The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-08-13
[FRoM OUR REGULAR CoRREsPoNDEET.
WASHINGTON, August 8, 1881

WASHINGTON, August 8, 1881
Inside Of the Treasury building and its
enormous vaults described last week it is
money, money everywhere. The clerks
and custodiaus handle numerous packages
of greenbacks, legal tenders, bonds, and
cords of silver, much the same as workmen
in brick-yard would so many thousand
bricks. The cash room is fitted up with
shelves and divided into compartments for
the different kinds and denominations Of
money. Tie notes which come from the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing in pack
ages Of $4,000, are made up into packages
of $4,000 and ARA nged symctrically on the
shelves. These packages are nearly square,
and better adapted to handling than if made
up Of larger amounts. The GOLD coin is re-
ceived from the mint in $4,000 packages,
and the silver is in 81 900 packages. Such
as is not needed for immediate use is pack
ed in canvass bags and the other is made
up into cartridges and other convenient
forms. A pink wrapping is used to desig-
nate the gold coin, and yellow wrapping
the silver. A bag containing $1,000 in
gold weighs eighteen and one half pounds.
One thousand dollars IN standard silver dol
lars weighs ffy-nine pounds, while the
same amount Of money in fractional silver
weighs only fftysix pounds.
The new United States notes are made up
in packages varying in value from $4,000
to 100000. These packages are all the
same size andcontain exactly the same num-
Der Of notes. but the notes vary IN value from
81 to $40 900, the latter being the highest
legal tender note authorized by law. Very
few notes of this denomination are in cir
culation. They are seldom called into SER
vice in the ordinary transaction Of business,
and the national banks generally use le-
gal tender certificate of deposit instead.
Your correspondent while in the cash vault
enjoyed the novel sensation ofholdinga few
packages of greenbacks in his hands. One
comparatively small package containing
$40 0,000,000 came near getting into my
pocket along with the other notes taken on
the occasion. If it had perhaps this screed
had never been written. Standing in this
vault, surrounded on all sides by walls oi
money, what dreams OF wealth, visions OF
golden opportunities fit through ones brain
What is all this curiously engraved and
slammed paper and this glittering coin that
the world should worship it, that men SC
eagerly covet it, and that it's possessors must
so securely guard it. II is truly "the root o
all evil" and still its very presence has a
charm. Standing in the midst Of millions
Of II without being able to appropriate sin
gle note or coin, one is struck more forcibly
than ever with thoughts Of its great power
and the unequal division existing the world
over.
The silver vault contained at the time o
this visit something over two million dollars
mostly in doll ar pieces. The coinage is tw,
millions per month, and there has beer
quite an accumulation sometimes at thu
Treasury and at the sub-treasury depository
Silver dollars are very bulky, and there is |
general aversion to receiving them To any
great amount. The bullion for this month
coinage was not purchased because of bul
movement forcing the price so high tina
the government could not purchase low
enough to coin it without losses. Il will b.
seen from the weights given abnve that sill
yer money is very heavy, and cannot b,
tumbled around in large amounts as easil,
as paper currency. The disbursing officer
Of the Government have quite a task Il
conveying il from the cash Toom to thei
offices, in paking the monthly payments q
salary. Aproportion Of all these payment
are made in silver as means of putting
in circulation. As a general thing, mos
anybody would be disposed to grumble a
having to tote one hundred pounds Of some
body else's money, but If the amount q
ones possession were to be what he eoul'
carry off, the limit, as a rule, could not b
fixed as at that weight.
The sources from which Uncle Sans larg
income are derived are generally under
stood. Daily receipts from customs, whicl
is tax upon imported articles, amount l.
A very large of share this is col
lected at the custom house in New York
This with the internal revenue tai
on whiskies, tobacco, matches, patent med
icines, etc, and the earnings Of the posts
service and the patent Office constitute tn
means by which the Government is able b
gather in all these sheckles. The expense
) Of conducting all the machinery Of the gov
ernment, and the cost Of maintaining tn
} politicians, together with what the.
steal, is an enormous drain upon thi
} income, but by good management there ha