Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-04-14
The Mint Steal.

The following from the Reno Jour
nal showing how bullion is received,
melted and refined at the Carson Mint
and how and when the big steal oc-
Cured will be OF interest to our read
| ems:
In each Of three departments III the
mint. namely: the General, Melting
and Refining, and Coming, there is
Weigh Clerk, who keeps scale book
in which is entered data regarding the
description, number, weight, etc.. OF
each bar of bullion through the var
ious processes, from the time the bar
is received in the general Office until
il is run into fine bars about 900 fine,
or made into coin. \ complete rec
ord is kept, and as the bar progresses
from one department to another it is
charged to each i'll turn and each re.
ceive proper credit when the bar, or
melt Is returned through the de-
partmcnt in any other form, that is in
shoe bars, ingots or coin. The book
Keepers and Weigh Clerk in each de.
partmcnt are checks on each other,
and each department is a check on
the other. Under this system stealing
Is impossible, unless tlereis collusion
between the book keepers and
Weighing Clerks. No clerk or de-
partment can steal any great amount
without the clerk i'll the other de-
partmcnts discovering the theft. The
ordinary workmen III the mint have
little opportunity to steal and it is
impossible for them to take much
gold or silver without being discover
ed 10y their associates or the clerks in
the offices, therefore, there must have
been collusion between the clerks
and other employees at the Carson
! Mint
/ At the mint the bullion is received
in the general department, melted and
run into "shoc" bars. The finencss OF
/ the bullion Is ascertained by assay,
and each shoe bar is stamped with the
number Of the melt and turned over
( TO the Melter and Rciiner's depart.
mcnt. Ia the refinery the process Of
parting or separating the gold from the
! silver, and both from inferior metals,
Is conducted. During this process the
bullion is constantly under the eyes
Of the foreman Of tho room. If the
gold and silver remain in solution in
tanks any length Of time it is under
lock and key and the foreman carries
the key. In these tanks the gold is
( granulatcd and resembles corn meal
or brown sugar. The metal in this
state ls taken from the tanks and
/ placed i'll n hydraulic press and all the
/ moisture is squeezed ont of the gran
ulatiohs. which appear in the form Of
, Il cheese so compactly pressed, that it
has TO he broken with slcdgc ham.
mcr. These "chCcscs- MS they are
called, vary in size. and are returned
10 the Office Of the department weigh.
or and the losa, il any charged to the
room. The gold and silver in this
stage are nearly pure, puror in fact
than gold or silver coins. Tho metal
Is weighed in tho melting room where
the proper proportion OF alloy is mix
ed with it and it is again melted and
run into ingots.
During these several processes the
mint nssaycr takes tho metal in var.
ious conditions and makes his tests.
the results Of which are impaired to
the foreman Of the room, as too much
or too little alloy is fatal to the melt.
Tho ingots are returned to the gen.
Cral department under tho number Of
the melt by which il was known and
designated in that department when
weighed in, aud tho mcltcr and rctincr
credited with tho amount, the loss bc.
ing charged to tho proper cause Tho
ingOts are delivered to the coiner and
after passing through tho processes Of
nnnealing. rolling, cutting. adjusting
and whitening, each room being
charged with tho number OF ounces
and credited upon the return Of tho
same. Each room ia cleaned daily.
When the blanks or planchcts arc
stamped tho coin is complete. weigh
cd into standard sacks Of 81 900 each,
il silver, and 100000 each ir gold.
These are returned la the general do
parimcnt, which ran readily trace any
shortage. Tho system is so perfect
That any special bar Of bullion can he
followed and its value asccr;aincd in
each and all Of the processes through
which II passes until il IL coined.
All kinds Of surmiaca lavo been
made regarding the bullion which is
nov known Ia have boon stolen from
the mint. There are those who
foign TO believe TINT IL went up the
lluos or into the alag, whilo others
cling to tho theory that the bullion
was stolen, Tho Journal, however,