The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-02-05
Famous Mint Employees.
Philadelphia Times.

phliadelphla Times.
"Anna Dickinson was the greatest
talker ever employed in the mint of
late years." said an old employe of
that institution recently to a report
err. But" he continued, there was
a dumb girl here before the war, who
could out-talk with her fingers any
woman's tongue on the face OF the
| earth"
The old employe was in a reminis-
cent mood. He said: ''The name Of
the dumb girl was Rebecca Davis.
She was a really beautiful woman and
was conscious OF it, as most pretty
women are. She was employed
in the mint in 1854, SIS and
'56. Becky as everybody spoke
OF her, was liked by all. Her
sister, a Mrs. Tompkins, kept a well
known confectionery in those days OH
Chestnut street between Eleventh and
Twelfth, where Birch's store is now
located. Becky while entirely dumb,
she was not deal. You could talk to her
and she talked back with her beauti-
fully expressive eyes, her head or her
fingers. She was about twenty-five
years of age when she was first EN-
ployed, OF fine figure, graceful in every
movement, full of life and always good
natured. She was at work in the adj
justing room. One day in the winter
of 1855 she created a CONSERVATION
in the Mint that almost amounted to
a panic. While at work at her seat,
engaged in manipulating the bright
gold eagles, she turned her pretty face
around to the girl next to her and ex-
claimed loudly, "0h / belive / can
speak,, Her companion to whom she
spoke tainted outright, and so did the
young lady to her left. The other
women in the room left their places
and ran to the assistance of the two
Frustrated girls. Becky began to
chatter like a maybe and almost faint
ed herself. Her speech had come to
her so sudden that she conld not real
ize it any more than her astounded
room-mates to whom she had been
making signs for years Sheremained
in the Mint some years after that, and
her case attracted the attention ofthe
greatest medical scientists OF that
day. Rebecca was a Roman Catholic
in religion, and in 1858 she entered a
convent near this city. Idonot know
whether she is living yet or not, but
she certainly scared the girls on that
day.
Gamma Dickinson was employed here
during the war. She could talk on
any subject and gossip with anybody.
Her political discussions with the old
err employees, male and female, were
numerous and led to frequent reports
against her. One day she denounced
President Lincoln's way of carrying
on the war. She did not like it. She
thought it was not vigorous enough.
Her theme from morning to night was
the poor negro. Somebody went to
Director Pollock about her denuncia-
ton OF Mr.. Lincoln. He expostulated
with her and finally dismissed her.
Some years afterward, when she be-
came famous as a lecturer, she came
here and spoke to a large audience at
the Academy of Music. Her friend,
Judge Kelley, was to introduce her to
the audience, but he had not arrived,
and the audience was growing
impatient. There we're several dis
tinguished gentlemen on the stage,
one of whom was Ex-Gover-
nor Pollock. He was finally prevail
ed upon to introduce his former EN-
ploye in the Mint, which he did in III
eloquent manner When he had fin.
ished Miss Anna looked daggers at
him and did not stir from her seat.
Judge Kelley came in a few minutes
afterward and she was again present
ed to the audience. So you see she
got even with Mr.. Pollock for dismiss
ing her by publicly rebuklng him. She
WAS a great girl and as smart as q
whip"
There goes a person who has been
here longer than | have said the vet
eran, as he pointed toward a lady oil
about fifty years of age, around
whose face fingered traces of former
beauty and whose figure was still
shapely and erect. "She came here a
young miss of nineteen years, thirty
two years ago and is now the chief
adiuster. During the time Of her en-
ployment she was married to a gen.
tleman a few moments before he died,
who had courted her for some years.
She is really the Mint and knows
more about the business than all the
rest of us put together"