The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-05-28

These machines weigh coins at the rate
Of twenty-six per minute, and a days
weighing amounts 70 about one hundred
I thousand pounds sterling. The light
coins are taken TO the guillo;ine another
hydraulic triumphant dropped down
long tube. As they slip through
sharp knife clips the coin neatly down
the centre and allows 1t to fall out At
the side, and, 10 carry out tho guillosine
notion, they fall into small basket
They are not cut in two. but the cut Is
more than half way through, aud this
I prevents tn ebanker who has paid them
ia from again circulating them, although
he can take them away after they are
clipped This he never does, but takes
the weight value Of the gold.
The automatic bodyguard now shows
some animation. Producing hand
lantern from another mysterious recess
he turns and bids US follow. We walk
in narrow alleys formed Of piles Of boxes,
where not ray Of light ponotTatcs, and
find ourselves making rapid descent,
with the lantern ahead like some guar
dian angel. We descend sleeper in
cline than the Others, with the defunct
bank notes in their sarcophagi all around
us, when a chill air striking us proves
that we are well under ground.
Then the figure in front turns and
announces TO US in tone calculated 20
strike terror into nervous persons, I'VE
are now in the labyrinth begin 20
feel like another Guy FGwkes going TO
blow up the whole place. But the sudden
twists and turns we take always In that
hewildering maze OF piled up cases are
becoming most trying TO the banker, who
is not accustomed TO lodging will-o'-
the.wisp in q catacomb.
/ begin 10 entertain fears that he is
I leading US TO some dungeon fastness
when he turns again and solcmnly 70.
marks, with wave Of his hand "All
bank notes. Some idea can be gained Of
the quantity when il is said that they are
"a, 7l5, 900 In number, and that they I'LL
13.400 boxes, which, II placed side by
side, would reach two aud hall miles.
If the notes were placed In pile they
would reach a height Of five aud half
miles; or II joined end to end would
form a ribbon IL, 455 miles long. Their
superficial extent is little less than that
Of Hyde Park, their original value was
] over one billion seven hundred aud fifty
million pounds sterling, and their weight
over ninety aud half tons.
Along another passage we enter q
large room-really a vault--which IS
surrounded from door to ceiling by iron
doors Of safes. which al their opening
might be five feet high by five feet wide.
one Of these is opened and shows rows
upon rows Of gGld coins in bags of two
/ thousand pounds sterling each.
One is handed to me to hold, and after
/ doing so for moment decide will not
I carry II home The dead weight Is
enormous. Yet these officials handle
the slipping. sliding mass as though II
/ were a book. Another door is opened,
/ ana we observe a stack of bank notes.
remark that | have seen lot already.
/ For answer the manager takes out par.
eel Of one thousand one housand-pound
sterling notes and says:
Take hold. / do so, and am told !
am holding one million pounds sterling.
4 | should have wished 10 hold II longer,
/ but they want it, so put it back.
This small safe contains eight mill
4 ion pounds sterling" continues the pc.
( lite manager, "and you are in the richest
vault Of the Bank Of England and Of the
world. This small room at present holds
4 eighty millions pounds sterling
( BY this time my appetite for wealth Is
nearly gone. ] am nauseatcd with the
atmosphere Of bank notes. Ny senses
are dulled with the expressing spectacle,
and hail with delight the merry plash-
ing fountain In the court yard. Here arc
the quarters Of the thirty-four guards
men who nightly patrol the establish
ment. A double sentry is posted at
each gate, and as they load with ball
cartridge, it is not safe place for an
enterprising burglar TO tackle. The
officer OF the guard has bedroom In
the bank, and is provided with dinner,
and understand that the guards are also
literally treated.
We are hurried into the changing de-
partment, where notes are changed for
gold or silver, or notes for other notes.
This Is where the criminal side Of life
is exposed in all its phases. The Bank
Of England dare not refuse to cash any
note presented, provided II Is q genuine
one, but any suspicion on the part Of the
cashier is the signal for an alarm by
electricity to the detectives at the en-
trance to the courtyard. These detec-
tivcs are stationed in the boxes either
side Of the main gates, and they at once
respond to the alarm and follow up or
arrest the suspected person.
From the time one enters the bank un-
til one leaves it one Is constantly under
police espionage. The porter, the clerk
or the beadle, maybe. and often is, de-
tective belonging to the network which
embraces the whole institution. - New