The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-24
ote. $50 grains - | Trey ounce
The Deposit Room.

The Deposit R0em.
Leaving the Coming Room, and passing through
the yard the next object Of interest is the Deposit
Room In this room all the precious metal used by
the Mint is received and weighed
About I'VE hundred million dollars worth Of gold has
been received in this since the precious metal
first discovered in California, in 1S4S. Previous
to that the gold came from different places, but
principally from Virginia, North Carolina, and
Georgia Considerable quantities, of very fine
quality, have come from Nova Scotia during the past
four or five years. Most OF the gold which
reaches the Mint at the present time comes from
Montana Territory Nearly all west OF that goes to
the Branch Mint at San Francisco, California
Before the discovery OF the immense lodes OF silver
which exist in the Territories OF the United States
the silver used by the Mint came principally from
Mexico and South America.
The precious metals are now found in most OF the
Territories through which the Rocky and other
mountains run.
The copper used by the Mint comes principally
from the mines Of Lake Superior. The finest is found
in Minnesota. The nickel is principally from Ian
caster county, Pa.
Looking into the Deposit Room from the yard are
seen the scales used in weighing gold and silver.
The largest weight used by the Mint is in this
room; it is five hundred ounces. The smallest
weight used in the Mint is found in the Assay
Room it is the tweve-hundredth part OF ia
grain. and can be scarcely seen with the naked
eye, unless on white ground. The smallest weight
used In the Deposit Room IS the onc-hundredth part
of an ounce or what is more readily comprehended,
the one-ifth OF pennyweight
The largest scale in this room will weigh from six
thousand ounces to the one-hundredth OF an ounce
The next size weighs as much as three thousand
ounces at draft. The smallest weighs as much as
three hundred ounces at a draft. The reader can
imagine the delicacy OF these scales much better
than they can be described They are examined
and adjusted alternate days, sometimes oftener.
On the right-hand side OF the room is the vaults
There are twelve OF these vaults in the institution
They are OF solid masonry. The most important OF
them are lined with iron.
There has never been an attempt to break into the
institution or the vaults. An attempt would be
fruess, for only the doors OF extraordinary
strength but every quarter is guarded The only rob-
berry Of import which ever occurred in the Mint
was perpetrated 10y trusted servant of the Govern
ment in 1854. He purloined small particles OF gold
from the different lots brought In by the miners He
was detected and great portion of the stolen gold
made good. Since then, new regulations have been
made, which render recurrence OF the same thing
impossible.
In regard to the discovery OF gold in California,
the following extract from letter from the Director
OF the Mint TO the Secretary of the Treasury dated
December II, 1Ss, will prove interesting. II reads as
follows:-
On the sth instant we received the first deposit of
gold from California. IL was deposited by Mr..
Daniel Carter who brought 1t from San Francisco
by the Isthmus route. IL weighed 1S04'59 ounces
troy On the 9th, another deposit was sent
by the Secretary Of War; which weighed 22S ounces.
The average value per ounce OF the bullion
before melting Is Sis '05ls."
The purest gold in this couAtry has been found in
the State OF Georgia 1t is seldom found in any great
| quantity In any OF the Southern States
| The largest nugget OF gold ever brought to the
| Mint came from California in 1852, and was worth
| nearly six thousand dollars in gold.
| Attempts have been made to deposit spurious OF
! how nicely the fraud has been concealed the cheat
has always been detected before the "stunr wa,
| melted.
Gold, as received from the hands OF the miner IL
itsl native state, Is often OF curious formation ant
| differs considerably in outward appearance. IL Il
FOUND in tine dust, i'm grains from the size of pin'
head to that OF pea, and in Jumps varying in siz
from pea to the size of mans hand. 1t Is Occa
sOnally found in crystalline form.
The Deposit Melting Room.
Passing again into the building ON the right us
inside the hall door, will be seen the deposit melting
room. There are four furnaces in this ROOM ano
the first process OF melting which the gold or sve
goes through after falling into the hand OF the MIN
takes place in this room.
The metal is weighed carefully In the deposit room
In the presence OF the deposlt0r and officers OF tn
| Mint II is then locked up In iron boxes, an,
conveyed 20 the melting room, where they are un