The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1877-10-26
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE SAN FRANCISCO mint.
What an Old Sagebrusher saw
at the Birth Place OF the
Almighty Dollar.


SAN Francisco, Oct. %.
EDITOR SILVER STATE Having heard
SO much of late concerning the manage
ment, or mismanagement, of
THE o. s. MINT
In this city. became envious to know
what kind of place it is. To satisfy
this desire DR.. Cogswell and myself
started at o'clock this A. M. and were
soon upon the granite steps and be-
tween the towering stone columns of
that magnificent edifice, on the corner
of Fifth and Mission streets. At the
main entrance we were met by the
venerable Captain Morton, one of the
conductors, whose duty it is to receive
and accommodate visitors, calling in
which be has grown proficient and
gray. We registered our names in
what looked like the book of ages,
and started for
THE BIRTH PLACE OF THE mighty
DOLLAR"
Our guide ushered us into the presence
of Mr.. Martin, who, l believe, is chief
of the Assaying Department. Here We
were shown bullion, base, fine and
superfne; bullion in all manner of
shapes and from all sections of the
Pacific Slope. Here it is sampled, as
sayed and passed into the melting aud
refining rooms, with the proper amount
of alloy prescribed by law. 1t is then
cast into irgots, and they are in their
turn annealed and rolled out success
lively until they resemble hoop iron
in shape. These straps are sent to an
other department where the blank
coins are stamped out, after the man.
ner Of gun wads. The scraps remain.
ing are sent back to the melting room,
aud the blank coins to the milling
machine, by which process the edges
are thickened, SO as to protect the face
of the coin. They are then annealed
and secured, after which they are sent
TO the room containing the immense
stamping machines. where they receive
the impress of
TIE GODDESS OF LIBERTY AND THE
AMERICAN EAGLE.
From thence they are conveyed to the
adjusting room, where there are seventy
ladies employed in filing the edges and
weighing the coins until they are re-
duced to the standard weight. The
corrugated edge, believe. is put on the
last thing before the coins are sent to
the treasury of the Mint. Mr.. John
NJ. Currier courteously invited us into
that depository, where we were shown
q round million of trade dollars, which,
we were informed, would probably
have to be melted and coined into the
dollar of our Fathers. as there is
no demand for trades. We were also
shown million dollars in double
eagles. The manner in which
BULLION Is SAMPLED AND AssAYED
In the Mint will be of special interest
to some of your readers. The bars re.
| ceived from customers are melted and
cast into thin slabs, in order to present
large surface to the action of the
acids An ounce or two of the melt "
is thrown into cold water. and from
there samples are given to two assay
ers, who test it separately. The find
ings of one must always correspond
with that of the other; therefore the
customer is always sure of correct re-
turns. In this department, as in all
others, the work seems to be conducted
very systematically - one man is a
check on the other all the way through.
The employees receive
FROM THREE To SEVEN DOLLARS PER
DIEM,
And the Superintendent $4,000 per
annum. Taking into consideration the
care and responsibility resting on the
latter, his salary should be about double
this amount.
Messrs. Martin, Roberts, Oglesby