Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-08-09
UNCLE SANS MONEY.
Interesting Features ofthe San Fran
cisco Mint. The Process of Melt
ing, Refining, Stamping
and TEilIIno

cisco Mint. The Process of Melt
ing, Refining, Stamping
and Milling.
There have been but few registered
visitors ct the San Francisco Mint of
late, but, Notwithstanding the vigil
ance of those in charge of the estab-
lishment, a reporter for The Chroni-
Gle passed mobserved among the num-
Der, and commenced his annual in
vestigations. A number of bars of
bullion were the interesting objects
first pointed out by the conductor to
his visitor. After that introduction
Of the subject of mOney-making he
continued his interesting narrative.
detailing every process in the coming
of a dollar, from its receipt as met
al of uncertain value to its issuance
for circulation. Bullion is received
in the form of bricks of all sizes and
very peculiar shape when it comes
from Spanish-American counties.
HEAVY BRICKS.
The regular shaped bricks often
weigh as heavy as $50 pounds. The
MeXicans melt their silver and run
into the most crude-shaped molds in
the world, in quantities so large and
heavy that a burro could not carry
one casting. 1t seems strange at first
to think of these indOlent people per-
forming very troublesome and la
bOrious operation only to find them
selves comforted with more labor.
There is good reason, however, for the
large castings. If the valuable metal
yvaro ooyrin6 n, o77o1+I+ioC oC,,1-o,,;o,,4
for handling, raiders for miles around
would be after it and demand the
whole or large portion of the silver
as salvage for protection against other
raiders. The Mexican silver received
at the mint is taken to the machine
shop and cut up before it is in shape
to be put into any of the largest cru
cibles. The regular-shaped bricks are
taken first to the assay office, where
the dagonally opposite corners of OPP
posite surfaces are clipped and the
bricks bored into both ways. An
assay is then made of the clippings
ana behring's. The result of the assay
is made known to a person making
the deposit in about twelve hours. He
gets his money and the government
gets his bullion. After the assay the
bullion passes to the refinery if it
should require the operations there
performed. It is melted in the refin-
cry and poured out on water. There
is a great suffering for a few mo-
ments, and then a result called ''the
granulations" is perceptible. The solid
molten mass has become scattered in
particles of many sizes and indescrib
able shapes. The general appearance
is that of the fallen leaves of forest
trees which have become crisped up
by thefrost The granulations are then
weighed and put into large caldrons of
iron-stone china the size of a barrel.
The caldrons are valued at 500 each,
and the men working about them are
very careful in their movements lest
they should damage or destroy one.
The caldrOns are set in rows on
false floor, under which pass steam
pipes. Water flows around them to
the height of about foot. A quantity
of muriatic acid is placed in the cal
drons proportiOnate to the amount Of
granulations. Then they are closed
in or surrounded by a tight box or
house. Steam is admitted to pipes be-
meath the false floor, and the steam
heats the caldrons and their contents.
The red fumes at the chimney tops
are generated in this process. This
heating reduces the granulatiOns to a
fluid state if they are silver but gold
remains solid in granulations If part
gold and part silver. The fluid is
drawn off by a siphon and deposited
in tanks about twelve feet in diameter,
which contains stirring apparatus
driven by steam power. Common
salt is then placed in the solution
to preci pitate the silver 1t is depos it
ed as chloride of silver and the liquids
drawn off through filters and allowed
to flow away. The chloride of silver
precipitated is about the consistency of
a mason's putty coat, and resembles it
very closely in other respects. The
acids are then cleaned out by wash
ings in what is well-known as the
sweetening process. When the silver
has been obtained In a state as near as
possible to absolute purity it is taken
to the press-room and by hydraulic
pressure compressed into solid, cir
cular masses of from twelve to
fifteen inches in diameter and five
inches in diameter and five inches
thick, resembling very much the
shape of a cheese. The silver is then
placed in an oven in iron pans. A
fire Is raised and the iron and oven
are brought to achery-red color for the
purpose only of driving all moisture
in the chloride of silver The least
portion of moisture in the crucibles
would break them and the silver
would be lost in the ashes. The cakes
next go to the melter and are run
into brick If it goes on the market
as bullion its weight in ounces and its