Sharp County record., 1891-05-21

The manager sets the hydraulic
power in motion by means Of a small
wheel. and then touches an ivory but
ton at the side. Immediately the en-
tire scale, weighing hundreds ofpounds,
sinks some seven inches and is ready
for weighing.
1--WE will first weigh a postage stamp, "
observes the suave gentleman. On
each side the scales are fitted with
weights amounting to 400 ounces. When
gold is to be weighed the smaller
weights on the balance are withdrawn
and the gold placed on one of the two
Lodges. The gold is made up in 400
ounce bars, and the difference of one
thousandth part of an ounce can be de-
tected
The stamp being added to the 400
ounce weights another ivory button is
touched, and the index jumps a dis
tance of six inches. Think of it. six
inches on the index for a postage
stamp! But the most wonderful incl
dent was yet in store for me.
"SuppOsing bar contains more than
this scale is made to weigh says the
manager, any other scale would go to
its limit and give no sign. Not this
one, however" To prove this he added
one quarter of an ounce more than the
maximum weight, when, instead Of the
index moving, there is a pause Of
some seconds and then an electric bell
commences ringing. There is some
thing terrible human about this mech
anism which declines to execute a task
of which it is incapable. This is the
only balance of its kind. in the world.
The maker has never constructed a
duplicate. This triumph Of the mechan-
icaI art cost exactly $4,000 sterling.
The silver scale is, of course, not so
finely balanced, and the two are re-
spectfully christened The Lord Chief
Justice" and The Lord High Chan
cellor."
The manager then moves away from
the scale, and turning handle in the
wall suddenly Eliminates long vault,
with finely groined arches, which would
otherwise pass unnoticed. Throwing
the gate open, we pass in, followed by
one of the bodyguards in chocolate
brown suit.
On small barrOws with strong wheels
are about 100 4OO-ounce bars Of gold.
Each barrow, roughly speaking, con-
tains. therefore, 40 900 ounces, or about
e170, 900 worth of metal On shelves
ranged along the walls are heaps upon
heaps of bags containing coins, each
bag weighing 500 ounces. They are Of
the Indian, French, German, Dutch and
American currency.
From this room we ascend stone
staircase and pass along very agree
able gallery, with solid stone balust-
rades, overlooking the courtyard. The
doors of the grand board room open
from this gallery.
Our bodyguard touches an electric
button. The door is opened and we are
ushered into luxurious room, where
the football is deadened by the thickest
Turkey carpets. fancy myself in the
board room, but my protector bids me
follow him, and we step into the adjoi1-
ing apartment-a vast chamber, with a
lofty, frescoed ceiling, the furniture Of
which would send an antiquarian into
ecstacies.
But there are one or two directors
present, and so we step out of their
august presence after having, so far as
| am concerned gazed at them as
though they were some rare foreign
animals just landed
We pass the discount bill department,
where the rate is usually fixed up on
Thursday afternoons, and past Mr..
Frederick Mays office, after having
taken a peep at the gentleman whose
name and fame is spread over the wide
world as the signatory of the Bank of
England's notes. After that we go by
the secretarys Office and the Indian
office as though they existed not.
We have come to see the wonders
of the enchanted castle, and cannot
stop to look in upon the prosaic occu-
pations of the workaday world. We
are in an atmosphere Of marvels, and |,
for my part, simply revel in it.
We arrive at a door which admits us
to an inclosure almost entirely of glass,
in which visitors stand and gaze at the
wonders within. However, the body
guard throws open the door, and step
ping up TO the chief whispers word in
his ear He approaches US with warm
welcome and bids me walk up 70 one
Of the gold weighing machines, Of
which there are some 30 here. This Is
the room where sovereigns and half
sovereigns are weighed when sent in
by bankers and others. Here again
hydraulic power is used
A machine consisting Of a compli-
Gated system Of counter weights looks
not unlike sewing machine as to It's
lower half. This is completely inclosed
in glass. A long feeder, like tube
cut in half, down It's length, and made
Of brass, is set at an angle Of l5 degrees
and is filed with long row Of SOW
ereigns. These turn as they slip down
on to circular, movable plate, slightly
larger than a sovereign.
For n moment the plate seems 20 be
deciding upon the merits Of that partic-
ular coin. Then, as IL IL had made up
It's mind conclusively, It deftly turns
the coin 20 the right and il slips down