Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-06-05
MILLIONS IN 1T.
Uncle Sans Big Treasury and
What It Contains.
The Biggest silver Mine in the World and
the Men Who Guard It-Could the
Nation Be Successfully
Robbed?

oCSiCUdty OStCT ID HOW us luuCu dU
home in the great treasury department
as though he had been born there. His
big office, overlooking the Potomac, is
as quiet as q 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 sill
yer coin in the vaults below.
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 service alone he has 1000 en-
ploves. 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 the southern mountains, to the
number of nearly $500 more. The life
saving service is under him, and he has
l,0OOmen who do nothing but melt gold
and silver bullion, and coin money at
the minis. 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 as United States treasurer
he gave areceipt for just what he found
here, and this receipt was the largest
ever given in the history of the world.
A fac-simile Of 1t 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
1t. 1t is receipt for $;71, 432, 519. ASH
This is about the amount which is on
hand in this massive building to-day.
1t is the balance which Secretary Foster
has under him and which remains Just
aboot so much, Notwithstanding the
millions upon millions which come and
go,
Uncle Sam deals in big figures. |
looked at a check recently for $67, OOO,-
900, which was signed by the treasurer,
and there are something like $500, OoO,-
900 of gold and silver in the vaults OF
this mighty department.
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 great vaults. The treasury is
built in the form of two hollow squares
and around this court rose three-story
walls on all sides. 1t was rooted only
by the skies and it was tagged with
great blocks of stone as big as center.
table. 1t covered, l judge, quarter OF
an acre, and as walked over it had
beneath me the biggest silver mine in
the world. In the vault below there
were 800, 100000 of silver in boxes ant
bags, and under my feet separated
only by foot or two of stone, was golt
by the millions Guarding it were the
great fort-like walls on every side ant
within the treasury policemen who
walk continuously to and fro anC
watch the great doors which lead dowr
to the entrances of these vaults.
Leaving the court went down int
these big vaults. They are already
packed to bursting The vast vaul
which was built a few years ago ha.
It's chambers all filed, and the aisle,
IRE now being packed with silver bags
Each of these bags contains 60 pound,
of silver dollars and they are stacked
one on top of another for all the worlC
like the bags of -four mill and like 81
much wheat.
1t was the intention to store tn,
whole 800, 100000 in bags, but it wa
found that the roof leaked and mum
Der of small boxes about foo
square and IS inches long have beef
made. These are of 1 inch pine ant
each box contains $4,000 There ar,
$4,000 of these boxes piled one on top o
the other in this vault and they hav,
&c be very strong and wellmade
+ : iere bags are used there is contin
81 movement going on in the silvcI
J. and the displacement of single bag
would cause movement OF millions,
saw this big vault built 1t ha.
thick walls of brick and cement, anC
its foundation is of cement II cover
more than n quarter of an acre, and il
Il feet deep in its interior there is 9
cage of iron lattice work, the bars o
which are made of wrought iron, anC
which were riyrted together with red
hot F.vetl after the iatt.ee-wori We,