The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-09
A WAREHOUSEFOR CASH.
UNCLE SANS BIG TREASURE BOX
IN WASHINGTON.

partment are two places that are visited by
thousands of people each month, and these
are, first. the place where the governments
promissory notes are made and the other
where some other firms notes are DESTROYED.
1t is a case of nip ard tuck between these
places as to which one is the most powerful
attraction, but the truth is that those who
go to one place think that they have not
completed the rounds until they have seen
the other.
It is the old story of the love Of gold. If
| people cannot have lots Of money of their
own they want 20 see other folks money,
| aud there is always a certain sort of attrac-
ton about the vast sums that are kept in
stock by the government in the large ware
house on the corner of the avenue and Fif-
teereth street. People like to let their eyes
rest on thousands, or millions, even if their
| hands cannot touch them. In this light the
| large sums of money are as much of an at
traction as rare animal at a menagerie;
| there is something about it that gives 1t an
atmosphere of rarity, and that is always
| drawing card, either in money-that is, ex-
hlbltion money-animals or spring bonnets.
There used to be a large sum of money
done up in a very small package In the
treasury department, million dollars or
more, it may have been, which the guides
| a
| specimen of how much wealth could be put
into small space. Folks used to look at
1t, handle 1t carefully, rub their hands over
| 1t In careSsing, loving manner and then
| put 1t down again with a long sigh that
spoke of regret at parting. Some of them
| were incredulous as to the sum that was in
the bundle and would show skepticism by
asking some rather ridiculous questions.
| But most of them swallowed the statements
| of the guides without murmur, and went
| home to tell as a marvellous tale how they
had million dollars in their hands at once,
| just think of It'll
THE STREAM OF VISITORS
to the treasury is constant. It begins at
| 10 O'Clock in the morning, when the doors
are thrown open TO the public, and it does
not cease until after 2 o'clock, when they
are closed again. 1t is estimated that
| 81, 600 people went down through the vaults
and other places OF interest last month
alone, and this is but sample of other
months in the year. There is a regular
| route over which the guides who are fur
nished at the office of the treasurer.
take their charges-along the corridor,
| past the rooms where the ladies are
counting money, both new and old, and
then the questions begin. Everybody wants
to know what the wire cages are put up
around the counters for; if it is 70 prevent
them from getting away with some of the
| governments cash, or whether it is to ward
of possible raid on the rooms by mobs of
burglars. Then the parties, numbering
from five to fifty, descend into the base
me1ts, where the doors of the vaults are to
be seen, peering out vaguely from the half
lights of the gas flames that dance and
hutter at the approach Of visitors.
The mysterfousness of these huge doors,
| portentous wi b their charges, impresseS the
pystanders, and they are silent for a mo-
ment, but they soon break forth into ques-
lions about the exact amount of money
stored away there, which the guide can tell
| 10 cent. They get themselves into trouble
sometimes, however, by being too accurate,
as on one occasion one of the number a
bright. quick colored man, pointed to a
paper pasted on the wall and read from
1t the amount Of cash turned over 10 the
present Il easurer by his predecessor. 1t
happens that the total ends with fraction
OF cent on account of the exactness with
which the calculation of bond interest was
carried out. Some one in the party ex-
| pressed disbelief in the idea that there
was any such sum in the treasury as two
| thirds of cent, and demanded to see it..
No amount of argument could persuade
him of the truth, and he went away with
the most firm CONJUNCTION that the accounts
OF the government were being manipulated
by the guides.
THE INTERESTING MACERATOR.
But the main point of interest is the
macerator, which is the name for the great
machine that grinds old money into shape
less, valueless pulp-the financial ogre, as it
might be called. It is in the endorsement
or the building in room facing the court
yard on the west side, and any day from
this point can be heard a loud whirring and
moaning, as if the monster was crashing his
teeth for more food. Until lately it has
been impossible to run this machine during
Office hours, owing to the fact that the fit
tlngs of the belts and other gear that
turned 1T were fastened to the roof of the
room, and the revolutions CAUSED the entire
building on that side to shake and tremble
| so that work was almost impossible in any
of the Offices above it. A force of men has
been at work for some days remodeling the
machinery in order to avoid the necessity of
doing the maceration OF the old money
after office hours, and this has been accom-
plished, so that now the giant can do his
chewing without making any one at all ner-
vous who is few feet away. Posts of iron
| We're placed on the ground and on these were
put the belt pulles and the shafts, so that
everything is now clear of the roof, aud all
the vibration goes into the ground
The money that is put into this hungry
thing TO be destroyed is that sent back to
the treasury for redemption by national
banks, after it has done its best service. old
| AAOAOJ AEouoA Wy blio LQaU mas
become limp and ragged, and other forms
OF the buying power that has seen better
days. In short, this is the grave of the
cash. 1t is huge kettle, closed on top aud
on all sides, with lot of pipes running
into it and an amount of gear renching
almost to the ceiling. A large, smooth
engine IN one end of the small room slid IS
back and forth with noissless motions, and
starts wide belt that turns and twists
several times before it finally goes around
the shaft of the macerator aud gives to it a
spinning motion that is almost dizzying.
THE GREAT KETTLE
is about 6 feet deep and 6 feet in diameter.
The upper half only is to be seen, as the
lower part is buried in square base of
bricks that has been built up SO that in
order to reach the mac Inc itself one has to
go up few stems On the side near the
door is hole cut into the metal and COW
cred by plate of steel about foot square.
perforated by little round holes through
which the attendant or visitor can peer and
see the mass of mutilated money hylng
around at lightning pace in a food of seeth-
ing water, which has assumed the color of
a soiled handkerchief if it is very much
soIled. This plate is locked down with
three large brass padlocks, one for each of
the officers that have access 10 the machine.
The money is put into the kettle every dav