Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-02-15

Slerra Nevada, comes CarsonS partly
because it Is connected with us by
railroad, partly because Of its excel
lent location, partly because it is the
Capital of the State and has all the
State buildings there, and considerably
because its fine, healthy climate and
attractive society makes it q good
place for permanent residence. Car
son Is a good place to be in, as We can
testify from having just returned from
a short visit of a day or two.
THE MINT
In pursuance Of a natural propensity
for seeing all and. everything interest
ing, we first took a look through the
United States Branch Mint, Colonel
Curry, the efficient Superintendent
thereof, kindly accompanying us in
person. The main building is 95 feet
two stories in hight. not in
Guiding the basement or the attic.
1t is eligibly situated at the north end
of Carson, near the railroad, and is a
very handsome building, constructed
principally of the excellent brown
sandstone quarried ut the State Prison
and vicinity. although the steps are of
granite, which the builder, Col. Curry,
cut ont Of huge boulders found in the
foothills of the Sierra near BY. Aneat
yard. inclosed with n substantial rs
well rs ornamental iron fence, sur
rounds the building, and this summer
the grounds will be handsomely laid
out and planted with shrubbery, flow
ers, etc. Quite u number of young
cottonwoods are already set out along
the sidewalks, and still more will be
shortly. The interior Of the building
is very neatly and conveniently ar
ranged, through all.the various depart
ments, the rooms all well ventilated,
and well lighted from the numer-
Gus outside windows, and through
ont there is a peculiar appear
ance of inherent Substantially,
practical usefulness, pleasing and
satisfactory to contemplate. The
principal staircases are OF solid gran
tie. and all the floors are rs firm be-
meath the tread as mortar, cement,
stone, brick or choice lumber can make
them. As to that matter, all the lum-
Der used in and about the building Is
of the clearest and best description,
without a knot as big rs ones finger
nail in the whole Of it. The engine
room OH the lower floor contains the
neatest. smoothest working and most
noiseless little engine imaginable. 1t
is 40-horse power, with li-inch cylin-
der and three feet stroke, manufactured
by Morgan It Orr, Philadelphia, who
manufactured all the rest of the ma
chinery for the Mint. This engine
furnishes all the motive power used IN
the building. On the same floor are
the weighing room, where all the bull
lion Is received for coming, the melt
ing rooms, with their furnaces, where
the bullion is melted and cast into
ingotS, the rolling room, where ingotS
are run into strips, and the big furnace
where these strips are properly
annealed. Then there is the cutting
room where the strips are cut up, |
trimmed and adjusted to the proper
width and thickness and size for coin.
The coming DON contains the milling
machine, where the blank coin has its
edges raised, and Is then passed to the
big coming press. This press is an
exceedingly powerful and solid iron
and steel Institution, possessing I'M
mense leverage. and capable of coming
50 pieces per minute. The whitening
room Is where the coin is cleaned with
the proper acids and manipulations.
and given the natural pure, clear APP
pearance belonging to it. One excel
lent feature is the total absence Of all
gearing, shafting or betting on this
floor. all such membranes being
beneath, i'm the Observation-Disclosures deck,
we may say. In the basement, among
the huge stone and brick columns and
arches supporting the solid floors avg
partitions above, we saw the little
pump engine which forces the requi-
site water-fresh and pure from the
snowy Sierra-to the very attic OF the
building, and wherever it Is required.
Here, also, We found the powerful
hydraulic press. where the silver
chloride Is condensed into solid form
suitable for the melting furnaces; also
n neat little mill, something after the
Chile pattern, for grinding sweepings,
etc. plenty Of big wheels, drums
n%ullavs. gearing, and the bottom Of a
sort Of mining shaft or hoist-way, with
n cage In It, whereby anything Is
hoisted with the utmost facility from
there TO any part Of the building
above. The blacksmith shop Is also in
the basement, where all requisite re-
pairing and similar work for the estab.
iishment Is done. On the second floor OF
the building are the separating roonl'
where by means of divers acids, sot-
fling tanks. furnaces, and other pro-
cessss. the precious metals are sepa-
yoted from their base combinations ;
the labrstory and assaying department,
the offices of the Superintendent,
clerks, meters, r~eilncrs. and other al
tacbes. the cabinet for minerals,
vaults. etc. Here also In the northeast
corner il the cosy anu attractive ad-
iustjno room, where ladies sit at n big
table. with neat little sets of scales
before them, and 4 fine rasp In their
hand, adjusting each piece OF coin to
fine exact standard weight. Five ladies
are EMPLOYED in this roo and two
more In the coming room, which r I'M
mpli1teIy Delestlil, tuc WV ibOnA."
ing connected by q very neat winding
staircase. Of 10 feet rise. WHICH makes
two turns and q half within q six-foot
space. In the attic are a number or
large tanks containing the fresh, cold,
hot, salt, and other varieties OF water
required, TO tho amount Of 1900 gal
Ions In all, ample provision being thus
also made against lire. The employees
Of the Mint number SO men and 4 H.
dies, all told. The first coming was
done two weeks ago last Friday; the
first batch being 500 silver dollars,
Next followed abatch Of 100 and an
other Of G75. also silver dollars. Yes
terday a lot of $40 gold pieces were
being coined. Everything throughout
the entire establishment is conducted
I'm the most systematic mnnney posi-
lie. and after the strictest and most
rioidly business style, just Us Is de-
handed in a public institution OF the
Kind. and fully rs much. or more so,
than i'm the other Branch MINIS OF the
United States.