Year: 1869

GUS Manufactures" published in the


Philadelphia North American, is a de-


scription of the manufacture of bank
note paper. The writer says:


s'There are but three mills in America
making bank note paper and but one
| that invariably makes it Of the highest
standard of excellence. Time was that
rigid restrictions were thrown around the
production OF this material. Mr.. j. 81.
Wilcox ,at Glen Mills, some distance from
Phiiadelphia City, makes most of the
bank note paper used in this country,
and great deal that is ordered from
abroad. He inherits a business tia in
the time of his grandfather was conduct
ed only under the eye of an agent OF
the Government. When an order came
for supply an agent came with it. OF
the portion of the mill in which the work
was done he took possession. He saper-
vised the entire process, from the mas
ceration of the pulp to the cuttings of
the sheets. Every spoiled sheet was &C
counted for, and the scraps and cuttings
were invariably gathered up and carried
away with him. When the amount re-
quired was finished no more paper conid
be had except through the authorized
source. This caution is now done away
with. Amy man may take the best or
poorest paper that ..e can, and sell it to
whom he pleases. The counterfeiter as
vast deal of trouble with his plates, but
with his paper very little.


"The American National, the Conti-
mental, and the British American en-
craving companies buy the paper and
print the notes, charging the parties or
dering fixed price per sheet. The
usual size for bank note paper 14x17
inches to the sheet, each sheet making
just eight notes. The material of the
paper is wholly linen. 1t was once made
of silk, not by machinery as it now is,
but by hand. It was not an object to
bleach it. This very article is written
upon q venerable sample Of pinkish pa
per, in which may be seen threads Of
scarlet pulp in which the dye has been
pIrposely left undischarged. Machinery
now does all this work. The material
is linen. imported from Ireland express
ly for the purpose, and the paper is
therefore as white as snow. The ma
terial was formerly made EXPIRE sly for
the Messrs. Wilcox, direct from the flax,
but the linen factories-of course at
high priee-keep up the supply from the
cuttings of their products. Miscellane-
Gus rags came from continental coun-
tries-Italy, Spain, and the neighborine
kingdoms chiefly; but these people do
not wear linen, and consequently do not
have linen rags to dispose of.


ga disclosure of the minute Of max
ing this precious paper would be q VIC
lation Of confidence. The mills are
situated upon a li:opid creek in Swan
bury township, Delaware county. They
produce all kinds Of fine and collar pa
pers; but this especial Manufacture
comes under the head Of Curious and
therefore receives our attention. It is
interesting all through; for the linen
taken into the fourth story OF the build
ing by one uninterrupted process, all
done by mactinery,is delivered in sheets
from the cutting machine upon q snoy
white table, in front of girl dressed as
carefully as if at a ladies' tea party,
who packs it into wrappers for delivery.
American government and bank paper
needs to be good. 1t is longer in use
than any other paper money in the world.
1t could not be so If it were not the
best The Bank of England does not
second time issue the same note; ours
go from hand to baud, sometimes until
their identity is almost obliteratcd.-
Neither English nor French bank notes
are nearly SO we'll looking as ours
Neither the paper nor the engraving
approximates in excellence to the work
done for our own government. The
paper from Glen Mills is always the
same, whether the price of IL ateri4l aud
skilled labor decline Or fall. The East
ern makers (of whom there arc two)
different from the Philadelphia mil! in
furnishing the article in proportion of
excellence to the price they agree to
take for it.


"Mr. Wilcox recently delivered lot
of paper to the office Of tho American
Bank Note Company in this city, order
ed for the printing its paper money
by to little kingdom of Greece Every
sheet bears inerasable and uncounter.
feitable letters q specific mark, made in
the pulp by the delicate wire seive on
which it is dried. If this were intro.
duced by banks in general, counterfeit.
ing would be virtually impossible. The
writer is told that the Treasury Depart
ment is reducing to pulp and again
working over its worn out and cancel.