Year: 1869

A contributor signing himself Engrave1


communicates the following to the Ne,


York Sun:


ED. N Y. sun: In your issue of Sat


urday, Dec. II, / observed an article upol


counterteiting. AS you do not appear t.


understand the true theory of the art, shal


endeavor to enlighten you and the public


In the first place, perfect tac simile o


the bill cannot be engraved by hand as thu


most of the parts are engraved by machin
cry called lathe work. So you see thu


impossibility of executing the work with


out its being Immediately detected that is
the lines on the figures and letters will moi


be the same as on the genuine. The GEM


inc plates are engraved by the best work


men in the country, and with every facility
for making very neat engraving On the
other hand, the counterfeiters, not having
such facilities, they make bungling job


No doubt you will be surprised to learn
the way the best counterfeit bills are gotten
up. A party of men, say from three to q
dozen, get together and hold frequent meet
ings, and act according to plan laid down.
One or two will find out some copper-platc
printer in The employ of the bank note
printing otiice-in fact, all such printers
are known by the party. These men will
manage to meet one Of the printers in the
evening, get acquainted, drink, and have a
good time generally with him. and so pro-
ceed for few evenings. Then they offer
him from $50 to $50 to procure certain
kind of impression. This impression is
made in this wise: The printer will take
an impression upon tin foil from the plate
from which he is printing, which can be
done in moment. Thus you see every
line and size is obtained correctly. From
this tin foil au electretype plate is made.
They then get some plate printer that can
be found about the city, have good time
with him, and engage him for $40 per day
TO do the printing. By this plan thousands
of copies are struck off which defy detec-
ton, except in the quality of the paper,
which will slightly differ from the genuine.
The place Of manufactory is generally some
distance from the city, like Staten Island,
Flatbush, or sometimes Baxter street, or
similar localities in the city. 1t is a strange
fact in every case where parties of this kind
exist, that every member lacks confidence
iu his associates. Every move made by
one is narrowly watched by the others of
the party. 1t would be death to any infor-
mant or spy that did not look we'll to HIM
self.


This | send you for information so as
to LET you know how some things are ac-
complshel. If you think it is worth while
TO give these facts to the public you are
welcome.


BEHIND THE SCENES. A large number
of young persons, females as we'll as males,
arrive daily in the city, seeking employ
ment. great many are attracted by the
glare OF the city, with the expectation that
employment and money are to be had for
the asking. Yet there is 20 place on the
continent that is SO over-crowded, where it
is so difficult to get an honest employment
and remunerative pay. Young women are
employed in great numbers in stores, fac
tories and bindcries. The slavery and
drudgery to which they are subjected, if
known beforehand, would keep the stout
est heart away from New York. Some of
the large retail stores employ scarcely any
clerks but young ladies. They are we'll
dressed. This is demanded. They seem
to have cheerful, easy time, with good
wages and little to do. But it is serf-
dom that has few equals. An iron rule
runs through such establishments. Parties
must be at the store at a given minute,
have just SO many minutes for lunch, and
are fined for every little mistake or neglect.
If goods are stolen from special depart
l:icnt, or damaged in the slightest degree,
or missed, or misdirected, the young lady
In charge of the department has to pay the
full retail value of the article There can
be no sitting down during business hours.
Over these departments a woman presidcs
to see that the laws are kept, because no
man would be hard hearted enough to Gu
force the rules. Women make shirts and
clothes at starvation prices, and getting in
to the whirlpool of the city, must toll on or
stawe. Theatres and concert saloons,
where ballet girls and singers are wanted,
are particularly attractive to females out of
employment. Besides the peculiar tempta-
tions Of such life which are inseparable
to it, the wages are hardly above that of a
ditchcr, while the toll that turns night into
day exceeds that of any working woman
on New England farm. Such spend all
they earn, are lily paid die early, and are
indebted to friends for coffin and shroud.
A young man or a young woman had bet
ter stick to their native hills, dig, delve,
drudge, if it need be, than attempt the bad,
ill paid, hard to get and insufficient employ
ment Of New York. Thousands of young
persons to-day are in our midst with moth
ing to do and no money. N. Y. paper.


Some very frightful exhibits of the con-
dition Of liquors in New York is made in
a recent report to the Board of Excise Out
of thirty-two samples purporting to be
Bourbon, brandy and gin, ouly three or
four are reported to be fair, and the rest
are inferior, bad and very bad Against
the first sample marked ''bad" we find the
note, "navor like vinegar and rancid lamp
oil" Another is 'Aavored with winter
greens, thirty per cent below proof" The
remainder are commented upon as "vile
Stuff "favor of pine shavngs,' 'sforty
per cent below proof" diluted with tea,'
"a poor rum favored with wintergreen," )"
etc., etc. Fusel oil was discovered in great
er or less quantities in all the samples but