The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-12-24
LAUNDERED BILLS
Uncle Sans Method of CLEANING
SoiIed Paper Money.
WASHED AND THEN IRONED.

This Work Is Done In the Treasury
Department by Machines, Each One
of Which Can Daily Make $4,000
Pieces of Used Currency Look New.
BY washing soilcd paper money we
save the government $500 every day."
said Miss Annie T.. Thomas. in charge
of the laundry" of the redemption di-
vision of the United States treasury in
Washington.
"Soilcd money" she went on, comes
TO us daily from banks all over the
United States to be redeemed For
merly all of this money was destroyed
and new was issued in its place. Now
We take the least Soilcd and worn bills
and put them through the laundry to
be washed and ironcd. These arc al
most rs good us new and are redStrib-
utcC with the notes which come from
the bureau of engraving and printing.
I'VE iaundcr about 3JOuO bills daily
and call this good days washing 1t
costs 80 cents To wash 100 dirty notes
aud $l.D to rG.n; the Same number.
Through th" laundry we save 81 on
luo notes. Washing. rs we do. I'm av-
cragc OF $1,000 bills = "a of which
many are not lit to send U;!. again. we
estimate that our >avim.: amounts To ot
least 500
I'VE wash 10 per cent of all thc
money that comes to he rcdurmcd.,
NothlhS higher than twenty dollar
DIN goes through the washing machine.
The small bills are in constant circula-
ton and wear out rapidly, so they have
to he reissucd more frequently than
those of high denomination. Bills of
high value are never laundcred.
Banking opinion is divided tbh this
subject of laundered money. Some
banks desire new money and will not
accept any other, while many banks
request the washed bills, saving that
they are softer than the others and are
easier to handle.
1--WE have received this Testimonial
especially from men who have long
payrolls and must handle thousands of
dollars to fill many pay envelopes.
Ihese men tell us that the washed bills
do not stick together as do the others
and can be more readily counted out.
The washing ma chimes occupy a floor
space of about four square yards and
are combination washers and ironers.
TWO girls work ut machine, which Is
operated by electricity. One feeds the
soiled money to the washer, and the
other catches the clean money as 1t
1eavesR che ironer. ~ --,x
The bills are laid on moving belt
OF WET blanket, which carries them on
TO meet another moving blanket. from
above. Thus secured between these
TWO blankets they pass over and around
a number Of rollers in tank Of Lsoapy
suds, which cleanses and sterilizes
them. Then they pass through rinsing
water and on to heated rollers, which
dry and iron them.
They drop out at the end of the
course into the hands of girl, who
scrutinizes each bill to determine
whether it is fit to be sent out into cir
culatlon. AS she asserts the bills she
stacks those which she considers per-
feet into piles ready for the expert
counters. When the counts are verified
the iaundered bills are made into pack
ages containing 1000 of one denomina-
ton and kind and sealed for redistribu.
ton among the banks.
by this practice OF redeeming mon.
ey by washing it," said Miss Thomas.
we also nave an extra means of check.
ing up on the countcrfeiters. Our cx.
pert counters spot countcrfeits as soon
as they are sent in with the govern.
ment money from the banks. They
pass these bills along to the secret |
service detectives. who trace them to |
their makers.
"A counterfeit hasn't n chance 10 es. |
cape u.s. From the time the banks |
packages are opened by the counters
TO be verified to the time the money |
leaves this division finally it is watch
ed by expert eyes. When the washable |
money Is separated from the rest and |
Is turned over to me to put through the |
laundry l give it to the operators
They look at it carefully at the time if
enters the washing machine and when
t comes out. After this my counters
90 over it. BY this time you NAV be
sure any counterfeit is discovered.
III Is remarkable sight to watch
ne sixty expert counters, who average
,o,ooo notes daily. run lightly through
bunch OF bills and stop short sudden.
y when they come to a counterfeit i'm
heir hands. They identify these notes.
llmost perfect as they often are. by the
feef or the paper. Under their trained
vigilance counterfeits seldom get as
ar as the laundry. New York Sun.
Ono Kind of a Platform.