The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-01-28

It is not generally known that only
SCI ,000, ,00G OF standard silver dollars sfe
in circulation. The government is un-
able to pay :hesc heavy coins cut.
People prefer the paper currency, Sc
cured by their deposits in Treasury
faults. 1t is Only in the agricultural
districts Of the South and IVES: that tue
silver dollar is acceptable. In The great
trade centres the people refuse it because
of its weight and receive coin certificates
in lieu OF them.
4 NINE OF GREAT WEALTH.
In grea. underground vault III a
court yard ofthe Treasury building there
are stored to-day nearly $200,O00,0O0 of
these silver dollars. Time and again the
government officials have sought to get
them into circulation, but they drift
back and paper certificates are exchanged
for them.
The building of this immense silver
st0rehouse was no small undertaking and
il cost the government many thousands.
1t i. constructed Of steel and hard bricks
ard the inner part is separated into cells
similar TO the cells OF a jail-thc par.
titions being latticed with fiat steel bars.
AS matter of course this gloomy cav.
ern is well guarded. In every portion
of its walls end flooring delicate wires
aud other apparatus are introduced con-
nected with the alarm system Of the
building. The removal Of a single
brick or The intrusion Of an instrument
Of any character would serve 10 notify
the alert watchers above that the treas.
ure was injeopardy.
at one period all of this silver wealth
was secured in bags containing $1,000
each and to each chamber or cell, was
allotted $l0,000,O00, but owing to the
dampness of the vault tie bags quickly
decayed and 90 wooden boxes have been
substituted, which are piled one upon
another like merchant arranges his
wares.
HOW IT IS ALL GUARDED.
Ga OF the interesting features of the
great Treasury Department is its guard
system. The stranger rarely notices the
fact that all the entrance ways have in
addition to their ordinary wooden shut,
tera, heavy iron doors of chilled steel
through which openings is left for the
purpose of defence At the main por-
tai the watch room is located, and in
this chamber are arranged switch boards
representing the fire and burglar sys
TENS. Here, too, All officer is constantly
on watch and these boards are his es-
pecial charge. Grouped in gun racks
like those Of q military armory, are for.
ty deadly Winchea.ers and as many re.
yolvers and short swords These sre
numbered and each member Of the
treasury watch is instructed to instantly
lay his hands on his weapons in case of
emergency. In addition to these ordinary
military precautions there are other
means Of defence. In all the corridors
of the building at regular distances
there are water plugs, so arranged tha;
they may be used as the means of fight
ing mob as we'll as the fiery element
These plugs have double connections,
one with the water system of the city,
and the other with the wa!er in the
boilers of The great engines in the base
ment CT the treasury building. Iii the
event a mob should march upon the
treasury the brigade Of firemen would be
instantly drafted to aid in repelling it.
From the upper stories of the building
it would be easy for them to send
volumes ofscalding water into the streets
!:a!uw, and is estimate d chat no moi
would Withstand such punishment very
iong.
HOW MONEY y DESTROYED.
Some years ago the Government reo
pie destroyed all mati!ated paper cur
rency Ivy burning it In one of the
basement ROOMS the Oil bills after being
du.y counted and punched were thrown
into q rei"rtor furnace, and fan was
a'ar!ed to Intensity the E.st ~ thu. the
inceneraiion might he c"ai:cse Even
with this precauiinn the plan did no
work ara i. w&; 10 anusual occurrence
linr citizens to pick up pieces OF ral
char-td notes blown through the chin
ney stack, ard offer them at the Treas
nry counters for redemption. Finally
some genius suggested q mscara,or and
such machine vas rugged u9 %nl is
still in use. Ii The reader has ever visit
ed steam laundry he has doubtless o5
served that washing is accomplished b;
means Of meta! c;iip!efs whica arc
GlleI with clothing, ani ;hen re2olyed
| ~ u,oot ,.,oa3 Sn ,v,.i, tho Trnns,.r