The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-09

GOLIATH n c.. May 5-1Nrecial t.
...1,cr ont this morning 90 procure some
-. t,r an article on the gold industries of
-.,.io,to stumbled ON some facts, never be-
rnblished. that Will doubtless be of more
~, o,iinary interest. if not q general sur
-, They were brouch. 90 light IN search
&c some Of The records OF the Assay Mint Tor
ocuer but dryer facts.
ysrent the morning IN this quaint old his
49,. Mia and 10 Mr.. Stuart w. Ciamer. the
...,,,st I am indebted for much Of what is
hsro sri forth
An OLD UNITED STATES MINT
Il, this old United States mint, which stands
80. Trade street. not far from the lNchmonV
- Danville depot. Charlotte has place OF
-, interest and one that always arrests
-. ,tt@ution Of strangers. When Mr.. Cramer.
- crescent sssavCr. was appointed % that
,-,s,t,gn about two wears ago 10 was M much
tIspidatcd state but by reason OF the M
S-essed business developed backed 10y his
earnest efforts. the Government has taken the
,,ester IN charge, a great deal OF the STAN ana
- 81 time have been ohaced, but nothing
e,o.ut destruction can change the mas
-. appearnnoo or quaint ar That
~. old building wears rs very shadow
ss.ue 90 whisper OF historic times. Inc
HllIL ~ lAFt-f s. Aliit Ul'N A's NA4N
h. the cAOrt 20 make II neat these have Deeh
,a,otod and now lis heavy walls arc masquer-
49, as concrete. over the heavy portals
az under a giant gable stands with out
tretched Wigs an immense American eagle,
vgho4e spraad Of wing thirteen feet. ! his
handsome representation of our nations Ord
vss recently gilded at a cost of $50.
WASTE or Room.
LICKING at the building from a modern
stard-uoint there seems 10 be woiul waste
n room and material The ground basement
e-,tes are not less than seven feet through,
from basement 10 second floor while On the
other hand the vault doors where once WAS
st,rsd the virgin metal and brilliant com
vm.d make a brakeman Taught 10 see their
-r.n iron plates. Anew iron fence with other
improvements. however, gives a very neat ap-
rea-auco -o this quiet spot, and the oNpendi-
igr, Of d liberal appropriation has changed ITS
Interior dlapidatiOn 10 convenience, comfort
sud elegance.
QUAINT FACTS PROM OLD RECORDS.
O'drecords that have been undisturbed fox
vps-s gave up some quaint facts o. your core
sp0nierte research to-day. These records
prove that tins institution was established "@
h United States coinage mint by act OF Non-
gress March s. 1885. and opened, for business
December g. 1897, instead of one year later as
has been generally published and accepted.
John IT Wheeler was lts first superintendent
The orginal building was destroyed py fire IN
1e44and was rebuilt and reOpened October lst,
Two year later.
THE AfNT IN CONFEDERATE DAYS.
The amount Of gold and silver coined be-
tween the time Of the first opening Of the
mint up % the LIST of March. 1861, when the
eccoDnt with the uted States winds up, was
$6O59.l8s. This mintaee IS DISTINGUISHING
from other coins hy q small G under the eagle
on each piece Exactly what dates the Con
f8darates occupied the mint Us not shown 10y
any existing record but 10 was presumably
carly after The date above mentioned, when
the accounts 0f the United States showed q
balance ~ 5000 in coin and 600 IN bullion,
an of which NOTABLY 1o the sp0lls o. WAT
The only record I'D of Confederate
tunes is full bound day-boOk
which goes back ... year 1887, and luoi
Gates that The State authorities took charge oil
tho Mint June T. 1861. a. the first heading on its
pages reade state Mint June j. 1851.
What caused 'his seeming lnteuegnum be-
tween the two entries does not appear.
Salary account seems 10 be the most proml-
uent of all on this day-book, and the Gov
ernor Of North Carolina was drawn ON for the
first months salary. but in December this
entry IL declared am error and tie amount ls
charged % the Treasurer OF the Confederate
States.
WHISTLER these officers waited four months
without salaries remains conjecture. Ibes'
accounts close Just four months from the
times the United States surrendered the mint,
and as there are no entries of bullion deposits
" money issued probably no attempt was
made 40 coinage or other operations. Atier
lns time the building was used as AN arsenal
and for other military purposes, a. l- attested
by forty-eight fivo-inch rife shells still re-
posing u rs basement rooms
AS Az ASSAY 0Trlcr
Tile year 1863 again saw this structure occu-
pied q, au assay office, and to-dayltls the only
ESSAY ofice 10 the United States that ls re-
onied to assay ores. The consequence is maj
ore- are received here from all over t0e mon.
some miners preferng the Government cer-
rhcate over private assays. Since 1876 the
assays of gold bullion has amounted 10 -
5J 0O0 The deposits OF bullion for 1889
Amounted 20 3l71,4OIU7, while that Of 1870
W. 1924 26o rs Tie assaving and anu-
lying " ores increases In ratio. and
Tins office is now fulfilling the pur-
pose for which DO WAS established. %
provide the necessary facilities to large
mining region OF which Charlotte 10 the centre.
Gold mines nave been worked all over Neck
lentug county for many years. and some o.
the best OF these are immediately around Cbac-
lotte aud have been ~ operation for fifty or
seventy i've wears. These ores are rich Do
suphurets and their proper working by suit
able machinery would. in the opinion ~ an
expert With whom nave talked. make them
pay yer largely through TINS product. ~ -
escralted that s2.OO0.0Ol OF Northern capital
is invested ln gold mining ln this county.
COLD MINING AROUND CHARLOTTE.
A recent writer on the gold industry p and
around Charlotte saws
tits fact that there are about sixty gold
mines ia TINS county. five OF which are located
n me suburbs of tins ctv.
The kud.si.I mine the largest and most eN-
Uusivelv operated mine ln the State says au
authority, is located near the terminus OF
Church street and the ST. Catherine is Joe
~ ri within a stones throw of the Richmond
and Dauvle depot From Independence
sjua,e The steam from tie exhaust pipes from
10 Point nine which 81, located near the end
~ 1ade street. can be- seen easily, whllefrom
tne site 81 the new town Of DuwOrth can be
Observed the works OF tne Summit Hll mine.
Tie main shaft Of the Eudlsil mine is so
,eet deep. and there ore about 5000 ieet Of
tunnels. Tie ST. Catherine mine is about 400
eel deep Within short distance ~ he city
Ae situated some very valuable mines. among
winch are the Capps Hll mine the Dunn
nine. and besides these NAV be named rhe
HopeweN. hc(iinn. Arlington Clark. Guar.
tntee Baltimore and North Carolina. Ferris.
black, stephen. Wilson. Sampson. the Hoover
miue, which IS being worked with profit by
af. II W Clark. OF Boston. the Hrmhvm,nc.
henderson. Chlnquepn, Mountain and u
number of others
There are at least twenty mines in the