The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-03-06
The Sub Treasury Building.

The following account Of the Sub
Treasury building on Wall Street,
New York, is taken from the
World
1t is generally supposed that the
enormous building which the sojourner
in Washington sees on his right as he
steps out of Willard's hotel. upon
Pennsylvania avenue, and which the
courteous native explains is the United
States Treasury, contains the great
bul6 of Uncle Sans wealth and is the
bank from which disbursements are al
ways made. Nothing could be more
erroneous. The Government of the
United States does the principal bank
ing business, not in the provincial
town of Washington, ID. g., but here
at the money centre of the country.
Ninety per cent. of the cash payments
made by Uncle Sam during the year
are from the old granite building at
the northeast corner of Wall and Mas
sau streets in this city, where Wash
ingtoD was inaugurated as the first
President If so large a percentage of
the countrys monetary obligations are
met at the New York Sub-Treasury, it
follows Of necessity that a correspond
ingy large portion of the countrys
wealth is stored here. AS matter of
fact there was in the building at Wall
and Nassau streets on the first day of
the present year cash balance of ex-
actly Sl41, ,2S4,033. and there is to-
day still larger stock of gold, silver
and paper money on hand in this Ie-
pository. No building in the country
is better adapted to the safe-keeping of
this wealth. Very few New Workers
have any idea of the glorious strength
of this fine old editice, which, up to
the year 1868, served as a Custom
House, and which since its conversion
into a Government treasury has been
transformed by skillful army engineers
into veritable fortress for the protec.
tion of the nations money.
TOM ACTON AT WORK.
On the left of the main entrance is
the private office of Sub-Treasurer
Thomas G. Acton, a gentleman whose
hair is snowy white, who seems to re
alize the tremendous responsibility
that is placed on his shoulders in being
made the custodian of such tremen-
dous storehouse of riches, but who evil
IDENTITY feeds and sleeps well, notwith-
standing, and whose affable manners,
as well as business-like administration
have gained him many friends. The
officers on the right as you enter from
Wall street are occupied by Deputy
Assistant Treasurer William Shearer,
and Messrs. p p. Chew aud U. S.
Grant (the latter nephew OF the Gen
eraD, who have charge of the bond di,
vision. Iron ratings divide the main
building under the shapely rotunda
into two parts, leaving the broad space
between for visitors. Back of the left
hand railing are the officials who pay
out Uncle Sans enormous revenue.
The Cashiers departm
proper is superintend ed by
j. M. Floyd, while the pay di-
vision is in charge of William B.
Bancker and K. w. Hail. On the 9TH
er side of this main corridor, securely
ensconced from burglars and wouId-be
thieves, are the officials whose duty it
is to receive the carloads of money
which the Government from all sour
ces daily receives. Mr.. +. G. Field
fills the responsible position of superin-
tendent and Mr.. II. B. Burr is head
bookkeeper. 1t needs only the state
ment that all the receipts of the New
York Custom House, the New York
Post Office, Internal revenue offices all
over the Eastern, Middle and Atlantic
States, together with about twelve
hundred of the principal post-offices
and custom-houses of the country, turn
their cash receipts into the New York
Sub Treasury, to show the enormous
revenue that is received,