Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-08-04
A CARPET WORTH THOUSANDS.
Nearly 300 Ounces of Gold Taken
From an Old Floor Cover.

The longer carpet is used in the
coiners' department at the United
States mint the more it is worth
Wear and tear do not diminish its
value. Yesterday a thick wooden car
pet that has been on the coiners' floor
for seven years was taken up and care
fully cremated. The precious ashes
were scrupulously gathered together,
as ii they were the relics of some de-
parted saint, and by an elaborate re-
fining process the government recov-
cred 279 ounces of gold, worth over
$500. The metal, according to the
statement of the San Francisco Err
aminer, had been deposited there by
the iniinitesimal abrasions and disin-
tegratioRs Of the yellow metal while
being converted from bullion into
coin.
Even the heavy gloves of the men
who handle bullion are incinerated
and the gold is brought back to Uncle
Sans Golfers. Even the smoke from
the furnaces used for melting the
metal is made to redeliver the treasure
with which it is trying to escape and
from tine SCOT in the chimney cunning
little bars OF the yellow stuff are
secured.
The mint in San Francisco is Just
now undergoing the process of house
cleaning. 1t is an annual occurrence
at that institution, but this year, on
account of the exit of General w. II.
Dimond as Superintendent and the
entrance of ex-Lieutenant Governor
Daggett to that position, the house
cleaning is much more thorough than
usual. The house cleaning includes
counting the cash. In the ordinary
annual account the seals OF the safes
are not broken. If they are uninjured
and bear upon them the amount in
the vault, which they almost always
do, the vault is not opened. At this
time, however, owing to the change OF
administration, every vault will be
opened. AS starter two gangs of
men went to work in vault contain
ing $500 silver bars.
Inside the vault the $500 white
bars lay piled in one corner, the pile
stretching the whole length of the
vault, about Is feet, and as high as a
mans chin. The bars measure about
12x6x6 inches, and each bears the
number and stamp OF the refiner, the
fineness and the mint number, the
weight before and after taking the as
say chip, and flattened corner show,
ing where the chip was taken from.
The men 60 at them with crowbars
and pry them out of the tiers in which
they lay, and then laborer lifts the
bar with evident exertion and bangs it
down on little car. The vault re-
sounds with the conclusion, the num-
Der, weight and fineness are called of
and checked off and the car is unload.
ed in another corner.
At frequent intervals bars are
weighed. Yesterday morning the
first 200 bars were weighed, but all
were found correct and beyond an oc-
casional test the stamp was afterward
taken as correct. The bars weigh
about 100 pounds apiece and in the
$500 there is about 50, 100000. In all
there is $35, 100000 in silver for the
inspectors to count and enough gold
to make about $50,OOO,OOO in all.
Most of the metal is in bars, but there
are several million dollars in silver
coins to be handled and this will also
be counted by weight.
The sweepings Of the institution for
the past year are now being assayed,
after which they will be sold to the
highest bidder. In former years as
much as $1,000 have been obtained
from the sweepings of the local mint
and they will surely be up to the
standard this year. At least 80 says
the expert on mint sweepings.