The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-05-11

are preparing for shipment to Europe"
"And, please what might be the val
I! ne of that little lot, inst as it lies there
in the boxes"
"Well, that is worth 100000, or,
TO be exact, $29S,l7T31. 1t has Just
been orderd by banking house on
| William street for export TO England
"Do they send bars instead of coin,"
continued the inquirer, "and what for
malty does one have TO go through 10
| obtain the blrsf'
"Almost I'll gold shipments are now
| made ia bullion or bars, such ~ those
| You see G lin is seldom imported now
nor has it been for the last three or
four years. The bars are much more
easily handled, aud the loss by abrai-
son is far less. There is also per-
centage in favor of the bars, as they
are less liable TO be counterfeited. IL
makes but little difference TO the re-
ceivers of the god on the other side
I,wbether goldor bullion is sent. for,lih
either case, they are thrown into the
melting pot and recast into new bars.
The same process is gone through with
on this side when gold in either form
is recived 1t is me ted aud secast iu-
TO bars. nm
| "These bars" he continued as he
took up one of them, ''run from $4,000
up 10 $4,000 in value; it depends, of
course, on the side. Each bar is num-
bered and its exact value stamped up
on it, together with the United States
seal. The bar hold is No. 3l,S97,
and it's value is S5,ll3.3l. When
banks or individuals require quantity
of gold for shipment they come here
and say what amount they want. We
take bars enough from the vault to fill
the order as nearly as possible and give
them memorandum of the exact value
Of the gold. This memorandum of the
exact valne of the gold. This memo
randum they take to the Sub-Treasury
and pay there the amount called for
by the memorandum, either in gold
ooin or gold certificates or United
States notes. National bank notes or.
other currency is not received in pay
ment for gold. Upon payment into
the Sub.Treasury Of the amount called
for they receive a receipt, OF certificate,
emitting them to the bars at the assay
office, upon presentation of which the
bars are handed over to them just as
one would hand over SO many cakes of
soap" H... b..
AFTER the gold is delivered, what
do those who r, ceive it do with it :"
"Pack it in kegs for transportation.
A man by the name of George S. Spear,
who has q cooper shop on Fletcher
street, has made special business of
making kegs and boxes for gold aud
silver Shipment, and Of packing the
same. Spear has been engaged at that
work for twenty years or more, as his
father wss before him. 1t is not every
cooper who can make keg suitable
for carrying gold. 1t must be extra
strong and heavy hooped, to holi safe-
ly the weighty metal. But you can
/ watch the manner of packing yourself,
for Mr.. Spear has just come to put up
8 a lot. After the gold is packed the
kegs are put on cart and carried to
the steamer, billed and delivered to
> hhe purser, about the same as any
other merchandise. The purser, how
ever has a strong compartment or safe
. in which he places valuable parcels,
and the kegs do not find their way into
the hold with the rest of the cargo
1 At this point Mr.. Spear began his
e operations. Three clerks from the
i bank that had purchased the gold were
;. present to oversee and aid in the work.
= In size, the kegs are a little smaller
i than an ordinary nail keg, with extra
"a heavy slaves and heads and bound
s with four stout iron hoops. The bot
|, tom hoop was first knocked off and
u two holes bored through the slaves on
n q level with the surface of the heading
i and on opposite sides OF the barrel.
n Through the holes two lines of red
,, tape were drawn across the head,
II crossed and tackled in the center. The
}, hoop was then replaced and driven
8. home, covering that part of the tape
Y that was on the outside of the slaves.
i Sealing wax was melted and dropped
II at the point where the two lines oi
a tape crossed in the center, and the
b bank seal pressed upon it. The kee
was then turned end for end and the
f other head removed A layer of saw
Of dust was fret thrown in and severa
is bars of the gold laid carefully on tn,
% dust, but so far apart as not TO touci
re or rub against each other. More saw
dust was thr'wn IN and la KID closel,
~ about the bars, when other layers o
se bar and sawdust followed until tn
10 keg was full aud Contained about $50,
nc 900. The head, tape, hoop and wa!
10 we're put on the same as on the othe
IS end, and the keg was marked aa'
an ready to be sent away on its voyag
" over the seas. A keg thus packed il
80 heavy that very strong man woul
find it difficult to raise it from the floor
and not 2 man in New York would b
able to carry it on his shoulder fror
y, Wall street to the Battery even if tn
contents of the keg were to be his re
ward.
n. The shipment of gold in this man
n, ner is frequent occurrence at certai
of s-asons, though there has been bu
,la little of it for the last six months, a
ia the balance of trade has been
favor of the United States.-Ne
n. York Commercial AdcertiSer.
~ \