The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1916-01-12

that our saving amounts to at
least $500.
eve wash 10 per cent of all
the money that comes to be re-
deemed. Nothing higher than
a twenty dollar bill goes through
the washing machine. The small
bills are in constant circulation
and wear out rapidly, so they
have to be reissued more fre-
quently than those of high de-
nomination. Bills Of high value
are never Numbered.
Banking opinion is divided
on this subject of Numbered
money. Some banks desire new
money and will not accept any
other, while many banks re-
quest the washed bills, saying
that they are softer than the
others and are easier to handle.
eve have received this testi-
monial especially from men who
have long payrolls and must
handle thousands of dollars to
fill 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 oc-
cupy floor space of about four
square yards and are conlbina-
ton washers and ironers. Two
girls work at a machine, which
is operated by electricity. One
feeds the soiled money to the
washer, and the other catches
the clean money as it leaves the
ironer.
"The bills are laid on a NOV
ing 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 clean
ses 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 ct a
girl, who scrutinizes each bill to
determine whether it is fit to be
sent out into circulation. AS
she asserts the bills she stacks
those which she considers per-
feet into piles ready for the ex-
pert counters. When the counts
are verified the Numbered bills
are made into packages contain
/ ing 1000 of one denomination
and kind and sealed for redis-
tribution among the banks.
"By this practice of redeem
ing money by washing it," said
Miss Thomas, 1--WE also have an
extra means of checking up on
the counterfeiters. Our expert
counters spot counterfeits as
soon as they are sent in with
the government money from the
banks. They pass these bills
along to the secret service de-
tectives, who trace them to their
makers.
"A counterfeit hasn't chance
to escape us. 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 watched by
expert eyes. When the wash
able money is separated from
the rest and is turned over to
me to put through the laundry
I give it to the operators. They
look at it carefully at the time
it enters the washing machine
and when it comes out. After
this my counters go over it. By
this time you may be sure any
counterfeit is discovered.
''It is remarkable sight to
watch the sixty expert counters,
who average 10000 notes daily.
run lightly through a bunch of
bills and stop short suddenly
when they come to 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 far as the laundry" New