Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-01
SIX HUNDRED MILLION
How the Funds are Guarded-It WOuld
be Difficult job to Rob the
Great Vaults.

IL oue VI tnOse glauts ABOUT which We
heard so much IN our younger oays was
to develop modern Bill Sykes tendency
| and select the Treasury Department a.
the scene of his operations, saws ihs
Boston Globe, he might make a pretty
good haul, provided the watchmen allow.
ed him to get away.
Suppose all the money in the Treasury
was pile up IN one room. Ny giant burg.
lar would find al his hand 1924, 900, GOO
| in gold and silver, S25O,O00,O0O in bonds.
and an additional $100,OOO,000 in new
silver dollars if be happened to time his
visit when the new silver vault in the
main courtyard is full, and silver
stream of 100000 day is steadily flow
ing into that subterranean treasure
house.
Here is nearly S6OO,O0o,O0o. Just
think Of it! More money than can be
found in any bank in Europe The Banh
of England has only $1O1,OO0,OCO; the
Bank of France, $452, 100000 the Imper-
ial Bank of Germany, $237 100000.
This little wad of $600,000,OOO is nom
inally in charge of James W. Hyatt, the
United Ttates treasurer, who by the way
is q very bright specimen of Connect
cut Yankee. Mr.. Hyatt has to give
bond of $4,000 for the safe keeping
of that money, not a cent of which he
ever actually handles, but he doesn't stay
awake nights counting his cash, ana the
cares of Office sit lightly upon him.
Massive iron safes, embedded in solid
masonry, protected by time locks and
every other kind of anti BURGLAR device
known to the ingenuity of man, guard
this treasure, and IN addition a force o.
armed watchmen patrol the building
night and day. If a man wanted to steal
money out of the treasury he would have
a pretty hard time of it. L don't remem-
Der now of any attempt of the kind hav-
ing ever been made, always excepting
the finn of L. j. Brady i Co., and some
others of the same kind, who planned
very successful raid. But they had the
combination at that time, and since
then we have changed all that.
Any one who has been abroad is at
once struck by the armed sentries con.
stantly on guard in front OF the Govern
ment banks. If you should happen TO
pass the Bank of England any night
about o'clock you would see a detech-
ment of the Gaenadier Guards march
into the bank, and there they remain IN
til 9 O'Clock the next morning. There
isn't a sentry, not even as much as a
marine, to be seen any where around the
Treasury, but at every door sits a vigi
tant Waterman, and he sharply scruti-
nizes al corners, especially those who are
strangers to him. He doesn't look very
fierce, but the drawer of the desk al which
he sits contains heavy Colts revolver,
and at given signal he would immedi-
ately close his door and stand on guard,
revolver in hand.
At O'Clock the department. is closed
to visiters, and a light iron grating
serves to bar out ihe general public. Only
persons armed with pass are then ad
mitted. At 4 O'Clock the en- ployes
leave, and the building is turned over to
the night watch, TO remain in their pos
session until s O'CLOCK the next morning.
Forty four men comprise the night
watch in two reliefs, each of which is in
command of lieutenant. The night
watcnmen carry 45-caliher revovers in
their belts, ready for uae at moments
notice. The first thing they do when
they go on duty is to see that every room
is properly locked and all fires "bauked
up" for the night; then they turn the
keys into the office of the captain of the
watch, where they are hung on big
board.
The men are distributed round the
various floors and assigned 10 certain
corridors, and every half hour they turn
in signal from a watchman's box. The
big money vaults are never left un watched
for moment during the entire night,
and in case of necessity the guard can i'm
mediateiy summon assistance by turning
in signal from his call box. Three men
patrol the building on the outside. In
the captains Office is a case containing
thirty-ive Springfield rifles and bayonets,
and the same number of cartridge belts
and 500 rounds Of bali.
ALI things considered, it wouldn't be
safe for mob to try and loot the treas
ury.