The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-29

Tho variety of crimes encountered by
the aecnts of tho secret service is wide
indeed. on one occasion renueman
entered naiionai bank end requested
70 ht shown q counterfeit bin they had
received he reprtsentc5 bimseif as an
aeeat eli the secret service. lIe was
shown a counterfeit sioo BIN and be de-
manded that it De eivon him TO be- re-
turned % the treasury The unsuspect-
ing banker ce.hpiiod and two days later
the Identical. bin was deposited in The
h.-nlx ne pretended agent had a.
camped A wen dressed young gentle
man entered q saloon IN New York and
paid FOR q drink with a bad silver dollar
As ne was leaving the barnan called him
back with profusc apologies the gem
and pocketed the good change and de-
parted
More than million counterfeit one
cent pieces wese sorted out in the SUBJ
treasury al New YORK in 1900 Mos, Of
;hcse were supposed to have been made
in Brooklyn n. " In November, 1900.
1896 bad pennies were found in the
4 lsub-treasury. Seven men were kept busy
ossortIng and counting them Each man
counts 10000 in day and throws out
the bad ones OF these pennies. New
York supplies New England. The great
West consumes many millions II costs
the government one-hfth o. cent TO
make q penny. but % costs the coun-
terfetor less, because he is not half so
careful The government cies for nllSing
pennies come from waterbury. Connec-
ticut. The pennies arc turaed out fastef
4 than amy man can count.
The steel plates from which currency
and national bank notes are printed are
gturded with even greater care than the
vaults Of the treasury themselves. They
mean SO much money 20 the government
and are faithfully watched day and
night II would be easier TO storm the
heights Of Gibraltar than 70 get a plate
out Of the bureau Of engraving and print-
ing
The money plate never leaves the buiid-
ing but once and this Is on its fencral
march. Just as soon as the engraving
becomes defective in any way. the plate
is condemned. boxed Up with others Of
its kind and sent over 20 the navy yard
to be melted into parts Of great battle
ships. gun co-riages. yokes. plates and
still serves IT'S country. although trans
ferred TO tho sterner military branch Of
the government The life OF money
plate is not measured - Gays or years,
but By the number Of Impressions IL
makes. After a plate has made So. 200
impressions il has served its rsefulr ess
as money maker.
a committee Of three trustees is APP
pointed by the secretary Of the treasury
70 xamine ali currency and national
bank plates every year. The p'ates are
kept IN two immense vaults in the vest
wing Of the building II Is here that the
Committee does It's work The vaults are
the two largest In the world and far
ahead OF an others m their safety APP
pliances, The outer and inner doors are
provided with double combinations and
time locks. The combinations are given
TO three persons. but each one mas a
separate combination and It is neces-
sary for an three to be present at one,
before the doors can be opened.
Tn committee this year is composed
i OF Glcnder b. Young. OF the eecretaiy's
viAttf JdthsNA MOTIFS OF lu- AittfNdl
revenue bureau. and NJ NJ Ogden. Of the
comptroller Of the currency's ONCE. An
the defective plates have been destroyed.
They condemned 4,O4s dies. roll end
plates. They are conveyed 70 the navy
gard under special guards pr. Young
counts each plate as It IS removed end
checks IL on Mr.. Norris and Mr. ogden
keep their eyes on the plate while IL is
conveyed 70 the furnace door
Today IN the vaults OF the bureau OF
engraving and printing are 75 go 600 en-
craving plates All these pieces II steel.
worth billions Of dollars from a capacity
stsndIoint, are in charge Of one ,Hsn.
That man g Jos. f. Ralph. custodian
OF dies, rolls and plates. tie has IN his
care property OF greater value perhaps,
than any single employee OF the g9v-
eminent To him Eacretary shaw looks
for every piece Of engraving. yet he fas
never lost single plate Here also
postage stamps are engraved and printed
OF some plates reoenuy Sestroyed. Gus
todian Ralph says that they have pro-
duced enough stamps to make ribbon
long enough TO girdle the earth three
times.