Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-07-19
JOTTINGS ny THE wAYSInE.

ED. JOURNAL This morning finds me
here in the Quaker City, after long, hot
and dusty ride in the cars. Now for
ramblc down Chcsnut street. Just below
Broad on the north side Of the street stands
firm looking marble building, of Gre.
clan architecture, above which rises It's tall
chimney, and from its flagstaff the U. 5.
ensign is floating. That building is the
only place where all our di lTerent coins
are made. There are others vberes gold
and silver only are coined, but here one,
two, three and five cent pieces are coined
as well as gold and silver.
As walk up the marble steps | notice
the words, Visitors admitted from to 12.'
Stepping into n circular hall an old gem
tleman requests me TO lie seated. Present
y gentlemanly usher appears to accom-
pany me through the building, and [ am
soon looking at the beautifully polished
scales where all the metals in our coins
are weighed. These scales will accurately
weigh from one-hundredth part OF w ounce
to six thousand ounces. In the assay room
are scales that will-weigh one thirteen
hundredth part OF a grain. The deicacy
OF these Is much more easily imagined
than described. After the metals are
weighed they are locked in strong boxes
and taken 10 the melting room, where it is
melted and poured into iron moulds, re-
turned to the deposit room and rewcighed
after which n small piece is taken to the
assayor who determines its real value.
The large pieces or bricks (ns they arc
called are conveyed to another room.
agnin melted aud the necessary alloy add.
ed, run into moulds, and when taken out
are called lngots. A gold ingot is worth
$4,000, and silver one about $50
These are taken to the rolling room, and
passed through various rollers until they
are drawn orrolled into ribbOn-l ike strips of
the proper width and thickness for cuir.
The room where the ingots are made
has an iron grated hoor laid in sections
on smooth stone floor. These sections
are often removed and the stone nDor
swept to gather the PARTICLES of gold and
silver. Fifty thousand dollars worth has
been collected ON this floor in single
year. The ribbon-lke strips are cut into
the proper size OF the coin by fast running
machinery, as n housewife would cut her
cakes with her ctke-cutter from nicely
rolled dough. These pieces, or plamchets.
are then accurately weighed, and all that
are found too light are rcmelteti, and / ose
too heavy are filed off to reduce them
to the exact and proper weight. The
plhnchets are then passed through what is
termed milling machines, which form the
RIM on the edges before coming is COM
pleted. Turning my ewes from the mill.
ing machines, notice The cpiuing prszye,.
ten In number, each one capable nf turn.
ing ont one hundred and twenty pieces per
n
eighty per minnie. II they were all en-.
gagged in making twenty dollar gold pieces
and run to their full capacity, they would
turn out the astonishing sum of S3l 900 in
one minute. The pllnchets are then drop
ped by ladies' hands into brass tube, and
at each revolution of the press two little
iron hands, called FEEDERS" grasp the
piece, place it on the die, and nj the same
time the upper die dcscends and with 4
pressure of 20 to so tons, according to the
size OF the coin, it il perfectly stamped in
twinkling aud dropped intu n box below.
after which it is coin according to author
ity. No coin is now being made except
the dollar Of our daddies." This is being
made at the rate of $4,000 per day, which
is put in sacks OF $4,000 each, and two
sacks are put into n strong box, the cover
tightly screwed on and sent to the various
treasures Of the United States. As the
workmen we're wheeling theso well filled
boxes to the vaults, the Thought occurred
how nice it would be il the honorable
members Of Congress could he paid OF in
these shining dollars and obliged to trans
port the same 10 their homes, instead Of
exchanging them for certificates
Ascending to the second story, visitors
are requested to register their numes in
book here kept open, Thirty thousand
registered here in one year, Here my
obliglng usher took his lcave, aud ! was
permitted to examine all the various coins
OF the whole world, even the "Wilow's
Mite" Also, countless specimens of min
era gathered from all parts of the globe.
Curiosity seekers can here feast in the ex-
animation nf this vast collection Of the
mineral kindgdom, aided by powerfnl
magnilying glasses that bring ont tverv
feature. Respectfully, RAMBLER.
PUu A n Nj mn I,,lv