The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-17
THE SILVER DOLLAR.
How the Bullion Becomes the Gilt
tering Coin.

There's millions in it," said Colonel
Sellers, looking at the United States
Treasury building in Washington. land
millions after it, he concluded. In the
work of keeping the millions in it,
which the millions after it are con-.
stantly depicting, the Philadelphia Mint
is the chief agent, and to this end
turned out daily average of 100000 of
those large white coins to which Wash
ington Irving gave the title of cal
might" ty"'-afterwards disclaiming all
impious intent in its Manufacture, when,
the phrase became as widely circulated
as the token to which he applied it.
Divided only by the length of a short
corridor of the Chestnut and Juniper
Street Temple of Mammon from the
rotunda ante-room, where the crowd of
hopeful or hopeless faced people hang
on the favor of the new Superintendent,
Sa small stonezpaved COURTYARD, open,
as courtyards are to the air. All around
the walls of inelosure are ranged crates
Of merchandise. The crates are pad
locked and made of the stoutest of wire
netting. This, their central position
and the guard by day and night
are the only protection of the
crates of merchandise From the
action of the elements thew have and
need no moro defense than piles of pig
Ton Yet in each of the half dozen,
crates were piled one day last week,
when a Press artist and reporter saw
seyenty-tive blocks of dull colored metal
containing each the mighty potentiality
sl,OW--that is to say 85s E375-leO0
ounces OF silver. Thus were 450, 900
embryo dollars separated only by a wire
netting from an art st and newspaper
man, and only by that and hallway
lrom a crowd of Office seekers. As the
visitors continued their journey the
exigencies of the furnaces called for
more bullion, and the workmen set to
work wheeling it off on battered old
trucks as eomplacently as if the big
bricks were composed of the stuff that
bricks generally are composed of.
We get it in shipments twice
week. said Colonel Maurice, who, as
thief Clerk Hiekoek said, could tell
more about the Mint than ANYBODY else
nit Its about 999-1000 fine when it
comes from Colorado, and enough
copper has to be added to make Il 600
lVu0 hne, The copper had been added
y the melters in the hot room to the left
a.he courtyard, into which the Colonel
lsa the way, and in white-heated ladies
mey were dipping the molten money
vae oi the furnaces and pouring it into
eue ingot moulds. Six great furnaces
we're IN operation. Three of these are
normally gold meters, but the call for.
a'ser has kept them busy these last
p, pseks at producing the much abused
bland dollars.
,.;s we are melting only clippings now,n
ks I@aa one OF the bare armed artisans
.Wawl .S,pte tne row of glowing furnaces.
"e 80, L DC after the bricks LATER :
.,.aS new Y many melts are yourunning pr
@Sasa ..ss. Volonel Maurice.
r. al.sslenr a day. was the answer.
tba az g. melt is of 5000 ounces, so that
on. 5lour shows a total Of 1920
tal;s ses OF $4,000 pounds of silver a day,
fnrna y start into circulation via the
mal.;a soes' 1t was a curious scene in the
the us Ms; room. Like all the rooms in
wsl,a rJ aunt it was low and heavy. The
er;,a ,ss we're blackened with SCOT and
Sora re ana the furnaces looked well
Air ~ j ana primitive. There is this same
a;ta at aaoat !, all the Mint machinery. Des-
81 S Saa y perfection there is an absence
wh;eh h;hSoratlon and jimcraekerr about il
and in a'akes IL all look old fashioned
tons ton IN "a measure foreign. Yankee no.
wbsrs :. gay paint and gliding are every
dnrah;sa sasent Taken with the proven
aunearay es,.y OF all the Mint machines this
teppns tppesrance gives one a certain con- on
on H. ior the gingerbread work fonnd
and le.1 eA.erlor of maohinery in other
seems 80 =. important establishments. 1t
are S sS, proper that the appliances which
moss s,ssusied ~ with the execution of thc
ton ~ osseeeesary ! If not the highest fune-
sober great Government should have
i sIsr tsls q alr about them, and when one one
al tba s .nat the great engine which rms
sines !. NorKs has never needed rana;,.s.
feer : !, onss was built by Kensington arti-
inelaa'aa quarter Of century aao' @ one q !. :
which NO g think that the attent;on
asmen,a .a,ght have been given to ~ the or.
sa'10n of the monster has gone