Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-06
The Daddies of Dollars
Nv Frederic J. Haskin.


n would he possible Tor such ah 'l''h ii''i'
In make in all the world.
rTbese objects are the steel plates from
h;th tbe currency of the United states
ssa,,orrment m',.o, is printed. The possessor OF
tLc master plate for the ten Thousand
dollar bill for example, should oe IN
better position to enrich mmseh thtn y
bc could steal the largest package Oh ,Ilose
L;ls already I'm existence. lie WOULD nc
r,,f,ontcd with the mere task OF counter
fo;t,nq paper and ink, whercupon ne
,,n,,ld becomc a privately operated United
ed States Treasury.
These plates from which the money ~
the United States is made are IN a ftugG
yanlt in the Bureau of Engraving ana
Printing in Washington. nat ouIcau
some wears ago built for ltsen factory
which is considered model. Olle Oh us
n,trnoses was, Of course, security, ana
~ ~ ;ntarest of this security, it took great
rains in the construction OF the hoiy oi
bol;es in which should rest plates from
which its money WAS made.
ONE BURGLAR PROOF VAULT.
There IS probably no vault in The worid
+bot i moro scientifically built or more
tborouqbIv protected from robbery than
= this piate-vauIt of the government
x,,o,,cx, Factory. II Is located III the base
rnc,,t of inc great building, and IT'S doors
.,rc 50 st,lpendous that, but Tor thcif
delicate hinging, it would require 'ei'.,
OF horses to open them once cIoStu -
would be a first class task tor the eNi''"sis
division of the Ordnance Depaf,4lIcnS !I.D.li ~
,orl tic wav through the highly tempered
4bai ond into this vault If It were gwen i
,,soct IN nerform the task When tins d"or
! closed for the night, there IS no man ~
tho world who can opcn II unti tne tl'l''
ioct has licked off the hours to the tune
Dcsritc this virtual inpcnetrabiiitN;
many other safeguards arc thrown aiouiI"
this plate vault of the treasury Del9lIi
mcnt. The vault IS always he;lFl9 hu"iI 't
ed A watchman may stand upon the
hr;dc,, which is in front of the great door
to his vault and watch all sides of y WIN
All cbonCjnp his position. tie can look
Jo,,,, tbe aisle In one direction anu bC-
cause Of an arrangement OF mirrors ~
oach corner. his vision will run entirety
aro,,pd the vault and he will sec hlnlSeit
a. his most Likewise he can look over tilc
ton of the vault and around II ~ 'haO
direction. 80 this single watchinan'
throughout the night is able 70 assure Nun
seIf hv mere glance that no one : near
This mallSoleum Of money.
Fvprv master plate from which every
niece az currency that tho government ms
ever printed SINCE Its beginning 7 &C.
n,s,tcd N this great vault. here ono
~ 800 the master plate from winch
panc the first dollar bill that the United
States ever issued. There may ne seen
every master plate for every piece q
nancr money Of every denomination ,'la'
his government has ever ISSUED. mere
may be seen the plates from whlch the
staTnns are made and those that have pro-
d5ced the Liberty and victory loan
banJs that have called forth the billions
from the pockets Of America
MAKING PLATEs
his business Of making plates from
which 10 print the money al the govern
vet is IN itself an industry Of NO mean
,,~o,ortion II is housed in the wing oi the
roat building beneath which Is % be
Fotnnd the plate vault. The best artists Of
America compete IN making pictures 'o
enobellish the backs OF the bhis that the
government prints Tor use as money n
erravers transfer these paintings 70 thc
Stool from which the sacred plates are to
be made. Weeks are spent n cutting =
e3vo, 1,icttire into n pIecc Of soft steer
0oa cnrravcr NAV have spent iiie time
mon the speciality OF lettering upon TINS
etael Another mav do nothing but scroll
u.orL while still another spcciaiIzes on
+bo heads az individuals whose pictures
a-near on the money. The soft steel plate
moves FROM ono to another oi these ar
fists until Il eventually CrneTgeS ~ peFlect
form, From il Is made a master plate ana
frnn1 the master plates are made the re
0l,isitc number for use on the presses III
nrjn1ing the government s money
SINCE there is no other agency IN the
,atior which Is authorized TO PRINT money,
there Is no private industry from which
this money factory OF the government ma y
learn lessons that are 70 its advantage,
Il hos been necessary that II should stand
alone and develop its own methods and us
own devices In this way II has produced
many industrial novelties which are 10 De
seen now here else. There Is, lot instance,
= davice for measuring the hardness ol
+bese steel plates, for they must be very
hard to stand long runs and give the cleal
rrinting which Is necessary One wotiio
s,,nnose that the hardness Of thus stee
would have 10 be tested by attempting to
cut IT with a file or some such tool. As :
matter of fact such a method would bt
rude and Ineffective. There Is method o.
accurately measuring its hardness with
out so much as scratching It.
MEASURING STEEL ; HARDNESS.
The device which does this work IS
glass tube, some two feet long, upon
which IS etched a scale of inches Ike thai
on a ruler. At the top Of this tube IS helc
a little weight IN the lorIn OF q cartridge
L is about the size of the cartridge OF {
+xenty-two rife. This little metal cart
ridge has diamond at its tap. This tubs
with its cartridge is placed upright owe
tbesteel plate, the hardness Of which IS /,
be tested 4 spring Is touched which re
leases the little cartridge, which droD
,non It's diamond nose upon the stee
Mate. When this diamond hits the steel ]
ret.o,Inds. The distance It will leap bacl
IN the tube accurately measures the hard
ness of the steel. Upon striking the hard
rst Of the plates that are manufacturer
here. the cartridge will jump four time
~ high as it will when striking the sof
plates that are Just from the engraver
The quick eve of the tester watches tn
little cartridge TO see how high 1t clunb
and instantly knows the degree Of bard
ness of his plate Unless il Is Just right 70
the delicate task Of printing the nation
money. it is sent back 10 the Furnace room
where it is heated and tempered and re
tempered until its consistency Is what !
should be
From the master plate it is necessary L
make considerable numbers ol the print
ing plates, which arc soon worn out in til
printing Of money. These duphcat
plates must be checked in and out Wit
infinite care. so that IL il impossible 70
f,ff fhort7 fCr 4