The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-03-07
HANDLES MILLIONS,
The Man Wh4 ohtps &1te Gold io9
= the Government.


A sturdy old man whose ofhce IL in
= diagy' little building down tswnl js
an important factor in the gold ship
ments that are made from this coun-
try. James Shay. il the mana name,
and he supervises the handling Of near&-
ly all the gold coin and bullion that Il
shipped abroad. Shay 10 q cooper by
trade. and at his little sfop at Is
Fletcher street are made, nearly all
the kegs and b<.xes in which the pre-
cious yellow metal is shipped.
1t is needless to say that the cooper
OF Fletcher street has been a very busy
man these last lew years, and conserv-
ative~ estimates of The gold which he
aud his assistants have handled during
the last lS months would be $780,
100000. When 1T 10 added that Mr..
AAy has been in the business over 80
years, the enormous fortunes which
have passed through his hands without
the loss OF 4 single dollar con best be
appreciated.
When banker or some large EXPORT
ing house finds it necessary to make
a shipment to Europe, about the first
thing that is done is to schd for Mr..
Shay, who mas a virtual monopoly Of
this part of the business Gold for
shipment abroad is packed in kegs
and boxes, just a the fancy OF the
shipper may dictate. For amoonts sx-
ceeding s5oO,Ooo kegs are generally
used, as they are easier to handle, and
contain $50,O00 each. The empty kegs
are made of well-seasoned oak, and
banded with hoops of steel. When
packed and sealed each keg weighs
nearly 200 pounds. The boxes used by
the cooper are made Of basswood OF
oak, neatly dovetailed. These arc also
bound with strips OF steel. When
Cooper Shay receives an order from a
banker to pack a quantity of gold. the
boxes or kegs arc sent from his shop to
the bank. There, with the help OF a
few trusted assistants, the packing is
done in room used for that purpose.
After the gold has been put in stout
canvas bags, containing $1,000 to $10,-
600 each, and cal efully sealed, they are
put in the boxes or kegs, which. in
turn, are sealed with tape ard wax in
three or four places. They are then
placed on truck and conveyed to the
steamship pier. Not once has anyone
ever tried to nlclest tie truckman, but
this may be through ignorance OF the
precious load he is driving. Another
reason. too, is that the truck is always
guarded by several armed men.
It is no exaggeration 10 say that the
amount handled by Mr.. Shay. If con-
verted into double eagles, would make
a pathway 100 feet wide around the
elol,e. Certain it is that if the money
were all his, MIR. Shay's wealth would
be greater than that of the Rothschilds
vauderbilts, Rockefellers. Goulds and
Astors put together.
""Are you not sometimes possessed
of strong desiIe TO run away with q
portion Of the many millions which
you handle:" asked the reporter.
"Never,' said. the cooper. with q
smile. "The metal weighs too much
and don't think ! could carry it very
far before got caught myself"
The old cooper has been engaged
at his trade for upward OF 81
years. He has amassed modest
competence, and lives with bis family
of grown-up children In neat little
house in Brooklyn. When he goes
home nt night ne forgets oil about the
fortunes which, pass through his hands
end is probably more contented than
any Of the millionaire Of Wall street
Washington Star.