El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-07


Nv The machinery for launder-
w ing Uncle Sans paper cur
rency has at last been set up
in the bureau Of engraving. 1t Is
great success, doing admirably the
work required Of it.
The dirtiest notes. after passing
through this remarkable apparatus
come out perfectly clean and looking
like new. OF course. the machine
will not mend them if they are torn
any more than a steam laundry viii
mend torn linen. But no attempt is
made TO subject mutilated bills to the
The bulk Of the laundry work is
not to be done in Washington. 1t
will be carried on mainly at the sub
treasures in New York and other cit
les. There will be about 20 Of the
machines at the New York sub-treas-
ury, and at least as many more scat
tered about elsewhere.
Saves Half Million Yearly.
This new departure will save the
government at least $500, 900 per an
mum. At all events, this viii be the
case for while The washing Of the
old bills viii reduce the required out
put of new ones (au Of which are
printed, of course. at the bureau of en-
graving) by approximately one fourth
But 1t is thought that the laundering
viii so elevate the popular standard
Of cleanliness, in respect to paper
money, that more dirty bills will be
turned in for redemption. Or, to put
the matter otherwise. they will be re-
turned to the treasury sooner, so that
the crop Of brand new notes will soon
rise 10 its original mark, to meet the
augmented demand.
The mechanical problem involved
has been one of great difficulty, and
experts employed by the government
worked on it for two years before
they were able to solve it. As fl now
stands, the apparatus may be said to
venuOns. and vet is Of remarkable
simplicity. Chiefly responsible for its
creation is Burgess Smith a clever
mechanician attached to the treasury
department
When it is explained that one OF
these machines is easily able TO turn
out 10000 washed bills in a day Of
eight hours one perceives that the
amount Of laundering 1t can do in a
month is something enormous But
when 20 Of them are operated to-
gether in q. battery. as one might say
(as viii be the case at the New York
sub treasury. the total output viii
certainly suffice to meet all demands.
One OF the Problems.
One Of the principal puzzles was
to find the proper chemicals to use
IOr washing the notes. After many
experiments, the experts finally hit
upon combination Of soap and per
borate Of soda which when heated
form OF oxygen with an extra atom
or oxygen to each mOlecule This in
lenSlIled form Of oxygen has a bleach
ing effect, and so the bills passed
through the mixture are washed and
bleached at the same time.
me bllls, when put into the machine.
are inserted in such a way that they
are carried by a large roller between
two layers Of canvas like cloth. There
are two endless cloth belts. between
which the notes are retained during
the whole period Of the treatment
which the machine automatically be-
slows upon them. With the helm of
a number Of smaller rollers. the grean-
backs are passed back and forth borf-
zontally number of times through
the cleaning solution before they fin
ally emerge.
During the early part Of the per
formance the upper cloth travels
slightly faster than the lower. During
the latter part it moves at a sIigbtIv
slower rate. This results in a gentle
rubbing by which particles Of dfr+
ssIlng1ng TO or embedded in the sur
race Of the notes are removed. From
the washing tank the money b. carried
by the belts into a rinsing tank Of