The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-15
UNCLE SAINTS MONEY.
The Big Treasury Machine in
Mr.. Fosters Charge.
GREATEST or SILVER MINES.
A Check for sfxty-seven Millions-Hsw
Ninety Miilion Dollars Are stored
Constructfon Of the Vaults.

Constructfon Of the Vaults.
WAsHIxaroN CTrY, March Especial
Correspondence. Secretary Foster is now
as much at home in the great treasury de-
partment as though he had been born
there. His big Office overlooking the
Potomac is as quiet as church, and the
business goes on as smoothly as the oiled
locks of the massive vaults which hold the
millions upon millions Of gold and silver
coin in the vaults below. Secretary Fos-
ter's room is the cheeriest one in this
grand and gloomy building. The treasury
department itself is like tomb. It would
be . fine home for the Suicide Club, and
there Is no prison in the world which is 50
depressing and penitentiary-iike as it is.
Long and squatty, with . massive roof, its
walls are of gray granite many feet thick,
and into these at the basement doors have
been cut out, which seem to lead into the
cave-like structure, and over which seem
70 be painted the words of Dante:
"All hope abandon ye who enter here"
Such windows as there are, sad and
bleary. They look like the rheumy eyes
of dying giants and they are veiled with
massive bars, which aid in shutting out
the sunlight and in making the gloomy
exterior more prison-like than ever. The
second story of this massive tomb is lined
with columns of dirty sandstone, and back
of these other windows look out more
gray and gloomy than those below. The
interior of the building is as Oppressive as
its exterior. You walk through miles of
corridors, which have to be lighted by
electricity in order that You may find your
way. These corridors are narrow and
hundreds Of doors open from them
on either side. They make you feel
as though you were in vault and
as door opens you unconsciousiy shud-
der at the thought Of seeing the collins
which you feel must be piled one on top
of another on the shelves within. 1t is the
same from basement to attic, and it is only
the south rooms that have anything like
a CHEEKY look. It is on the second floor Of
these that the secretary's Office is located,
and here in q room about twenty feet
square Mr.. Foster manages Uncle Sans
cash.
THE BIG TREASURY MACHINE.
Have you ever thought what . mighty
Job itis2
When Secretary Folger died in the at
tempt to keep track of it, did it strike you
that the care Of millions preyed upon his
mind until death came to his release
When Secretary Manning figured the
interest of our big government debt and
watched the outgoing and incoming of
millions every day, the responsibility Of
this mighty treasury machine ate the life
out of him, and when Secretary Window
grappled with it in his strength, it over
threw him. The fight seems to be differ
ent with Secretary Foster. Business men
are born, not made; and Foster inherited
the knack of managing men and money
His experience has enabled him to make a
fortune for himself, and his power of or
ganization is such that he has already got
ten his hands accustomed to the KEYS of
Uncle Sans finances, and he is running
the machine Systematically and we'll.
What mighty machine it Is and how
wide are its ramafcations!
He has to have 10000 men to help him,
and the wires run from his Office to every
part of the country. In the customs serv-
ice alone he has 1000 employees. There are
$500 men at work here at Washington and
his internal revenue agents are scattered
up and down the lakes over the country
and through the southern mountains to
the number of nearly $500 more. The life
saving service is under him, and he has
1000 men who do nothing but melt gold
and silver bullion and coin money at the
mints. He has ships in his revenue mar
Inc bureau. tie watches over the light
houses 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.
RECEIPT FOR 500 600. 900.
How much money do you think the
the government has on hopd?
Well, when Treasurer Huston came in
to his Office as United States treasurer, he
gave a receipt for just what he found here,
and this receipt was the largest ever given
in the history of the world. A fac-simile
of it is framed and hung up in the
treasurer's office and English visitors put
their hands to their heads in amazement
and feel to see if their eyes are really open
when they look at it. 1t is a receipt for
$771, 49,, 800 453S. This iss about the
amount which is on hand in this massive
building today. 1t is the balance which
| Secretary Foster has under him and which
| remains just about so much notwithstand-
ing the millions upon millions which
| come and go.
| Uncle Sam deals in big figures. looked
| at a check yesterday for $67, 0O0, 600 which
| was signed by the treasurer and there are
| something like 800 000, 900 of gold and sill
yer in the vaults of this mighty depart
| ment.
Can you realize how much SCI, 900, 900
! means?
can't, but know that General Wash
ington was almost wild about the debt of
this country when he took the presidency
and found that the government owed $75,-
| 600, 900. Still we give check for $67 900,
! 900 and the amount does not surprise us.
THE BIGGEST SILVER MINE IN THE WORLD.
Leaving Secretary Fosters office, went
with one of the guards out into the court
which lies in the center of this massive
treasury department, just over the grea,
vaults. The treasury is built in the form OF
two hollow squares and around this cour,
rose three-story walls on all sides. 1t was
rooted only by the skies and il was tagged
with great blocks of stone as big as cen.
ter-table. 1t covered. judge, a quarter OF
an acre, and as l walked over it, had be.
| meath me the biggest silver mine in the
world. In the vault below there were
$50, o00, 600 of silver in boxes and bags. and
under my feet, separated only by foot O,
| two of stone, was gold by the millions
| Guarding it were the great fort-like walls
on every side and within the treasury
policemen, who walk continuously to and
| fro and watch the great doors which lead
down to the entrance of these vaults.
| THE TREASURY VAULTS.