davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21

nominations. because of the greater
amount of handling they receive.
About so per cent of the bills that come
back to the Treasury Department for re-
demption are not worn out, but merely
soiled from rough usage. The cIamor
for economy in public expenditures and
also for clean paper currency led Di-
rector Ralph to conceive the idea of
putting the soiled notes through a laund-
ering process and then back into circu-
lation. He submitted his. plan to the
Secretary of the Treasury. who appointed
a committee, composed of c. 8. Pearc.,
OF the Treasurer's office: Burgess Smith,
a chemist in the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing: George Leet, Of the Secre-
tary's office: c. c. Pusey, assistant
treasurer at Baltimore. and L. B. Acton,
a paper expert. of Washington. This
committee experimented about seven
months and pronounced the scheme per-
fectly feasible.
Mr.. Smith developed an Idea for a
laundering machine that would turn
the most soiled and bedraggled 81 bill
into a nice clean note, almost as good
as new. For months he and two me-
chanics have been working on this ma
chine and at last II is finished and has
been tested to the satisfaction OF the
inventor and every one concerned The
machine consists of a doubled blanket.
125 feet long. passing through a system
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
LOETSCHBERG TUNNEL

The Loetschberg Railway tunnel
through the Alps has Just been driven
through. 1t is the fifth long bore to be
completed in these mountains; the Sim
plon, is Il 1-2 miles long; the st. Gothard.
91-4; the Mount Gents. 71-2, and the Ari-
berg, els. The Loetschberg and the st.
Gothard are of equal length. The new
tunnel will be especially advantageous
to passenger and freight traffic between
England and Italy. for 1t will save about
eight miles Of transit. 1t Is really q
connecting branch or the Simplon. elm
mating the big detour now necessary to
reach that tunnel Thus, in order to go
by the shortest route, travellers from
London to Italy will now have two long
tunnels before them instead Of one-the
Simplon and the Loetschberg. The new
direct route from London will now be by
Calais to Laon and thence to Belfort.
entering Switzerland at Dele. from
which the traveller goes to Berne and
then by the Lake Of Thun to Spiez, up
TO Frutigan, and so through the tunnel,
reaching the Rhone Valley at Brigue and
connecting with the Simplon. Though
the Loetschberg is only 4 detail In the
route. II is very important detail, not
only in making a shorter line from Lon
dom to Italy, but also IN contributing
stiII moro TO the revenue Of the French
railway compared with the German, as
carriers between the north and south Of
Europe.
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
Women Employees of Division of Bureau of
Engraving and Printing Where Notes Are
Finished Get Better Quarters

The working out Of the problem that
has saved the employment Of the big
force at the Treasury for the sealing
process is another feather in Director
Ralph bonnet. Under his direction, B.
F. Stickney, the mechanical genius of
the directors office, worked out a print
ing machine that numbers, seals, cuts,
stacks, and counts the notes. Sixteen OF
these machines have been installed and
they have saved the government several
thousand dollars during the short time
that they have been in operation.
The new combination press is a mar
vel of ingenuity. The trimmed sheets
containing four notes each are fed by
an operator into the press at the rate of
about 1900 an hour. When the notes
come out at the other end they bear the
serial numbers in the corners, the numer-
al in the left center, and the United
States seal in the right center. From that
moment on they are real currency.
Here is where the eagle eyes OF the
young women inspectors are brought into
play to detect the slightest flaw in the
crisp notes as they come from the ma
chine in stacks of one hundred. The first
inspector receiving them examines the
first and last four notes to see that the
numbers start and end correctly. BY the
time she does this-and it must be done
Quickly-there is another hundred ready
for her. She then passes them on TO
another inspector, who examines every
note TO see that the seal and numbers are
properly placed on each. There are six
OF these secondary inspectors in the wire
netting cage surrounding each Of the
presses. Each inspector. after examining
one hundred notes. places a paper band
around them, and puts her name on it,
and she is held responsible for the cor
rectness of that package until II has been
received and inspected in the Treasurer S
office
When one of the inspectors finds a flaw
in a note. the numbers or seal not hav-
ing printed perfectly. or one edge of the
note having been sliced off irregularly by
the machines cutters, she discards the
bill and puts in its place one of TIE
extra notes printed for the purpose.
These substitute notes can be told from
the others by the star that appears be-
fore the series number. The bad note is
turned over TO the cancellation depart
ment at the end of the day. and is per-
forated by A stamping machine.
Director Ralphs force of mechanical
geniuses are at work upon a contrirance
for these finishing presses by which the
need of an operator to feed the sheets OF
notes into the machine will be eliminated.
This automatic feeder will increase their
capacity about loo per hour, beside saw
ing about $50 or $40 day in salaries.
They will then have a capacity Of about
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21

: OF all the many hundreds of employees
down at Uncle Sans paper money fac
tory, the Bureau Of Engraving and Print
ing, there are only about $50 girls who
may be actually said to make money.
These are the young women in the di-
vision OF numbering and sealing. When
they get through with one Of the govern
ment's silver or gold certificates there Is
nothing left TO do with it except to put 1t
into circulation.
Naturally these girls who put the fin
fishing touches on Uncle Sammy's bank
roll are under closer supervision than any
of the bureaus other employees. From the
time they check in for work at eight in
the morning until they have finished their
little task Of adding 100000 to said
Cncle's exchequer at O'Clock, they are
prisoners as literally as any of the gov
ernment's nonpaying and involuntary
guests at Atlanta or Moundsville.
They enter their division through a
steel wire door where sits one Of the
kindly eyed but infiexible guardians of
the bureaus many portals. Once inside
they cannot leave until their work has
been checked over, unless by special per-
NIT because of illness or some other un-
in the division quarters and until re-
Gently the girls had no place to walk
about or take a breath of fresh air dur
ing the noon recess
Here is where Joseph f Ralph. the
enterprising and progressive director OF
the bureau. got in a stroke Of fine work
that has still further endeared him in the
eyes OF his force and has made the daily
existence of the money fnishers far
more bearable. The director had bal
cony constructed over the courtyard ad-
joining the wall of this division. The
balcony was SCREENED with wire netting
ana sun shields and here the young
women take the sun on cool days and
the air on hot days and their lunch
every day.
There are three lunchrooms in the big
building and the girls can send to one
of them for their lunch, or. as the ma
jority OF them do. bring their own lunch
from home. Electric heaters have been
installed in the division quarters on
which coffee and tea can be made or
some light cooking done.
II has only been about year since
this division has had the work of putting
the final touch on the paper money.
Formerly the last thing done by the bu-
reau employees was 10 print the numerals
on TIE bills, stack them, and chip them
to the Treasury Department where the
notes were given the imprint OF the gov
crnment seal
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
5000 sheets per hour, making q total o

5000 sheets per hour, making q total OF
about 10000 notes per day.
The sixteen combination finishing press
es now do the work of nineteen old style
presses, requiring a pressman and feeder
each. and twenty-siN of the old-style sep
arating machines, requiring three per-
sons each to operate them besides large
corps of messengers to handle the money.
This makes Il total of ia besides the mes
sengers. The new machines with auto
matte feeders will do this same work
with only one man to each machine and
a small corps of messengers. The saw
ing in expense of preparing our paper
currency alone will be $4,000 annually.
The responsibility of the director OF the
Bureau has been increased greatly by this
change in the system of finishing the
paper money. but Mr.. Ralph seems
willing and able to bear this additional
burden. II is a great achievement and
Director Ralph deserves the congratuia-
tions of the entire country.
Few people realize the vast amount OF
money spent by the government every
year for the manufacture of our paper
currency. 1t actually costs Uncle Sam
$3.50 per thousand notes to make and
put them in circulation. The life OF
paper currency is much shorter than
most people imagine. The 81 bills. for
instance, have an average life of fourteen
months. The small notes last a much
shorter time than the bills of larger de-
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
The First of Series of Articles by Government Clerk Who
Has Made Several Plgrmages to Europe on
Funds Astonishngy Small

only "a cents a day for the occupancy
of the parlor of a private family who
lived in a handsome apartment house.
In London i paid the same amount for
small, clean room at Temperance
Hotel" In Paris I was even more for
tunate, securing a room at scrupu-
lously clean. modest hotel in the center
or the city for 6 francs a week, averag-
ing 16 cents a day. My breakfast OF cof-
fee and rolls averaged 6 cents, and my
other meals, II cents.
A Two Months Tour for S7O.
A vacation trip to Europe can be made
at an even lower cost than have named
A young man earning his eastward pas
sage by feeding and watering cattle is
entitled to a return passage in the
crews quarters on the payment Of SO.
providing he returns on the same ship
on its second return voyage, which be-
gins between five and six weeks after
the young tourist arrives in Europe
When securing such a return ticket, the
tourist should see that there Is a dis
tinct understanding that he is to return
on the Second return voyage instead Of
the first
By thus practically doing away with
the expenses of the transatlantic voy-
ages, an eight weeks tour-three on the
ocean and five in Europe-need not cost
more than $40 at the most from New
York back to New York For this out
lay, with third-class railway travel, a
900-mile tour in the British Isles or a
1,200-mile tour on the Continent is DOS.
sible. Distances are short in Europe,
and within the limits named, all the
chief sights Of the British Isles can be
visited, or on the Continent, the five
countries. Holland. Belgium, France.
Germany. and Switzerland.
The self-reliant traveller should not
hesitate to venture alone into a country
the language Of which he does not know.
He will of course meet with some DIM
culties, and his expenditures for meals
and lodging will be increased about 10
per cent. but the advantages more than
counterbalance these drawbacks. The
Continent furnishes a greater contrast TO
America than does Great Britain.
It would be well before leaving America
to acquire travellers smattering of
French and German. This can be done
by the studiously inclined through two
hours study per day for one month for
each language. I have myself thus ac.
quired q smattering Of seven foreign
languages for use in countries In which,
expected to travel. and have found
the acquisition to be Of incomparable
educational and practical value. One Of
the travellers phrase books found In all
large bookstores should be used, and
the phrases most COMMONLY employed In
travelling committed to memory. Several
lessons with teacher would bo.ueceo-
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21

sary in order to acquire an approximately
correct pronunciation.
/ have toured some parts of Europe
on a bicycle at a cost of so cents a day,
including all current expenses, and a
pedestrian tour can be made at a like
low cost. Throughout the greater part
of Europe the roads are perfect. For
such a tour, q scenic route should be
picked out, and a level country by no
means. The Rhine Valley from Cologne
to Mayence, Switzerland, or Southern
Bavaria are recommended.
In case a bicycle tour is made, the
wheel should be taken from America
European bicycles are heavier than
those of American make. Moreover,
bicycles are one of the few articles
which are cheaper in America than In
Europe. They should be covered with
grease to prevent rust and Grated for
the voyage. The freight from New York
to Europe is $3.50. A full repair kit
should be taken, as the European bicycle
repairers have had practically no ex-
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
By JAMES L. BAHRET.

Copyright, 1911 by James L. Bahret.)
Should an American see Europe or his
own country first? Unquestionably.
Europe. This answer does not imply
any lack of patriotism. After having
made a tour Of Europe, an American
appreciates his own country more than
ever. He realizes for the first time
how much better off he is than those
who belong to the same social stratum
in any European country.
Europe is the mother country of Amer
lea, and has had hundreds of years
umental buildings, works of art, and
other objects worth making a pilgrim
age to see. In travelling 1000 miles in
Europe, the tourist encounters several
times as many sights worth seeing as in
travelling the same distance in America.
and he does it at half what it would
cost in America, excluding the trans
Atlantic voyages.
Travel in Europe acquaints one with
foreign nations. The traveller sees
something SO different from his every
day environment in America. 1t is bet
ter to become acquainted with half
dozen nations than with one nation.
when the cost Is practically the same
in each case The educational value of
q tour in Europe Is incomparably greater
than that Of tour in this country.
Costs Next to Nothing.
In three recent vacation tours Of
Europe, have demonstrated that every
ambitious young man Of slender re-
sources, and, to a somewhat less de-
gree, every ambitious young woman
similarly Handicapped. can see the sights
of Europe on next to nothing, without
the sacrifice Of anything necessary to
health or happiness. My first tour, ex-
tending over a period Of eleven weeks.
and covering 5000 miles on the Atlantic
and $500 miles in France, Belgium, Ger
many, and Switzerland, cost, from New
York back to New York. only $13S. This
included steerage ticket from New York
to Cherbourg. $2S. and second-class
ticket from Hamburg to New York, $i3.
My second tour. the following summer.
covering approximately the same num-
ber Of weeks and the same number Of
miles. In England. Holland, Belgium.
Germany. Austria, and France. cost still
less, t112 This reduction was brought
about through my working my passage
on cattle steamer from New York
to London, and returning In the steeraGe
from Cherbourg to New York.
On the tours named. paid an average
OF ~ cents e. day for . clean room. gam
erslly. an TO. mysel& In Berlin paid
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21
SHELTER FREELY GIVEN
TO HOMELESS WOMEN
Many Places in City Where Temporary Aid Is Given
Generously to Friendless and Penniless Mothers
and Strangers Looking for Employment.

The Washington Herald had doubts as
to the full truth of the statements con-
tained in the letter of the young woman
There must be places run under the aus
pices OF the various religious and chari-
table societies where a woman similarly
conditioned could find bed and board and
a welcome and a helping hand to start
her forth on her quest for employment
The question which The Washington
Herald wanted to nave answered was:
Where could this young woman have
applied"
Salvation Army Answers.
At the headquarters of the American
Salvation Army Mai. John Smalley was
found in charge. The major called his
aid-de-camp, who, since the death of Mrs
Smalley last autumn, has had principal
charge of the seekers after the creature
comforts which the home provides.
What are the charges here for a wom-
an who wants to stop with you long
enough to make a search for work in the
city," was the question.
Nothing came the answer as quick
as a flash. I'VE don't charge anything" {"
The anonymous letter from the hopeless
young woman was shown the aid-de-
camp.
That woman did not show up here"
was the quick reply. IF she had done
so, We would have done everything to
make her as comfortable as possible and
she need not have paid us a penny un-
less, after she had gotten on her feet
again, she had wanted to make US q
donation"
At the Florence Crittenton Mission the
same story was told.
Not penny is charged here to any
one who needs or who seeks the shelter
Of the mission. That woman might have
come here and stayed on indefinitely
without paying. When, she had obtained
a position we would heve charged her 50
a week for board and room. 1t isn't the
policy of the home to make money out Of
misfortune. We would have helped her
in every way"
At the Salvation Army headquarters, in
Pennsylvania avenue, Ad1t. Louise N.
Brazier was in charge.
I'VE haven't any regular accommoda-
tions for unfortunate or friendless wom-
en-. but IL the woman In this case had
come to us we could have arranged It
somehow. I don't know just how we
could have fixed 1t. because we are pref
ty badly crowded here just now, but
some of us could have arranged to share
room with her for . little while any
how
why. only two weeks ago a young
man came in here. It was raining hard
and he was drenched to the skin. We
took him in becauce he was down and
out and hadn't the money to pay for Q
bed anywhere. He hung around for two
or three days. boktng, Tor work. and now
he comes here Coce OF twice week to
see US, for he hns Obtained a position ~
window dresser and II doing splen-
didly."
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21

perience with the single-tube tire used
in America. After finishing the tour. the
wheel should be sold, since good prices
are paid in Europe for secondhand BIZ
cycles. I experienced no difficulty in TAX
ing my wheel from one country to an
other, no question of tariff ever being
raised. Even when one purposes to travel
almost entirely by train. wheel saves
carfare and the perplexity occasioned by
not being acquainted with the street
car system of a city, and doubles ones
capacity for sightseeing.
Fares Average n Cent n Mile.
Third class fares in England are
cents a mile. and this country enjoys the
distinction of being the most expensive
for the traveller in Europe. In France
and Spain. third class fares are 1.6 cents
a mile, and in Italy, IL cents. The third
or fourth class railway fares in Ger
many-whichever Of these two classes is
the lowest in any state-are at the rate
Of s mills a mile. In Russia, the third
class fares amount to only 6.s mills a
mile. 1 paid only a.7S for my ticket
from Warsaw to ST. Petersburg. includ-
ing a bunk on which to sleep and
table on which to eat my meals. the
distance travelled being 725 miles. Com
from Washington to Chicago. distance
Of s19 miles.
France and Spain have kilometer
tickets, the same as American mileage.
which bring down the cost Of third class
travel by rail to approximately 1 cent
mile. These kilometer tickets require
delay of two or three days after the
application Is made, and a small photo
graph about two by four inches, to be
S1I xha Tn FOL A.
trip tourist tickets covering a fixed itih-
erary are sold, which require no delay
and no photograph, and which cost some-
what less than l cent a mile.
Sec Holland and Belgium for $3.50.
In Holland or Belgium, a third class
ticket can be bought for A7o. on which
the travellers photograph is pasted. and
which entities him to travel as much as
he wishes on all the railroads Of the
country. and to stop on wherever he
wishes, for a period Of fifteen days. A
similar ticket in Switzerland costs 7.s4,
ways except those of the rack-and-pinion
type. The tourist can well afford to de-
vote fifteen days to Switzerland. but five
days are sufncient for Holland or Bel
gium. Similar dve-day third class tickets
can be purchased for these two countries
for $c.25. These special tourist tickets
can be obtained at the London or Paris
offices Of the Dutch. Belgian. and Swiss
railways, and several days notice must
be given In advance.
A Young school nistress's Tour.
= For young schoolmistresses ambitious
to see the wonders Of Europe. the steer
age would perhaps be out Of the ques-
ton. party Of half a dozen travelling
together on one OF the most modern
steamers might manage to render such
= voyage endurable- The minimum
expenses In Europe are higher
for-wousu than for men Sbecause thel
The Washington herald., 1911-05-21

Mus. the penniless and unemployed
girl or young woman coming to the Ma
tional Capital in search of employment
walk the streets until she has accumu-
lated the price of bed and board?' is the
question that has been put to The Wash
ington Herald by a young mother who
writes that sho came to Washington in
search OF work, bringing her baby girl,
and that the doors OF t,e Christian homes
of the city were closed against her be-
cause she had not the price to pay for
her lodgings or her meals. This is her
letter:
Editor Tie Washington Herald:
II am so glad TO read in your popular
paper any and every article in the inter-
est of woman. particularly of anything
inaUgurated to help the young women
who may come to this city hoping to find
employment or seeing some friend or
relative. 1 think the clearinghouse plan
with the reasonable charge of s. a week
an admirable provision for the woman
OF small means. But. Mr.. Editor, there
are many who risk coming here with no
means at all; only Just enough to get
here and possibly to pay one week s
board at a cheap lodging-house.
Chapter from Real Life.
I'm my lifetime l have lived in afflu-
ence, but suddenly was reduced to pow
erty. and. with one child to support, my
first decision was to break for a city in
which 1 hoped TO find something to do
within a weeks time. I went to one of
the Christian homes for strangers and
lone women.
Il asked IL I could get a room there
until I could find friends who would as
sist me in getting employment. The lady
manager replied in no very courteous
terms: Yes: but you will have to pay 81
a week in advance 1 replied that 1 was
completely stranded in life. stranger,
and without one dollar. She said: I can't
help that No one can get in here with
out paying s. a week I was literally
turned into the street with delicate lit
tie girl to look out for place to lodge in
that night, and the weather was bitter
cold. I stumbled upon another Christian
house. On knocking, I asked II / could
sleep there for one night on charity.
: Yes. II you can put up with what ac-
commodation We have / was shown the
room, which was not habitable. .
well, we walked and walked until I
thought We would both fall from cold
and exhaustion. Finally knocked at a
respectable-looking place. and told the
lady candidly had not one dollar. but IL
she would lodge myself and child would
leave with her my breastpin until found
work. She was humane and took US in.
Plea for Relief.
Now, Mr.. Editor. I am giving you this
chapter from real life TO ask that you
suggest to some rcneyed man or woman
to open and Keep going a respectable
lodging or boarding place for lone wom-
en- strangers arriving here with no mon
ey at all. Give them board and lodging
frrrr, md fra ~n<<t
like outcasts. but as unfortunates who
do not understand In moment how to
stem the tide Of an impoverishsd condi-
ton and how to convince people that
they are truly and decentiy what they
pretend to be. -.