Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1916-03-03
EK4ZzXZZyG UNsIQN-

I'm no other form of printing can the beautiful
soft and yet strong effects in black and white be
obtained as In steel engraving. The introduc-
ton OF cheap mechanical process work has super
seeded the beautiful creations of master
graver commercially, and now find the art
limited to the engraving of securities as applied
in the governments bureau of engraving and
printing"
In the engraving division of the big shop the
work is divided and classified that the engrav-
ers individually become skilled in particular
branch OF the art. Therefore, 1t is that they are
classified portrait script, square letter and
ornamental engravers. Wien the classification
and division have been made each workman is
made to confine himself to his own speciality, and
so it is that he becomes extraordinarily expert.
The result of this system is that not only better
execution is secured but a much greater amount
is turned out In given time, and what, of course,
is Of much greater importance increased safety
for Uncle Sans belongings is obtained.
Everything which IL issued from the engraving
department of Uncle Sans bureau combines evil
dences of the individual skill and characteristics of
a number of men. Inasmuch as the handiwork
of several men appears upon each plate, II readily
can be understood how difficult thing 1t is for
any one engraver to make perfect reproduction
of one of these plates. The combination of differ
ent styles of workmanship, all excellent,
single plate makes counterfeiting one of the most
difficult things possible.
In the halls of the bureau specimens of the
work to be seen and examples of the money
shown in different stages of the progress of
the work No one is allowed to the engravers at
their work. 1t is absolutely necessary that the
plates should be guarded against theft, and so 1t
is that they under watch all through daylight
hours, and at night they safely placed within
great vaults. One curious thing is to be noted,
the government prints from the original
plate. duplicate of 1t is made and this Is used
for the printing. II this were not done and some
thing should happen to the plate first made, its
place would have to be taken by e. one, and
even II the skill of the engraver should produce
one almost exactly like the original, 1t would at
best be only copy Of it, and anything that was
printed from the new plate would in way be
counterfeit provided of course the original plate
had been used for printing purposes.
Visitors to the bureau are shown the printing of
the notes. There six or seven hundred en-
ployees engaged in this work. The paper is a silk
ibered material and the process Of its manu-
faetnre is safeguarded because it must be kept
Q trade secret. Anyone who is. found with paper
of this kind in his possession imitation of II,
is q violater of the law.
All OF the printing is done on hand presses. A
man with woman assistant are ut each press
There are four notes to each sheet, and each
pressman turns out about five hundred, sheets
day printed on one side only. A. most careful
count Is kept of the sheets. The counting is done
by several persons and after it Is done the notes
sent to numbering machines. where blue ink
Is used to mark the series letter and each notes
number.
Every day in the year except Sunday a steel
conveyance goes from the bureau Of engraving and
printing to tn treasury department carrying as its