St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-05-02
Ne SHIPS THE GOLD.
The wxshlngtoa Man Who lIandles the
Treasury Colin.

ASsO VSOeseWoSOes 1881. Sss-D
Treasury Coin.
A sturdy old man whose offiCc is in
dingy little building down town is
an important factor liz the gold ship
ments that are made from this coun.
try. James Shay is the mans name,
and he supervises the handling of near
IL all the gold coin and bullion that Is
shipped abroad. Shay is cooper by
trade. and at his little sfop at Is
Fletcher street are made nearly al!
the kegs and bs.xcs in which the pre-
cious yellow metal IS shipped
1t is needless to say that the cooper
of Fletcher street has been very busy
man these last few years, and conserv-
ative estimates of the gold which he
and his assistants have handled during
the last az months would be $780,
OOO,0OO. When 1t is added that Mr..
Shay has been in the business over 80
:ears, the enormous fortunes which
have passed thrt ugh his hands without
the loss of a single dollar can best be
appreciated.
When banker or some large EXPORT
ing house finds it necessary to make
shipment to Europe, about the first
thing that is done is to send for Mr..
Shay, who mas virtual monopoly of
this part of the business. Gold for
shipment abroad is packed in kegs
and boxes, just as The fancy of the
shipper may dictate. For amounts ex-
ceeding $4,000 kegs are generally
used, as they are easier to handle, and
contain $5O.OCO 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 bssswood or
oak, neatly dovetailed. These are also
bound with strips Of steel. When
Cooper Shay receives an order from
banker to pack quantity of gold. the
boxes or kegs arc sent from his shop to
the bank. There. with the help OF
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 $l0.-
0oo each, and car 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 q truck and conveyed to the
per. Not once has anyone
ever tried to molest tie truckman, but
this may be through ignorance of the
precious load ne Is driving. Another
reason, too, is that the truck is always
guarded by several armed men.
1t is no exasgeration 10 say that the
amount handled by Mr.. Shay. if COLI
vcrted into double eagles, would make
a pathway 100 feet wide around the
globe. Certain il is that if The money
were all his. Mr.. Shay's wealth would
be greater than that Of the Rothschilds,
vanderbilts, Rockefellcrs, GOulds and
Astors put together.
'.Are you not sometimes possessed
Of a strong desne to run away with q
portion Of the many millions which
you handler asked the reporter.
"Never," said the cooper, with .
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 3s
years. He has amassed a modes.
competence. and lives with his family
of grown-up children in neat little
house in Brooklyn. When he goes
home at night ne forgcts all about the
fortunes which pass through his hands.
end is probably more contented than
any of the millionnirs of Wall street.
-WashinQtOn Star.