came names on dog collars, and finally, as a business, 

 engraving plates for visiting cards, in what time he 

 had from his labor in a tannery. This was his first 

 step into a course of retaliation and revenge against 

 the heads of the institution that he accused of having 

 wronged him, whom he referred to in his previous 

 outbreak. 



The earnestness and fluency in telling his story was 

 such that under ordinary circumstances would have 

 carried conviction of its truthfulness, but I could not 

 rid myself of the feeling that it was the outpouring of 

 a diseased brain, and so represented it in repeating 

 his story to Mr. Wood. But he took a different view; 

 he thought an investigation following the hints given 

 would develop more truth than fiction; at all events 

 we must fully report to Mr. Biddle. When that was 

 done Mr. Biddle agreed with Mr. Wood, and under- 

 took to have as thorough an investigation made as 

 possible. 



About this time there came from John Dickinson, 

 of London, specimens of his machine made safety 

 paper, in which shreds of crimson floss silk were intro- 

 duced between two laminae leaving the surface 

 smooth and free to take the impression from the 

 copper plate, instead of being mingled with the pulp, 

 and thus incorporated in the body of the paper as 

 was practiced in America. The samples were ob- 

 jectionable on account of being thicker than was used 

 for American bank notes. But Mr. Biddle's active 

 mind at once suggested the possibility of introducing 

 between the laminae the fine fibres of crimson silk so 

 woven as to form devices somewhat similar to line 

 engraving, and from the device in one note to pass to 

 the next either in straight or winding lines, so that 

 when the notes were cut apart the silk could be seen 

 in the edges. That if that could be accomplished a 

 perfect safety paper would be the result. Much 

 thought was expended on this idea, as the devices 

 must be formed and inserted simultaneously with the 

 paper making, and for this costly and complicated 

 machinery would be required. This met Mr. Biddle's 

 views, for in its complication and costliness he looked 

 for safety; sufficient advance in plans was made to 

 show the thing to be possible, and approximate esti- 

 mates of mill and machinery were made, when the 

 entire scheme was abandoned in consequence of a 

 hand-made specimen to show what the general ap- 

 pearance of the center silk marked paper would be. 

 This specimen did not carry out the idea of forming 

 the devices of many filaments of silk that would pass 

 from the device in one note to the next either in 



straight or waved lines that would show a floss edge 

 when cut apart, but was made by a single strand, 

 showing what could be produced without the aid of 

 the machinery, that Mr. Biddle was looking to as the 

 greatest safeguard. He pronounced the specimen 

 beautiful, much beyond what he anticipated, but at 

 the same time it was to his mind confirmatory of 

 what the convict had said: "That what one man 

 could do others could and would be found to dupli- 

 cate." 



The manner the specimen (Roman letters U.S. 

 with a spread eagle between them) was made very 

 simple. A plate of transparent glass had 17 ° floated 

 over it, that, when dried, left a thin pellicle that was 

 neither adhesive nor absorbent; over this was floated 

 an adhesive gelatine so deliquescent that by breathing 

 on it its surface became very sticky. This plate when 

 prepared was laid over a clearly drawn design, then 

 with a hollow pointed handle or pencil, similar to the 

 ever-pointed lead pencil, a fiber of crimson silk from 

 a freely turning spool in the handle took the place of 

 the lead; the end of this fiber was pressed on and 

 secured to the gelatine by a needle point in the left 

 hand, the fiber being drawn from the pencil as it 

 traced the design by gently breathing directly down 

 on the plate; the gelatine was kept sticky and held 

 the silk; partially embedding it; in making short 

 turns when filling in the design with delicate traceries 

 the needle point had frequently to be used, when the 

 design was complete: for security, a dilute float of 

 gelatine was given. The next operation was at a 

 paper mill at the time making bank note paper; a 

 very thin sheet was crushed on the post of felts, fanned 

 for a few minutes to consolidate and partially dry it, 

 then the silk design on the glass plate was crushed on 

 to it transferring the silk from the plate to the paper; 

 the perfect transfer was a delicate matter, and involved 

 several failures. After being successfully made, a thin 

 sheet was crushed onto it. The manner of finishing, 

 getting rid of the excess of gelatine size, etc., is need- 

 less to refer to here. At the time the scheme was 

 abandoned I thought it too hastily done; for I then 

 and still believe it was in the right direction. The 

 proposed use of many hundred filaments in forming 

 the devices, with the floss edge to the notes could only 

 be produced by complicated and costly machinery, 

 and could not be imitated bv hand. 



i" A word apparently was omitted here. The material that 

 was floated over the glass plate to produce the "thin pellicle" 

 is unknown. 



140 



