San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-13
A FORTUNE IN BRICKS.
Ten Ton. Of q Id Carried to the Door of the Mint


the west basement entrance OF the UNI
ted States Mint shortly before o'clock
Yesterday afternoon. One OF the Adams
Express Company's great wagons,
drawn by pair of magnificent black
horses, had just stopped i'll front, and
Immediately dozen hands were trans
ferring its load of fiat, curious looking
boxes, tightly bound with hoop-iron, to
the gloomy depths of the adjoining
basement. There were twenty-seven
of these mysterious cases in the load,
and though they were apparently no
bulkier than a grocer's box OF raisins,
they were laboriously raised on end
and slid down an inclined plane to q
truck, there being apparently no ambi,
ton to support them with unaiaed
muscle. A few moments brisk work
sent the springs Of the wagon back to
their normal position, and with an evi,
dent air or relief, the horses speeded 1t
away with brisk trot. A second wagon
then drew up, then third and fourth,
and the same performance was gone
through with.
Beyond the fact that each of the driy-
ers had an armed attendant, though the
latter's appearance gave no hint of the
small arsenal concealed about him,
there was nothing in the procedure to
indicate that $5,000,000 of gold bullion
was encased in these strange iron bound
boxes. "This is the second installment,"
said Superintendent Snowden to Press
reporter, "of the 100000, 900 of bullion
ordered to the Mint from the New York
Assay Office. We have something like
SIT 100000 on hand now, and this $780,
600, 900, which will come in $5,O0O,OOO
lots, at intervals of a week or so, will
still leave a round $20,0O0,000 in New
York. The transfer is made to relieve
their vaults and to give us bullion sutfi-
cient for the large coinage demands
now made upon us-averaging about
81 900, 900 per month"
As may be imagined, the shipment
of this valuable treasure was accom-.
plished with the greatest celebrity, and
no precaution insuring its safety was
omitted. From the Assay Office in
New York to the vault of the Mint in
Philadelphia it was in the custody of
the Adams Express Company, leaving
the former place at IL o'clock yesterday
morning and arriving here as stated
above. Two cars were used in it's trans.
portation, each in charge of special
messenger armed cap-a-pie, one of
whom has for years attended similar
Government shipments between Assay
Office and Mint. Though armed with
that completeness which the value of
their charge would suggest, the mes
senger has little relish for these tri ps.
In case of the slightest accident the
millions of treasure surrounding him
on every side are turned into very in
struments of death. A Car off the track
would send tumbling down upon him a
dozen of these 2O0-pound boxes of
"brick," and death would he instant as
the shock.
TEN TONS OF GOLD.
The $5,O00,000 which came yesterday
consisted of thousand and odd
bricks" filling 106 boxes, and weigh
ing in the neighborhood of ten tons.
This morning the boxes will be opened,
and each "brick" will be weighed and
assayed, and the results compared with
the record of weight and fineness con-
tanned in the invoice. A "brick," it
must be remembered, is not the mere
dull mass of matter which itr clayey
name suggests. 1t is separate and
distinct entity, has number and de-
scription of it's own, and is as traceable
as any bank note or Government bond.
There is little in it's appearance to ex-
cite ones cupidity. It is a yellow
chunk, with some luster, about the size
of bar of chocolate, and weighing
from eighteen to twenty pounds. To
steal box of them in transit would be
an operation involving no less muscle
than daring, and while no robbers lack
the latter, very few of the craft are in
the habit of picking up 200 pound
packages. Notwithstanding this seri-
Gus obstacle to would be plunderers,
the express officials are never easy while
these golden bars are in their care; and
it was with manifest air of relief that
Agent Arrison yesterday afternoon re-
ceived Col. D. Nj. Evans receipt on
behalf the Mint.
1t happens that at just at this parti-
cular time the bullion receipts at the
Mint are more than balanced by the
daily shipment of coin. For the last
eleven days the sum of 100000 in
eagles and half-eagles has been daily
sent TO the sub Treasury in New York,
and this outflow will be kept up till
the ST, 100000 ordered to that reposi-
tory has been supplied