Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-03-01
SHIPPING THE GOLD.

ington took the oath of office as the first
president of the United States. The mon
ey is usually carried in handbag by one
trusted employee, while another armed
messenger trudges along at his heels ready
to give any presumptious footpad warm
reception. If the amount desired is ST.
600, 600, the messengers in due time re-
ceivo 100 sacks of gold coin each contain
ing $40, 900. These sacks are carried to the
bankers Office where they are carefully
weighed. The gold is never shipped ac-
cording to it's face value, as Europe will
only accept the actual weight of gold re-
quired to make the sum in question. Gold
coins that are frequently handled lose
considerable metal by abrasion, and when
a mere trifle is worn from 100, 900 gold
eagles the total amount lost is by no
means unworthy of attention.
Ten strong wooden barrels that look
like herring casks are then rolled into the
office, and into each of them go ten bags
of gold containing 500, 900. The bags
exactly fill the casks, and when the heads
are on the coins are given little opportu
nifty for moving about and wearing away
their precious sides. The casks are then
sealed, insured, loaded into wagon and
driven to the steamer guarded by three
or four heavily armed men.
The insurance policy covers every peril
known to the sea, and in times like these
the rate is very low and the afe passage
of 81 900, 900 across the tempestuous At
lantic is guaranteed for but 81 000 De
spite this low figure, however, many bank
ers save the Insurance money and place IL
In sinking fund of their own. If there
are no losses, this fund soon grows to i'm
mense proportions and results in great
saving. The Rothschllds' sinking fund is
said to be fully ten .Omes larger than any
sum they have afloat at any time
Al the pier the gold Is received by the
steamers agents and an armed guard,
and a careful description is made of each
cask delivered. A receipt is given which
states that five casks said to contain
gold have been turned over to the steam
er's agents. The casks are placed in can
vas sling and hoisted aboard with der
rick. Deep down in the hold is huge
steel box, with square door at the top
large enough so admit a single man. A
ladder leads to the floor and the opening
is closed by door resembling the door OF
a safe. This door has three different locks,
each of which is opened by a special key,
and the three keys are always in the pos
session of ms many different III, i, so that
three men must be in collision. The
chief officer has one key, the officer of the
deck has another, and the third is in the
possession of the captain alarms.
When the gold is lowered into the hold,
these three officers go down and open the
treasure vault and see that the casks are
placed in the steel cage that is to be their
stateroom during the voyage. When the
work is done, the door is thrice locked,
and tons of merchandise are slowed away
in the hold covering the door of the treas
ure vault. The money Is thus not only
protected by three different locks control
ed by thu q different men, but the great
piles of merchandise are an immovable bar
rier in the way of would be burglars even
though they become possessed of the keys
to the treasure vault door. This great
barrier also effectually renders futile any
conspiracy for making a big haul that
might be entered into by the three officers
of the ship who hold the keys.
If the gold Is consigned to France, the
casks are placed in a special railroad car
at Havre, the steamship company gets re-
ceipt, and the railroad company then does
guard duty until the treasure is delivered
to the American banLers agent in Paris
Each Of the casks weighs $50 pounds and
is not labeled gold" but bears certain
cabalistic signs that are Greek to the un-
! initiated.
The gold that is now being imported at
New York comes in strong rectangular
boxes, each Of which contains from $45,
900 to $50, 600. The boxes weigh from 1876
TO 1856 pounds apiece and are carried from
the steamer by longshoremen, none of
whom is allowed to place a box upon his
shoulder for fear that II it fell it would be
broken open and its shining coins scat
jcred and lost. 1t is said that the largest
shipment Of gold ever brought to America
by single steamer was 81, 800, 900.