The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-26
OLD JEwELRY.
When UncaIIed For the Pawnbrok-
ers Melt 1T Down.

When UncaIIed For the Pawnbrok-
ers Melt 1t Down.
Looks funny, doesn't it? All the same
there are a. dozen Of those machines going
at least once a. week in this city that the
public never. heard of before. When you
understand it you will be able to tell your
friends what becomes of the gold and
silver they leave with their uncle and
never redeem. On the dead now; dom
give me away, and will tell you some OF
the secrets of the pawnbrokers' trade.
The remark was made in a little dark
room in the rear of one Of the big loan
offices not far from Madison and Dearborn
streets. The proprietor went on to say the
reports show that 10 to Is per cent. OF all
for. Then often gold and silver is pur-
chased outright by the pennyweight or
ounce, and in one way or another large
amount of the precious metals is accumu-
lated To turn old-style goods into ready
cash is the problem that confronts the
loan broker. Bankrupt stocks of new
design and fresh goods to NIL the cases
in the counters and show windows, and
the old material goes into new golden
eagles with Uncle Sans stamp upon
them.
after setting half a dozen electric alarms
going and the pressing of numerous but
tons, was a peculiar. contrivance looking
like 6-inch tile stood on end with brass
barrel covered with pipes by its side. A
copper pan, some iron tools and some
things that looked like common f1owerpots
lay on the floor. :.
tor, lis filed with nsphtha; these. pipes
lead to this tile or furnace; this handle
here is for the forcing of air behind the
these pots are crucibles. Into the furnace
we place the crucibles, into the crucibles
goes the gold Hot, isn't it? So hot that
we are compelled to wear colored glasses
to see what's going on. But that's moth
ing to the way the thing is done in Uncle
Sans furnaces. Now here goes to ill the
crucibles.'
Into the stone jar went gold watch cases
and chains with family histories, crests
end initials, souvenir spoons and breast
pins of forgotten date, rings that could
days in the long ago, golden charms, scarf
pins with the jewels removed, and odds
and ends collected in a weeks trade: The
estimated value of the hatful of stock was
$1,000 in pure gold: Into the melting col
lection went a. lot of borax. This was to
make the gold flow when sufficiently melt
sicFlY smell Of naphtha the noise of the
blast, and the glittering witness of the
crucible.
To get a closer look at the melting gold
a pair of green eyeglasses was furnished.
AS the broker stirred the contents of the
crueible with an iron poker, black bubbles
would come to the top, pieces of coarser
face only to sink back into the yellow gold
now turned to fluid. The broker lifted
the crucible out of the furnace and poured
its white hot contents into an iron mold.
The mold is rested in pan of water. All
the gold settled into the mold, and the
boraX, turning black as it hit the water,
stayed Oh top. In few moments the borax
was knocked off and out fell bar of gold
weighing several pounds, eight inches long.
and probably three-fourths of an inch
square After cleaning the bar it was
laid aside for shipment to the treasury
I'VE do this once week. said the pro-
pr1etor as he shut off the valve to the naph-
tina barrel. From here the bars go to
is returned we will pay out nearly 81 to
$1,000. At Uncle Sans works the bar will
be melted by a f1ercer heat. Then the
nf mass s!;I Will be poured into water.
gold and silver and copper These pellets
are then placed in acid and the different
metals separated. NO, you can't fool the
government for minute. Science does the
work in good shape. After this process the
treasury ships gold eagles for the gold and
silver coin for the silver metal contained
watches, broken chain, or out of date
ornaments comes back in new coin of the
realm Over 5000 900 worth of gold bars is
annually sent from Chicago brokers in lust
this way, and not one person in 10000 ever
sees how the melting is done. Of course
many gold coins are made into jewelry
and In course Of time are sent back
through our crucibles once more. This is
on account of change of style in gold
ornaments. of all kinds which is con-
stantly going on. Any profit? Oh, yes,
we figure all such things. An article
pawned means to us only its weight in
the crucible with the profit deducted. This
profit may be or 1t may be u per cent
buy for $500 or some less The 81 so is
for profit, handling and the risk. Yes
it's quite business and many a family
history has been told in the golden heir
looms that have, fallen into a loan