The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-02-09
Mr. Starnes Gives an Interest
ing Description OF The u. S
Treasury Bulldog.
Tells How Our Noaey l. Made and
Also How the Old Greeabzcks Are
Destroyed-Trea@ur Building h.
Safely Guarded Frcm wo.ld- lie
RobberE.
CONTINUED from last week. }

piece of work goes through the hands
OF thirty different people. An elabo-
rate system of receipting prevails, and
at the closing hour everything il de-
IiEeycd into the hands Of the Gus
todians, and every count Is verified
before the force is dismissed. The
rule prevails not only here but In
the Issue and Redemption Divisions
In the Treasury.
From the Bureau the currency Is
brought ever at 9 o'clock every
morning, million dollars a day, In
a wagon built OF steel. and attended
by a force of guards. TO the Treas
ury, and delivered TO the Division OF
Issue. Here three experts verify the
contents OF 200 sheets to the pack
age, each sheet being sent TO the
Sealing Room, where the Red Seal
OF the register of the Treasury is
stamped upon them. The seal bears
the legend "Thesaur," an abbrevia-
ton for the Treasury OF North
America. The cutting machine cuts
each sheet into its four component
parts, and in new packages of 1000
notes each, the currency now passes
to its final counting. Each package
goes through five successive counters.
The counters here are the most ex-
pert in the service, and probably in
the world. Their marvellous skill, ra-
pidity and accuracy afford a revela-
ton of what the trained hand and
eye and mind can do; their work is
as the work Of perfect machine. In
counting a package the expert is seen
to lift each note by the upper right
hand corner; this she does success
lively one after another with the 4 900
in the package, and not only does she
count the notes, but she also scans
the seal and detects any imperfec-
ton.
The average daily volume of the
new money passing through the hand
of the counters is a million dollars a
day, made up of 100000 separate
notes. Every package is receipted
for by every person into whose hands
it comes.
Having received the final count,
Sealing
clerk, who wraps up the packages
Containing from $4,000 to $4,000
coo each) in plebeian brown paper,
and seals each package with the
Treasury Seal. The amount of money
received by him at the close of the
day must tally to a dollar with the
amount brought in from the Bureau
IF I'm ~
money is deposited in the, currency
reserve vault (not shown to visitors)
where it remains for two months or
more. AS one new lot is added each
day to the vault, another lot is taken
out for issue, to be put into circula-
ton, goodly proportion of it des-
tined eventually to find it's way back
to this building as worn and mutilat-
ed currency, to be redeemed in the
Redemption Division.
In the macerater the cancelled
notes pass through the final process
OF destruction. The macerater is a
huge spherical receptacle of steel
which contains water and is fitted in
the interior with thickly set knives,
which, as they revolve, grind the
contents exceedingly fine. The mas
sive lid is secured by three Yale
locks, each with it's own individual
key. The key Of one lock is held by
rotary, and Of the third by the Comp
troller Of the Currency. Every day
at o'clock these three officials, or
their deputies, with fourth desig-
mated by the Secretary to represent
the people, assemble at the macera-
tor to deposit in it the money which
is to be destroyed. Each key-holdeI
lifted, the packages Of halved bank
notes are brought and the macerateI
receives its million dollar tribute. The
lid is shut to, the keys are turned
in the locks, the machinery is put in
motion, the macerator begins it's rev.
o1utions, and the 1876 steel knives
within are put to work. Each batch
of material is ground finely and more
finely, until at the end Of four or five
days its n.aceration is complete. The
committee of four then unlock a
valve and the liquid pulp flows out
1t is screened into a pit below, and
is thence transferred to the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing, to be roll.
ed out into sheets Of book-binders
board and sold for $40 ton.
The capacity of the macerator is
one ton or pulp. The average amount
destroyed daily is million dollars
The largest amount ever destroyed
in one day was $151, 100000, de
stroyed on June 81. 1894; it consist
ed OF National bank notes and United
States bonds
Second only to the Capitol itself in
architectural Importance is the Treas.
ury building, an imposing structure
Of sand stone and granite, having q
total Length of A5n foot and uidtb