The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-07

TIE UNITED STATES MINT-Since the enor-
nous influx Of gold from California, the United
States Mint has become an object of more than
common attention and interest, and the place Is
usually filled with visitors, watching the various
processes which the metal goes through before it
comes out finished coin. The machinery and
apparatus by which these are accomplished are of
the most complete and perfect character. The
rooms in which the smelling, refining and alloying
are done, are spacious apartments, in which
large number of workmen employed Heaps
of the rich ores are to be seen laying around, as
they were extracted from the mines, or gathered
in dust from the sands Of the mountain streams
of California. Bars Of the pure metal, represent
ing many thousands of dollars in value, are pass
ing through hands which, like those Of Mdba,
seem to turn what they touch into gold. The
heat of this place is insuferable. fires glow with
the intensity of those in foundry, the men are
as smutched and dust-begrmed those in a
smithery there is auffocating sensation of hot
air, steam and perspiration penetrating the
atmosphere, which is anything but pleasant to
experience, when the thermometer is palpitating
under summer temperature. Crucibles are
handled with iron tongs and cotton mittens, the
metal is shaped into bars and then reduced to the
requisite fneness All this takes place in one
apartment. In another, there is most beaut ful
steam engine, which drives the rolling and stamp
ing machinery. This engine is of the most elegan,
workmanship, polished like piece of cutlery
and works without the least perceptble jar From
this room the visiter walks into that where thu
rolling machines are at work, turning out TIL
meta! to the proper degree Of thickness which
each particular denomination of coin requires. Ii
another apartment the coins are cut with puncl
che desired size and then stamped The coins ar
placed by person seated at the machine, in
perpendicular tube, down which they descend ,on
at time, being seized they drop by a part 0
the machinery, which pushes the coin under tn
stamp, whence it falls under the machine into
glasscovered box. This part of the process uset
in former years, to be performed by press which
still remains in the building, worked by leave
and screw, requiring eight men to laboriously
labor at it now the process requires scarcely any
manual labor but handling the pieces ofcoin. The
rapidity with which the pieces are coined is sur
prisiug. Gents, Dollars, Eagles, Double Eagles
are turned out with equal facility, the process be-
ing the same in all. Some idea Of the exte sive-
ness of these operations, and Of the metaiierous
fecundty Of the gold possessions Of the United
States, may be had, when it is stated that last
month nearly three millions OF pieces, gold, silver
and copper. were coined, and that nearly -four
millions in value coined every month. In ad
dition to the other attractions the Mint there il
a most extensive cabinet Of coins, ancient ant
modern, (Roman, Greek, Chinese, European
which ia one of the greatest Of curiosities ant
probably to be met with no where else in tli
country. The officers of the mint are polite ant
attentive to visiters, and endeavor to make thei
visit one of instruction well amusement. I
is under the very effective management of Mr.
Dale, the director. Philadelphia Ledger.