The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-12-31
LAUNDERED BILLS
Uncle Sans Method of Cleaning
Soiled Paper Money.
WASHED AND THEN IR0NED.
This Work ls Done In tho Treasury
Department by Machines, Each One
of Which Can Daily Make $4,000
Pieces of Used Currency Look New.

OF Wntcn San lazy wake Sos""0
Pieces of Used Currency Look New.
"By washing soiled paper money We
save the government $500 every day."
said Miss Annie e. Thomas, In charge
of the laundry" of the redemption di-
vision Of the United States treasury In
Washington.
"Soiled 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 solled and worn bills
and put them through the laundry to
be washed and ironed. These are al
most as good as new and are redistrib-
uted with the notes which come from
the bureau OF engraving and printing.
"We launder about $4,000 bills daily
and call this good days washing. 1t
costs 30 cents to wash 100 dirty notes
and $1.30 to print the same number.
Through the laundry we save 81 on
100 notes. Washing, as we do, an av-
erage of $4,000 bills a day, Of which
many are not fit to send out again. we
estimate that our saving amounts to at
least $500.
1--WE wash 10 per cent Of all the
money that comes to be redeemed.
Nothing higher than twenty dollar
bill goes through the washing machine.
The small bills are I'm constant circula-
ton and wear out rapidly, 80 they have
to be reissued more frequently than
those Of high denomination. Bills OF
high value are never laundered.
Banking opinion is divided on this
subject Of laundered money. Some
banks desire new money and will not
accept any other, while many banks
request the washed bills, saying that
ther 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 I'll many pay envelopes.
These men tell us that the washed bills
do not stick together as do the others
and can be more readily counted out
"The washing machines occupy floor
space Of about four square yards and
are combination washers and ironers.
Two girls work at a machine, which Is
operated by electricity. One feeds tho
soiled money to the washer, and the
other catches the clean money as II
leaves the ironer.
"The bills are laid on a 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 soapy
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
scrutinlzes each bill to determine
whether 1t is fit to be sent out into cir
culation. 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 laundered bills are made into pack
ages containing 1000 Of one denomina-
ton and kind and sealed for redistrlbu-
ton among the banks.
"By this practice Of redeeming mon
ey by washing It," said Miss Thomas,
1--WE also have an extra means OF check
ing up on the counterfeiters. Our ex-
pert counters spot counterfeits 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 a chance to es-
cape US. From the time the banks
packages are opened by the counters
to be verified to the time the money
leaves this division finally 1t 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 I give 1t to the operators.
They look ut 1t carefully at the time 1t
enters the washing machine and when
II comes out. After this my counters
60 over It. BY this time you may be
sure any counterfeit Is discovered.
"It is q remarkable sight to watch
the sixty expert counters. who average
10000 notes daily. run lightly through
bunch of bills and stop short sudden.
ly when they come to n counterfeit In
their hands. They identify these notes,
almost perfect as they often are, by the
feel Of the paper. Under their trained
vigilance counterfeits seldom get as
Tar as the laundry."-New York Sun.