Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-02-20
GET $2.5OO.O 900 TO
MAKE GRFENBACkS
Employees in Uncle Sans Money fac-
tory Paid that Amount
Every Year.
AsHINGToN, Feb. H.

Seattle, in giving me a letter 10
Thomas II. Sullivan, director Of the
buraeu, l got special guide and
was carefully shown through all
the departments of Uncle Sans
money factory.
Manufacturing national bank
notes, gold and silver certificates,
postage stamps and United States
bonds is one of the most important
tasks that Uncle Sam has to per-
form for the public. To watch this
process is very interesting, particu-
larly at he present time when there
is SO much patriotic talk in the sem
ate favoring permitting banking in
situations to obtain and circulate
emergency money"
Uncle Sam used to job out the
work of making money to inidvidu-
ais and a protest went up when I'm
Gle Sam wanted to do the work
himself. There was the same I'M
patriotic Juggling and scheming
then that there is now against the
idea of Uncle Sam doing rational,
equitable banking business for the
convenience and safety of the
public.
But despite the opposition of
those who we're directly and indi-
rectly interested in the private man
ufacture of money, our Uncle took
the business away from the private
individuals. He will do the same
xntfI the ho,,Lt,o h,QinecS
Our Unclc's mandatory is now
one of the largest manufacturing es-
Adjustments under government
control in the world, and is known
as the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. 1t occupies large build
ing on commanding site on the Po-
tomac river and very near the WASH
ington monument. The building
and site cost 5000, 900 and the ma
chinery and fixtures cost about 81,
600, 900. There are 1887 men,
and /, $50 women employed in this
factory who draw annually about
So, 500, 900 in wages.
The first place visited " as the
press room, where there are $50
hand presses and 700 workers on
one floor. Each press is operated
by one man and one woman. The
woman moistens the sheet of paper
and places it on plate that is ink
ed and put in place by the man,
who turns the lever and makes the
impression. The woman then re-
moves the sheet and the man re-
moves the plate and cleans it thor
oughly, then places it in position
to receive another sheet. Each
sheet is large enough TO receive the
impression of the engraving for
four bills.
The workers are charged up with
the. plates and each and every sheet
of paper, and they must account for
every sheet, perfect or imperfect.
The machine has an automatic re-
gistcr attached which ecords every
impression that is made. These
sheets of four bills each go from the
press room to the accounting and in
spection room, where they are in
spected as to the perfection of the
design and of the impression.
After passing through number
of inspectors hands they are taken
to a large dryroom, where they are
placed in trays in great rows, one
above the other, to thoroughly dry,
then they go through the automtic
numbering Machines which are
marvels in mechanism.
From there they go through the
hydraulic press, which subjects
them to pressure of 5000 pounds
to an inch, which restores the nice,
smooth finish that the paper had
before it was subjected to the
moistening and printing processes.
All paper money goes from the Bu-
resu to the Treasury building to re-
ceive the final finishing touches,
such as signatures and serial num-
bers.
The paper for making money is
manufactured at the Crane mills at
Dalton, Mass. Mr.. Crane, who is
now United States senator, has en-
Joycd this privilege for many years.
On becoming senator he had to d is
claim any ownership in the mill,
and therefore turned it over to his
son.
The ink used in printing the bills
is supplied dry and is mixed by
special chemist in the Bureau build
ing to get the color and the consist
cncy desired.
| was informed by the foreman
IN the numbering room that I'm
Gle Satn is turning out daily 24O-