The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-06-02
UNCLE SANS WEALTH.
How Millions of Dollars arc Guard.
ed AgainSf TInicYcs.


ed Against Thieves.
rickety old furniture wagon pulled up
in front Of the Post Office, on Ninth street
in Philadelphia. The horse painted ard
rested his off hind leg. The driver and six
men hoped out of the wagon and locked
around them mysteriously. Six other men,
who acted just as mysteriously, stood inside
the Post Office with platform truck. The
dozen men then began to carry white
canvass bags from the wagon to the truck.
Each bag contained l, 900 standard dollars
md weighed sixty-six pounds. Every time
. dozen bags were taken from the old wagon
she creaking springs eased up with squeaks
of relief. The bags were all put ON the big
truck and wheeled to the elevator Then
they were put in the elevator and hoisted to
the second story, where they were put Oh
another truck and wheeled into the vaults
| that We're originally intended to be used foI
Che Sub-Treasllry.
The special officer in the Post Office, with
u little black moustache, who wears his cap
on one ear, was greatly agitated. He had
been told to keep people away from the ele-
vator and he used his cane to do it. The
elevator has been used for several days to
carry the silver up stairs and people who
have business in the building have to climb
the stairs. The money is brought from the
mint at the rate of $500, 900 day. So far
81 ,0G0, 900 have been stored in the vaults
Cn the second floor Of the Post Office in the
past two weeks.
Recently the Secretary of the Treasury
told Superintendent Fox of the Mint, that
the rooms on the secoId floor front of the
Post Office building were at his disposal.
These rooms and the vaults were fitted up
for the Sub-Treasury ut an expense of near
| ly 800, 900, and then the bank presidents
went to Washington and opposed the re
moyal of the Sub-Treasury from the rear of
the Custom House. They gained their point
and this costly suit of rooms and the big
lault, in the Post Office were thrown ON
she governments hands. The Treasury De-
part,nent suggested that Superintendent
Fox use the rooms rs his executive offices,
but lie decided that his place was Mt the
Mint The vaults used for storing treasure
in tie Mint were found to be too small, Sc
Superintendent Fox decided to store 90.
600, 900 silver dollars in the Post Office
vaults Nine million more dollars are to be
stored there MS fast as the work of earting
them from the Mint can be done.
There is nearly 500, 900, 900 in coin and
bullion in charge of Superintendent Fox at
the Mint, and Assistant Treasurer Eyster.
At the b-Treasury recently, there was
stored $1G 37G. $40 in standard silver dollars
and So, 39i 100 in smaller coins, making
total of $13, 667, $50. Assistant Treasurer
Eyster said that there was no room left in
the city where government money could be
safely stored and that it was great mis-
ance to have such enormous quantities on
hand. The $11 900, 900 now stored ut the
Post Office bring the figures up to $2i, G67,-
$50, and in the Mint in bullion and coin
there are nearly $75, 600 900 more. In one
vault in the Mint there is stored $40, 900,
900 in five, ten and twenty dollar gold
pieces.
1t is only few days ago that Gatling
gun arrived at the Mint to help guard the
great treasure within. Besides there are
two big racks full Of loaded carbincs and
dozen men, well armed, stalk up and down
through the building all night long, and on
the exterior watehmen pace up and down in
side yards. Down at the Sub Treasury half
dozen watchmen guard the millions that
are stored there, and at the Post Office
Superintendent Fox has stationed six men.
Three of them are ON duty at night, and
they go around in gum shoes armed to the
teeth. The other three men guard the
treasure in the day time. Superintendent
Fox has had the room in the Post Office in
which the vaults are located walled up with
heavy timbers, which have been painted
white, and he says it would be hard job
for any one to get Mt the silver stored there.