New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-09-14
GUARDING THE MINT.
HOW THE PHILADELPHIA. INsTITU-
TON is PROTECTED. .

Quickly by Helping Himself to Uncle
Sans Treasure--Patrols. Revolvers end
winchesters In Plenty.
Probably not one person out Of hun
bred who pass by the Philadelphia mint,
that grim looking edifce at Chestnut
and Juniper streets. after nightfall real
ICES what is going on inside There is
nothing mean about Uncle Sam, but he
is determined that any one who gets
his money shall get it honestly and by
process duly laid down. Therefore he
has taken all kinds Of precautions to
properly protect, especially at night.
the millions upon millions piled up in
the vaults.
The doors of the mint are closed ev-
cry weekday promptly at 4 o'clock in
the afternoon. After that hour no one
but mint employees have any business
within the walls which inclose so much
money, and no one can either stay in
or get in without a special permit from
the superintendent. Needless 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 II 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. u
From then on till midnight seven of
the II 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 fire.
quent intervals throughout the corridors
are electrical devices for enabling the
captain of the guard to keep tabs on his
men. Each of these little machines COM
municates with the rotunda opposite
the Chestnut street entrance to the
mint. Here it is that the captain is sta
toned all through the long hours Of
his shift. Every two minutes and a
half the central machine in the rotunda
| guard at some particular station in the
| building. If it doesn' It, then the cap,
| tain knows that something is wrong.
and he Immediately proceeds to discov-
er 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, careful
ly watching that no suspicious charac-
tiers 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. It
is also composed of a captain and i /
men, and they are split up, as the other
squad, into inside and outside details
From midnight, on until z o'clock in
the morning they follow in the foot
steps of the first shift, with every fac.
ulty alert to catch an intruder.
I The big revolvers are not the only
weapons upon which the guards have
to rely. On each side of the main cor
rider leading from the Chestnut street
entrance stands walnut case Through
the polished glass front of one frow1
20 Winchester rifles. The other con
tains as many ugly looking carbines
To grab these dispensers Of death would
be but the work of an instant for thu
guards, and then woe be unto any mar
or men upon whom it might be fount
necessary to turn them.
For the revolvers there is kept con
stantly on hand in the mint 500 round
of ammunition, and for the rifles ant
carbines $500 rounds Each Of tn,
guards is an expert in the use of boil
the pistol and the gun, and each is en-
dowed witha plentiful stock Of cour
age; hence combination capable o
successfully resisting almost anything
less than a regiment. ss3S 81
The superintendent and assistant Gus
todian both talked to the reporter abou
the methods in use to protect the min
and its contents Both smiled signifi
cantly when the possibility of one get
ting away with q portion of the vas
treasure was suggested.
ut would be folly for any one to tr
it, =" was the superintendent only com
ment. To it the assistant custodian nod
ded emphatic assent.
II have been here for a good man
years. the latter said, 'and no sue
attempt has ever been made. It is prae
tically impossible for any one to brea
into the mint from the outside, and n
one could secrete himself in the build
ing during the hours when it lie open I
visitors and hope to avoid discovery
We search every nook and corner Of til
structure carefully as soon as the door
are closed for the day. and you ma
! rest assured If any one who had n
business within these walls was foun
he would regret the day he was born.
III In addition to the two shifts Of nigl
guards, the superint endent and assistal
custodian have habit Of dropping
at the mint at odd hours Of the night
i see that everything is going on all RICH
sII The mint is rnnnnctn6 with the cnl