Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-20
LOCK AND KEY.

The Safeguards Of the Treasury--A
Virginia Custodian Myster1ously Dis.
appears.
The treasurer of the United States,
Mr.. Gilfllan, has completed a collection
of keys to the treasury vaults and money
boxes in use before the introduction of
combination locks. The collection mum
bers Is keys, which have been arranged
in neat walnut case, and now decorate
the walls of the treasurer's Office. The
first in chronological order is q veritable
patriarch of the Key family. 1t is about
seven inches long, weighs over a
pound, and makes a great display of
notches, which ftted with the compli-
Gated wards of the lock. Judging from
the finish of the key, the lock was evil
IDENTIFY regarded in it's days as a master
piece of ingenuity and mechanism. The
exploits of modern experts would smile
at such barrier between themselves and
the glittering treasure. The known
history of this key goes back at least
half century, and it's custodian for
years was Virginian named Col. Mutt,
the cashier in the treasurer's Office.
The colonel was, accord ing to &C
counts, true type Of the old-time Vir-
ginia gentleman, tall, measuring over
six feet, erect, and wearing certain air
of the cavalier which would have JUS
titled some notions of the boosted chiv-
airy of the Old Dominion. He lived on
the soil of his native state, and every
morning rode into Washington over the
long bridge. In summer time tying his
raw boned Virginia PAGER in a grove
near the department where mighty
bull dings now stand, the colonel strobe
along the corridors of the treasury, with
his spurs clanking on the paved way, and
cracking his riding whip, staggered
into his Office. His first act was to haul
the immense safe key out of q wallet he
carried about his person, and to an ad.
miring audience of accountants, tellers
clerks, messengers and boys, would pre-
face the formality of opening the an
tique strap-iron box by descanting upon
the complicated interior arrangement OF
the lock, and the number of tumblers
the awe-inspiring instrument he held in
his hand knocked down in a single turn
in the intricate wards. The money
boxes, too, were a never-ending and
fruitful theme of the venerable Nuts
admiration. He spoke of the welded
straps of iron and the innumerable
bolts which marked each intersection Of
the web. The colonel continued in
Office until Virginia joined her fortunes
to the conspiracy against the Union, ane
then one afternoon, after he had drawn
his pay, was last seen cantering TOWARD
the Potomac and across into his native
state.
Another key, rs large as Colone
Nuts favorite, and much more worn
has its notches shaped like letter T
1t is said that from this the key repre-
scented in the seal of the treasury de
partment was designed. As the i'm
provement in locks began, noticeable
change in the formation of the keys il
indicated. Next comes a pair that re
semble the handle of tourniquet, and
following the intermediate stages, ar
two heavy brass keys, containing il
themselves a combination formed by
strips of metal of different lengths anc
mum ered. The combinations were
varied by changing the arrangement o
these strips in the key.
AS lock-picking grew to an art and tn
1uScuu1ty VI VIC 1AVOuGOI was U1OuSu
into competition with the ingenuity o
the burglar, the use Of keys was aban
doned, and from year to year, as million
of treasure, securities and notes fllet
the vaults, all the latest and most secur
appliances were introduced. After care
full and thorough examination the Ser
geant time and chronometer combination
lock was adopted few years ago. Their
are ten of these locks on each vault
Every night, under the superintendenct
Of the treasurer, and by tried and trust
ed custodians, each chronometer in tn
lock is wound and set for $50 A. NJ
When once in motion there is no possible
way to open it, even by the officer
authorized to know the combination
No key is used, the whole delicat'
mechanism responding to limit of tim'
and the application of word or figure
to the parts forming the combinations
Philadelphia Press.
/