The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-14
TRIP OF A TREASURE TRAIN
Mr.. Vaille Tells an Interesting Story of
It's Flight Across the Continent.
Carrying $40, 100000 of Gold from San Fran.
cisco 10 New YOrk-Great Secrecy Pre-
served About the Journey.

Frank w. Vaille, assistant superintend-
emit of the railway-mall service, Portland.
Ore, and formerly chief clerk of the rail-
way-mail service of Indiana. stopped in
this city few hours yesterday on his re-
turn trip from New York, the guest of Post
master L. p. Thompson. Mr.. Vaille was
one of the mail.service men deputizet
to guard the twenty illion-dollar
load of gold transferred recently from
the San Francisco mint to the sub-treasury
building in New York city. Mr.. Vaille de-
scribes the trip in an interesting way. In
the latter part of Jnly," said he "a number
OF the officials and clerks of the railway
mail service over the United States were
summoned to report at San Francisco Aug.
/. with blankets. money and three weeks
leave of absence. The general superintend-
ents from Portland, Cleveland. st. Paul,
Cincinnati, and thirty-six postal clerks
were on hand at that time and place. and
nine San Francisco clerks also reported,
but no one knew for what purpose until the
cars began to be loaded on Thursday morn
ing, Aug. l. Five hundred boxes of gold.
each weighing $50 pounds and containing
$4,000. were divided among four cars each
car containing l25 boxes. Counting the
superintendent, there were ten men in
each car. The coach next to the engine was
run as a special car.
The train went over the Southern Pa
citic road to Ogden. the u. z: TO Council
Bluffs. the G., b. 81 O., the Lake Shore ~
Michigan Southern and the New York Gen.
trail IL Hudson River railroads to New
York. The general superintendent and ten
men occupied the front coach and kept
&~L -. .,,.A in
attack it became their duty TO get out and
execute flank movement. Orders had
been received to drop any man OH the
spot seen climbing upon the engine.
The men were armed with Winchesters
and Colts forty-eight revolyers, with
twenty rounds in each belt AID twenty in
reserve. The greatest fear was of the in-
telligence getting abroad and dynamite
dead-fali liked for the train In the Sierras.
For this reason the time of our departure
had been fixed for o'clock In the morning,
so that tho Sierras might be crossed In
daylight. but the cars were loaded by
o'clock In the afternoon and 1t was con-
sidered as safe to start at once as to remain
frequently side-tracked and otherwise de-
tanned until the general superintendent.
Captain White, protested. Time was
then made up. The regular passenger
Winnemuec. and followed se into Ogden a.
From there on the throttle was thrown
open, and guess very few trains have ever
made better time crossing the continent,
all things considered, than we did. Five
mattresses were in each car, so that half
the men were armed and on watch all the
time. We were provided with enough
provisions on the start TO last to Ogden.
The first meal taken outside the car was
at that city, and supper was taken
on the same day at Green River.
The gold had been kept justas much of q
secret rs possible. but when We got TO Og-
den q special in that cty's papers ANNOUNCED
that q special train. carrying et0 000. COO in
gold. was on it's way across the continent.
'The next day, at 10 o'clock. breakfast
was served at North Platte and supper
at Council Bluffs at 6 in the even
ing. Between Council Bluffs and
Elkhart, Ind. break IN the engine
delayed rs two hours. All the way from
Cleveland TO New York city, where We
landed ut 4:30 =. NJ, we got nothing To ept
and not after arrived there until all the
gold had been unloaded and hauled from