Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-10-28

chesters i'm Plenty.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Probably not one person out OF a
hundred who pass by the Philadelphia
mint, that grim looking cdificc at
Chestnut and Juniper streets, after
nightfall, realizes what is going on in
side. There is nothing mean about
Uncle sam, but he is determined that
any one who gets his money shall get
1T honestly and by process duly laid
down. Therefore he has taken all
kinds OF precautions to properly pro-
tect, especially at night, the millions
upon millions piled up in the vaults.
The doors OF the mint are closed
every weekday promptly at 4 o'clock
i'll the afternoon. After that hour no
one but mint employees have any busi-
ness within the walls which inclosc so
much money, and no one can either
stay in or get in without a special per-
NIT from the Superintendent. Need
less to say, this is difficult to obtain.
simultaneously with the closing Of
the doors at o'clock the first shift of
the night guard goes on duty. The
shift is composed of the captain of the
guard and IL stalwart men. AS the
men file out to begin their round each
one is handed big Colts revolver OF
the most approved pattern and loaded
with big cartridges.
From then on till midnight seven of
the IL guards patrol without cessation
every floor OF the inside of the mint,
from the corridors of the gloomy
vaults where, away down in the earth,
are slowed eighty odd million dollars
in silver and almost as much gold, to
the top floor, where there is nothing
more valuable than machinery. Placed
at frequent intervals throughout the
corridors are electrical devices for en-
abling the captain of the guard to keep
tabs on his men. Each of these little
machines communicates with the ro-
tunda opposite the Chestnut street en-
trance to the mint. Here it is that
the captain is stationed all through
the long hours of his shift. Every
two minutes and half the central
machine in the rotunda denotes the
presence of some one of the guard at
some particular station in the build
ing. If it doesn't, then the captain
knows that something is wrong, and
he Immediately proceeds to discover
what it is.
But it has been long time since
the little machine failed to send forth
its announcement at the proper time,
for the mint guards are patrolling up
and down outside the big building,
carefully watching that no suspicious
characters approach too near the vast
treasure left in their care.
Promptly at midnight the second
shift of the night guard puts in an ap-
pearance to relieve the early shift. 1t
1t is also composed of captain and
IL men, and they are split up, as the
other squad, into inside and outside
details. From midnight on until 7
o'clock in the morning they follow in
the footsteps of the first shift, with
every faculty alert to catch an in
truder.
The big revOlvers are not the only
weapons upon which the guards have
to rely. On each side of the main
corridor leading from the Chestnut
street entrance stands walnut case.
Through the polished glass front of
one frown 20 Winchester rifles. The
other contains as many ugly looking
carbines. To grab these dispensers of
death would be but the work of an in
slant for the guards, and then woe be
unto any man or men upon whom it
might be found necessary to turn
them.
For the revolvers there is kept con-
stantly on hand in the mint 500
rounds of ammunition, and for the
rifles and carbines $500 rounds. Each
of the guards is an expert in the use
of both the pistol and the gun, and
each is endowed with plentiful stock
of courage; hence combination ca
pable of successfully resisting almost
anything less than regiment.
The Superintendent and Assistant
Custodian both talked to the reporter
! about the methods in use to protect
the mint and its contents. Both
smiled significantly when the possi-
bility OF one getting away with a por-
ton of the vast treasure was suggested.
at would be folly for any one to
try it," was the Superintendent's only
comment To it the assistant custo-
dian nodded emphatic assent.
81 have been here for a good many
years" the latter said, and no such
attempt has ever heen made. IT, is
practically impossible for any one to
break into the mint from the outside,
and no one could secrete himself in
| the huilding during the hours when IL