Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-23

THE u. >. ASSAY OFFICE The u 5 Ass"v
Office in New York is well worth a visit. The
rather insignificant looking white NJ arbIe bull.
ding which stands next the Custom House in
wall street (No. SO) is occupied by Uncle Sam
as Gold and Silver Refinery. The business
Offices front on Wall street, but the working
apartments are in large building in the rear
Visitors are received on Wednesday mornings,
between the hours Of ten and twelve o'clock,
bGt our population is mostly so taken up with
business cares at these hours Of the day, that
very few find their way into the Assay Office
About five O'Clock, p. m, would suit most peo-
pie better and if the hours were altered there
would probably be more visitors. We visited
this curiosity shop on Wednesday, and felt
well repaid for the time spent there, in the
entertainment and information which we re-
ceiyed from the gentlemanly usher who ex-
planned the why and the wherefore of the op-
erations.
First, we were taken into the room where the
bullion is measured. Here nicely adiasted
scales are kept, regulated by the standard at
Washington. The gold and silver, while in
process Of asssying, is frequently weighed, so
that there is no chance for fraud on the part
Of the employees.
The ascent from one story to another is by
iron staircases, and the floors are covered with
iron gratings, which are removed at stated
periods, and the foorings beneath carefully
II
which are mixed with the dust are thus pre-
served The gold which is brought into the
ofice for assaying is composed, to a certain
degree, of silver. Eleven per cent Of Califor-
MIA gold is silver. Two pounds of silver are
mixed with every pound Of unrefued gold
and melted up with it, and then upon the ap-
plicstion of nitric acid the pure gold is sep
aratsd from the silver. Thirty tons Of silver
In solution is kept constantly on hand for this
purpose Silver is granulated in the same
way, by mixing it with zinc and applying the
acid. The silver is prscipitated into salt wa
ter, in solution with the nitric acid, and by
this means n portion of the acid is removed,
and on being united with zinc in the proportion
l:2, the silver and acid are entirely separated.
A small steam engine of 30 horse power keeps
the machinery Of the workhouse in motion.
Immense vaults extend underneath the street,
which we did not explore.
Most of the men (of whom there are 60) en-
ployed at the Assay 0Hhce at present come
from the u. S. Mint at Philadelphia They
are we'll paid, and it is almost impossible for
them to practice any dishonesty without de-
lection.
We were shown some solid bars of pure gold.
worth SIS 500 apiece, and others Of 50 900 and
$500, respectively. 1t is sufficient to incite q
lazy man 10 industry to look at them We
saw some huge cheeses Of silver, too, worth
$4,000 apiece; if the moon were made Of such
cheeses, lovers would not be the only lunstics
The wonders Of the Assay ofice, like all
other onders, must be seen to be appreciated,
and il is astonishing that there are 50 Few yis-
itors there on Wednesday mornings A New
Yorker visiting Philadelphia or Boston, is
pretty certain to see all that is worth looking
at but at home be is the least curious Of
mcrtals.-N. y. Tines