The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-21
NeW NezVS
Of Yesterday

until old age compelled his retire
ment sixteen years later. HIS mss-
FERROUS autograph, q sort OF symooi
or cipher. which was attached TO all
of the government paper money IS
sues during his treasurershlp, caused
him to be far more widely known
than would have been the case had
he signed the notes in a plain, intel
ligible hand.
General Spinner aided in the reor-
ganization of the bureau Of printing
and engraving at Washington. This
was a bureau Of the Treasury Depart
ment which was greatly enlarged
after the national banking act was
passed. From it came at first almost
all of the government bonds. Skilled
artisans and ~engravers who were real
artists in the engraving field were en-
ployed by the department. General
Spinner devised an elaborate plan of
checking and COMMUNICATING 50 that
it was practically impossible for any
dishonest employe to steal money or
to aid cOunterfeiters in making fac
SMILES of the plates.
In the fall of 1852 General Spinner
was summoned by the Secretary or
the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, to the
latter's Office.
General Spinner said Governor
Chase. q am in great perplexity.
| The employees of the bureau of print
ing and engraving are enliSting so
rapidly that it looks to me as though
we might ave to shut up the
bureau"
I suppose there are 10 men COM
petent to take the places of the m
| ployes who have enlisted?" General
Spinner asked.
That is the fact. have caused
| inquiries to be made in New York and
Philadelphia and I find that it is with
the greatest difficulty hat the COM
panies who do engraving and printing
are able to keep employees in sufficient
numbers to do their work" Secre-
tary Chase replied, adding: II have
sent for you, General Spinner, to ask
you if you can suggest any way by
which we can repIenish the bureau
Of printing and engraving with COM
petent men,"
General Spinner returned to his
own office and as he sat at his desk
a woman who was employed in the
Treasury Department, and who had
become wonderfully skillful in the
sorting Of notes. stepped into his
b did not ave a chance to ask a
question. The instant General Spin
ner saw her the thought flashed
through bis mind. why Q send
competent women to the bureau OF
printing and engraving? If we can
fill with women the places left va
can't by employees who have enlisted
then we shall no longer have any
trouble at the bureau" General
Spinner was SO excited over the idea
that he Immediately returned into
the office Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury.
"Mr. Secretary" he exclaimed, "le1
5 the men go, We will fill their places
with women. l have observed tina
the women in my department become
wonderfully skillful in the handling
counting and sorting of n The1
Will very speedily learn what is neces.
e sary to be done at the bureau o.
y printing and engraving and in SOM
/ respects they will make better en-,
ployes than men,
S Secretary Chase was a little doubt.
full at first, but he said at last to Cen
eral Spinner: We'll, wen try thu
experiment Let me have tomorrow
e some OF your most competent womer
s and l will see that they have place,
% the bureau OF printing and engray
ing"
e The experiment was made in tn,
course Of a day or two. The test wa
a most satisfactory. Both the Secra
tary or the Treasury and Genera
spinner were persuaded that wome1
: would make highly n
sklllful and rapid working emplove
e OF the bureau, and in the course y
Few weeks all the places left yacan
py men who had enlisted were occ,,
pied by women. And the great hu
- TTau or printing n engraving a
I" washington has been ever since ~
workshop of as skillful and comnonn
Working women as he goyarpwen
g has ever employed.
~ +
Copyright, 1912, by E. J. Eduara.
= All rights reserved.)