The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-05
HANDLES MILLIONS.
The Man Who Ships the Gold Of
the Government.
Peter Shay. of Washington, Nzeks
the Precious Metal in Kcgs-Hs
Has Been in the Business
Thirty Years

4 sturdy old man whose Office i il
a dingy little building down town is
IN important factor Ii the gold ship
ments that are made from this eoun-
try. James Shay is the mans name,
and he supervises the handling of near
" all the gold coin and bullion that "a
shipped abroad. Shay is a cooper by
trade, and at his little Shop at Is
Fletcher street are made nearly all
the kegs and boxes in which the pre-
cieus yellow metal IS shipped.
It is needless to say that the cooper
of Fletcher street has been very busy
man these last few years, anG conserv-
alive estimates of the gold which he
and his assistants have handled during
the last 1c months would be $780,
100000. When 1t is added that Mr..
Shay has been In the business over so
years, the enormous fortunes which
have passed through his hands without
the loss of single dollar can best bs
appreciated.
When a banker or some large export
ing house finds IT necessary to make
a shipment to Europe. about the first
thing that is done Ss to send 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 as the fancy of the
shipper NAV dictate. For amounts ex-
ceeding s5Oo.0oo kegs are generally
used, as they are easier TO handle, and
contain $4,000 each. The empty kegs
ere made of weH-seaSoned oak. aud
banded with hoops of steel. When
packed and sealed each keg weighs
nearly 300 pounds. The boxes used by
the cooper are made of Eastwood or
oak. neatly dovetailed. These arc also
bound with strips of steel. When
Cooper Shay receives an order from a
banker TO pack quantity OF gold, the
boxes or kegs are sent from his shop TO
the bank There, with the help of
few trusted assistants, the packing is
done in a room used for that purpose.
After the gold has been put in stout
canvas bags, containing $4,000 to Sio,-
coo each, and carefully sealed, they are
put in the boxes or kegs, which, in
turn, are sealed with tape and 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 mclest the 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 exaggeratSon to say that the
amount handled by Mr.. Shay. if con-
verified into double eagles, would make
n pathway 100 feet wide around the
globe. Certain it is that if The money
were all his, Mr.. Shay's wealth would
be greater than that of the Rothschilds,
VanderbiIts, RockefelleTs, Goulds and
Astors put together.
Are you not sometimes possessed
of a strong desue TO run away with
portion OF the many millions which
you handle" asked The reporter.
Never" said the cooper, with a
smile. ''The metal weighs too much,
and I don't think ! could carry it very
far before I got caught myself"
The old cooper has been engaged
at his trade for upward OF IS
wears. He has amessed modest
competence, and lives with his family
of grown-up children in neat little
house in Brooklyn. When he goes
home at night he forcsts oil about the
fortunes which pass through his hands.
end is probably moxe contonted than
env of the millionaire OF Wall street.
Washington Star.