Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-12-21

Vast quantities Of gold pass through
the New York postoffice. The post
Office authorities are naturally retlcent
about it, for publicity adds to the risk,
but the fact is that millions OF dollars
in gold coin and bullion are shipped
through the mails by banks and 1nd1-
viduals every year. In two days this
wear $3.175,OOO In gold coin came
through the New York postoff1ce FOR To-
cal banks. Most of the gold comes to
New York from the West.
Gold is sent through the mail In
strong canvas bag, such as are USED
in the treasury and bank vaults, secure
" fastened, and sealed. The bags
contain from $1,000 to $4,000 each in
So, $40 and 500 pieces. The bags are
registered, and the amount of gold con-
tanned in each package Is marked on
the registry receipt. Unless the
bags have been broken open In
transit, or their contents appear
to have been tempered with,
they are checked off when rece1v-
ed at the postoffice without their con-
tents being counted. But once In a
while mail bag comes into the post
office with loose coins rafting In 1t that
have escaped from one Of the money
bags. In that case the gold is counted
to make sure that none of it is missing.
The treasure comes in with the ordl-
nary mail matter, and is dumped I'M
tremendously into the mail wagons at
the railway stations. No outsider would
suspect anything extraordinary In the
character Of the mail. But, even II ne
did know the contents of the bags he
would have a hard time In getting
away with any Of them, for the wagons
have armed guards in plain clothes
inside.
When the mail containing the gold
bags arrives at the postoffice the mall
pouches containing the registered mat
ter are carried directly to the registry
department. The banks to which the
gold Is consigned each has conhden-
tial clerk at the postoftice ready to re-
ceive it and carry 1t to their vaults.
These clerks are also accompanied by
armed guards. The bank clerks are
usually known personally to the super
intendent of the registry department,
yet they must present their credentials
on each visit, with duplicates Of in
voice. The mail is piled on long ia
BILE, around which the postoftice and
bank clerks gather. The bags contain
ing the gold are separated from the
rest, and the names of the banks to
which the gold bags are addressed are
called off. The respective bank clerks
respond, and each bag is checked off as
it is handed over to them. Here the
responsibility of the postof1ce ends
and that of the banks begins. The
bags are carried to the mail street end
of the postoffice building. If the con-
signment to any one bank is large 1t
has a wagon in waiting there, into
which the gold is loaded and carried to
the bank. Sometimes it is carried in
cabs and sometimes in boxes by bank
messengers.
Almost every bank in New York re-
ceives gold In this way. Most of it
comes from the West; some Of it comes
from South America and some from
Europe The amount Of mail shipments
of gold is constantly increasing. In
1897 $16,OOO,OOO in gold came through
the New York postoffice. Last year the
amount was $42,O0O,OOO and this year
the figures will be much larger. The
reason for shipping gold through the
mails is the same as for transferring
diamonds in this manner, namely,
cheapness and safety.-New York
Evening Post.