ns. NOR,
or sra other and h..s rtiized In thcir rorruation
several sillions OF dollars N. r.o.r,..d puln
and com pairing them with an erpivslen'
cniation esti,r atc' have been arrived at - 70
.oSvsniTs. oS s OF couise. thl. I. necessarily an
srtsOnih Tspe might perchsnce hsvs been tash shioned
exclusively from $1,000 notss 1St ,nr rcs n1Ires
are based on the weight 9f s. notes. !hc ioMest
denor,ination led to the raoeI ator Tlny
facslnes o. The Wn'.;ns,on g G MSnJnneni snnJ,serd
once prized paper. and bust o. Gen ?yan,
half HE s,,e, eInoodis- half mn mll!'on dollars
Very frequently bits OF sreenbacks nearly
A large A. a mans thumb nail are found
in the paper pulp, and sometimes series
closr,y discerniole on . fragment Of green
hack which has eluded tho macerator For
meriy IL was the custom 10 place such stray
SCRAPS prominently on the face OF the soli-
nss. rss' hut the Goyernment ON cisis soon found
| that shrewd trioksters were SEEKING "a
make use OF these bits, as they had done
whsn the mace rated money was dumped
in the rear Of the White House and they In
sisted that such scraps OF paper be entirely
e'l ThH refuse Of the nations ney.makina a
| establishment has at one tmo or another
| attracted the attention OF good many OF
the clever men OF the under world. and Mr.
almost a. interesting a. those Of secre,
Service man. Some years ago . gang Of
counterfcitsrs who had experienced difficulty
initiating the paper r,ntsd on 'e Evolved 1--WE GOV,
tiles OF the m acera.ed money through NJ Mar
tin IN .He hope would shs have e0snS somshns Of h
s,me texture as tho rieinal, but the plan
proved imrrscticnbla and camc 20 naurht
"a. With a Rhode Island banker some years
ssn Al the ST James Hotel In Washing ton
one day the handler Of macsrated money was
introduced by casual aGaSsntanoe aare = Fos sW,
thereafter the new acauaintance appeared
70 be Martins shadow and never lost an OPP
porunty to prefer enteT ns S Dns seT seT.
mission 10 visit the moulding shop, AZ the ap.
pointed time the Rhods lslana.r Inspected
ths whol: Proosis,, OF nj sstssd and pi. hnay
Al e.. close OF the tour OF inspection said;
But you have not shown nae the very
thing am most ANXIOUS " SEQ - -,
md what is thet'- Questioned Martin
"The place where you grind up the money
was the QUICK reply
No great length OF time was required FOR
The two men 10 come to an dsrstandng,
and tho visitor left unoerem0niously The
stran gest feature Of the incident Is found IN
the fact that any banker should be so is-
nornnt OF the practices OF the Treasury De-
partrnent as To suppose that uncancelled
currency would be allowed TO leave the In
stitution In such an informal manner TO be
destroyed by unofficial hands