Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-09-14
THE UNITED STATES KINT
How Money is Made, &c.


the following extracts, which will no
only prove interesting but instructive Il
many of our readers:
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 22, 1871
had determined before leaving Philadel
phia to visit the United States Mint. The
hours for admitting visitors are from nine
to twelve o'clock, and it is opened every
day, except Sundays and holidays. wa.
delayed and did not reach the mint until
few minutes after twelve, but Governor
Pollock, the courteous and gentlemanly
director, gave instructions that / should
be shown through the building, and turn
ed me over to the care of Mr.. VIM. I'll
Maurice, who took me through the vari.
GUS rooms and explained the process thro'
which all the metals had to pass before
they were converted into coin. 1t is esti-
mated that over thirty thousand people
have visited the institution in the course
of single year. This statement will give
the reader some idea of the ushers re-
quired and the tax upon their patience to
explain time and again every thing con-
nected with the building and the process
of converting the various metals into coin
HISTORY OF THE MINT.
The mint was established by act of
Congress of the I'd of April. 1882. The
first director was David Rittenhouse,
L. Id. who was appointed by President
Washington, April IA, 1892. From that
| time until the present there have been
eleven directors, including Mr.. Ritten-
house. VIM. II. NIillward was appointed,
but not confirmed, and the present incum-
bent, Hon. James Pollock, is now serving
a second term. The first money coined
by the authority of the Unit,d States was
in 1898. The coins first made were cop
per cents. In the following year 1904.
silver dollars were made. Cold eagles
were made in 1895. The machinery as
well as the metal first used was imported,
and great trouble was experienced in pro-
curing supply of copper. The first cop
per used by the mint came from England.
That now used is procured from Lake Su-
perior Up to the year 1916, the work at
the mint was done entirely by hand or
horse power. In this year steam was in
troduced. All the machinery used in the
mint is manufactured on the premises,
and is of the finest quality, The first
building used for the mint was erected on
9TH street near Market. The cornerstone
of the present building on Chestnut ST.,
was laid July 4, 1929, but the building
was not ready to be occupied until May,
1888. The structure is of marble, and
of the Grecian style of architecture, and
was made fire. proof in 1854. In a sketch
of the mint by Mr.. VIM. NJ. Runkle, to
whom am indebted for many facts en-
bodied in this letter, he states that, COM
pared with the present, things were done
in rather a primitive manner, in the ear
lier days of the institution. Among the
accounts of 1928, there were bills for
rum, cider, hay and pasture. The fol-
lowing is found among the rules of later
day: % 1t is understood that in future the
workmen and laborers find themselves in
diet, drink and lodgings" Liquor was
allowed in plentiful quantities. and it is
mentioned as fatigue ration Of
course all these ''peculiarities' have long
since ceased to be fostered or even coun-
tenanced. Up to 1870 the mint coined
over eight hundred million dollars
worth of money, including gold sill
yer, nickle and copper. 1t is claimed that
the mint is capable of making enough
coin to supply the wants of all the ma
tions in the world The branch mint at
San Francisco coins gold and silver only.
The mint is kept at work constantly and
makes a large amount of gold and silver
coin, and it is curious what becomes of it,
especially the latter, as we never see any
of it used in commercial or other trans
actions between citizens of this country.
THE CARE DISPLAYED.
Immense quantities of precious metal
are constansly in course of transition from
one to another. But everything is weigh
ed SO nicely and SO often that the purloin-
ing of the slightest particle would be de-
tected within few moments after the act
had been perpetrated. 1t is estimated
that about six hundred million dollars
worth of gold has been received and
weighed in what is known as the deposit,
or weighing ROOM Of this sum, probably
nine-tenths has been received since the
first discovery of gold in California in
1848. Previous to that time the gold
came principally from Virginia, North
Carolina and Georgia. Most of the gold
now mined west of Montana territory, goes
to the mint at San Francisco. l have re-
ferred to the care that is taken in weigh
ing everything that passes through the
hands of the employees. This care is shown
in every department of the business. The
dust on the floor is swept up and the par
ticles of gold and silver that may have be-
come mixed with it extracted in the shape
of pure metal. The water in which the
workman wash at the close of the days
labor is saved and gold and silver extrac-
ted from it. And even the clothes which
the workmen wear are finally, when worn
out burned and some precious metal thus
secured. The brick of which the furnaces
are built are taken out once a year and
ground up by machinery constructed for
the purpose, and gold and silver extract
ed therefrom. Mr.. Maurice informed me
that the mint could pay the salary of the
President of the United States from the
proceeds of the dust thus accImulates on
the floor. This shows the care with which
the mint is managed in all its depart
ments.
HOW MONEY is MADE.
Mr.. Maurice, in passing through the
rooms devoted to melting, rolling, cutting
milling and stamping the precious metals,
explained how the different kinds of work
was done. A machine was put in motion
and the work of cutting explained in a
practical manner. A machine was in
operation stamping silver half dollars.
and the work was done rapidly and with
precision. It requires pressure of forty
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