Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-08-19
UNCLE SANS GOLD TRAIN,
San Francisco Ships Twenty
Millions to New York.
Guarded by Armed Men During
the Transcontinental Trip.

The undertaking OF the railway postal
service to transport safely $50 600, 900 in
god from the United States SUB Treasury
in San Francisco to the Sub-Treasury in
New York City has been successfully &C.
complished, the vast treasure now being
locked up in the massive vaults in Wall
street.
The shipment was the largest of the kind
sver attempted for anything like the
distance involved, and the precau-
lions taken for its safe transport
were of an extraordinary character.
making robbery practically out of the cues
tion; Inc treasure cars themselves were of
steel and supposed to be bomb proof. Half
a hundred and more trusty guards vera
aboard the train, each armed to the teeth and
arrangements had been made whereby the
authorities of the postal service were in
formed by telegraph of the location of the
train every quarter or half hour of the total
time consumed in the journey
The tram made the fastest run that has
yet been made between San Francisco and
New York, covering the distance in 1O7
hours The train followed the schedule
time but everything else had to give way
to it. From San Francisco to Ogden the
trip was made over the Central Pacific track.
Thence to Omaha the Union Pacific was
used. 1t was on this route delay of four
hours caused by broken eccan-
made over the Burlington route.
Buffalo was reached with the train two
hours behind time, but under Vice-President
Webb's instruction was brought into New
York CITY almost on time. From Buffalo
the run was made at a speed of nearly a
mile minute. No accident occurred and
if there was any plan to rob the train it did
not come to fruition.
1t devolved upon the Postotfice Deoart-
ment to furnish safe transport for the gold.
to- N(1ETyH f1~FJc faN& 80
most faithful employees at WASHINGTON The
train was in charge of Captain James E.
White of the railway servic, with fifty
seven assistants.
The train consisted of five cars, one pri-
vate car directly behind the engine where
through the observation end a guard was
kept day and night over the engineer and
fireman: one mail and three express cars.
In each car was officer of the railway
mail service and ten guards, each of whom
carried a Colt revolver and a carbine.
The $50 O00 600 was packed in wooden
boxes sealed and registered and equally d.
vided among the four cars. The guards
slept upon these boxes, and not for a single
moment were they left unguarded.
At the Grand Central Depot, New Y ork
City, the train was met by Assistant Post
MASTER General j . Lowrie Bell, and soon the
boxes were being transferred to the sixteen
express wagons in waiting. These wagons
were loaded five at time. and as each de-
Vail street. On each wagon were three Of
the ~med guards, and each driver
sworn member of the Postal service.
Down Broadway the procession started.
The spectacle of procession of what ap-
peared to be unloaded express wagons, each
wagon guarded by three men with openly
displayed weapons, naturally aroused much
establishment and inquiry.
AS the first wagon drove up to the Pine
street entrance to the Suh-Treasury Gordon
of police was ready to help in its safe de-
livery and back of them small crowd had
Gathered. AS the news spread, however, the
crowd increased, until at times the police were
bothered in keeping them back. Every one
wanted to see what 500, 0O9, 600 looked like,
and, although the plain wooden boxes gave
mere fact that the gold was there
potent enough to hold the observers SPELL
bound.
The boxes were made of inch pine, strong
lv fastened, and in size were about twelve
by eight inches They bore four seals of the
Railway Postal Service, and these will re-
main unkroken until there is demand for
the contents.
The money in each box amounted to $40.-
600, ard it took all the strength of one man
to raise one box from the ground. In each
express wagon was a million and quarter
of gold. It made remarkable appearance
in bulk, but its great weight caused the
wagons, large as they were, to bend and
sag.
Assistant United States Treasurer Ellis II.
ously numbered boxes, and with these in
their possession the work of the Posto1dce
officials was completed.