St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-06-27
MILLIONS In IT.
Uncle Sam's Big Treasury and
What It Contains.
me BaGgost silver Mine In the World and
the Men Who Guard lt-Could the
Eation Ne Successfully
RObbed?

Secretary Foster Is now rs much At
home In the great treasury department
Is though he had been born there. His
big Office, overlooking the Potomac. is
as quiet rs a church and the business
goes on as smoothly as the oiled looks
OF the massive vaults which hold the
millions upon millions Of gold and sill
yer cein in the vaults below.
He has to have 10000 men to help
him, and tho wires run from his Office
to every part of the country. In the
customs service alone he has 1000 en-
ploveA There are $500 men at work
In Washington. and his internal
revenue agents are scattered up and
down the lakes. over the country and
through (he southern mountains, to the
number OF nearly 3. 500 more. The life
esving service is under him, and he has
l.o00men who do nothing but melt gold
and silver bullion. and coin money at
The mints He has ships in his revenue
marine bureau He watches over the
Lighthouses along our coast. and he
takes charge of every dollar that is paid
In for government taxes in any way,
and gives out every cent that is spent
BY Uncle Sam in any undertaking.
How much money do you think the
government has on hand?
Well. when Treasurer Huston came
into his Office Is United States treasurer
he gave . receipt for just what he found
here. and this rcceipt was the largest
ever given in the history Of the world
A fac-simile Of itis framed and hung up
in tho treasurer's ohace, and English
visitors put their hands to their heads
In amazemcnt and feel to see IL their
eyes are really open when they look at
It. II is receipt for s:7l, 49,. .Sla. 45S.
This is about the samount wh3cA is on
hand in this massive building to-day.
Il Is the balance which Secretary Foster
has under him and which remains iust
about so much. Notwithstanding the
millions upon millions which come and
60. -t,
Uncle Sam deals in big fgurea !
looked ut . check recently for So, ,00O..
Ooo. which was signed by the treasurer.
audthere are something like $500, oo0.-
600 Of gold and silver in the vaults Of
this mighty department Il
Leaving Secretary Fosters o6lce
went. with one Of the guards. out into
the court which lies in tho center Of
this massive treasury department. just
over the great vaults. The treasury Il
built In the form Of two hollow squares.
and around this court rose three-story
walls on all sides It was rooted only
by the skies and Il was 0aGged with
great blocks of stone as big - . center
table. It covered, judge. quarter Of
IN acrc, and as walked over it had
beneath me the biggest silver mine in
the world. In the vault below there
werc 3o0, 900, 900 of silver in boxes and
bags, and under my feet separated
only by foot or two Of stope. was gold
by the millions Guarding IL were the
great fort-like walls on evcry side and
within the treasury policemen who
walk continuously to and 'fro and
watch the great doors which lead down
70 the entz1Aces OF these vaultA
Leaving the court I went down into
thess big vaults They arc already
packed 70 bursting Tho vast vault
which was built = few years ago has
its chambers all filed. and the aisles
are now being packed with silver baes.
Each Of these bags contains 60 pounds
of silver dollars and they arc stacked
one On topof another Tor all the world
like the hags of . dour mill and like 50
much. wheat 49, 80. s,-- .
Il ssvss the intention to store the
whole eeo.ooo.0cO in bags, but It VA,
found that the roof leaked and . num-
ber Of sdan' boxes about foot
square and Is inches long have been.
made These arc Of l inch pine and
each box contains 5000. These sse
I'd. 900 Of these boxes piled one on top of
the Other in this vault and they have |
70 b very strong and well-mAdS
Whsre bs9s are nsed there Is q cootin<
nal movement going on in the silrer
.nd tAes displacement Of q single beg
would cause movement Of MILLIONS
saw this Jbig vault baiit = hes
thicN ~alls ot brick and cement sDd \
its foauaAn6Dea 4 Of scenent ftcovefs
more saiar b quarter Of "a acre. and VI
a feet 6eet In Its Interior there 3 ~
caee OF iron lattice yorat the. bars Of
vhich. .are m&de Of wrought iron. and.
Which xerc riveted together with rcd
hoe 6vsts sfter the lattice.worx was