a small table at which the
assorter, seated upon a stool, does his counting and writing, and which,
when not needed for this purpose, is swung underneath the till. A
woven-wire folding screen is fastened to the upper portion of the stand,
and may be locked down over the boxes, or thrown back out of the way.
Padlocks of improved construction are part of the equipment, no two keys
being interchangeable. Below the till is a shelf of the width of the
stand, for the convenience to the assorter next in front. Each till is
supplied with a blank book in duplicate forms for the assorter's
accounts, an array of different colored printed straps, a box of bank
pins, and all the appliances necessary for handling money with ease and
rapidity.

For convenience in assorting, the twenty-three hundred and forty banks
are arranged alphabetically, according to the name of their location,
into forty-four groups, which are distinguished numerically, there being
from forty to upward of sixty banks in each group. The operation of
assorting notes into these groups is known as the first assortment; that
of assorting the notes of the groups by individual banks, as the second
assortment. The bundles of redeemed currency, having been passed to the
assorting room, are delivered to the first assortment teller, who
distributes them among the twelve or fifteen first assorters, taking
receipts. Each of these persons carries his money to his till, and after
making an inventory by straps, proceeds to count the notes. He unpins a
package and lays the strap flat on the table before him. If the contents
of that package are found to be correct, he lays the money upon the
strap. The next strap is laid on top of this pile, and so on. By this
method the several packages are kept distinct, and if he afterward finds
an irredeemable note in his money, he may know from whom it comes. All
errors discovered, not only in this process, but in all others, are
required to be reported immediately. Should a package be found "over,"
the assorter makes a memorandum, over his initials and the date, upon
the strap, and returns this with the superfluous note to the teller. The
note is put in the "cash till" to the credit of the counter whose
signature is on the strap. "Short" packages are returned for
verification to the counter, and the deficiency is made good out of the
"cash till" and charged to the counter. Spurious and stolen notes are in
like manner exchanged for genuine.