Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-11
ASSAYER,S OFFICE.
ONE OF THE QUAINT FEATURES OF
WALL STREET.
TURNING BULLION INTO COIN.
The McIting-Pot Receptacle Tor
battered JewcIry-An OLD Retain
er's yievs-AIvnys on n strain-Mil-
lions of Treasure on the shelves.
CNew York Evening Post.)

high buildings all about 1t, suggests some
exceptional citizen so exempt from crit-
cism as to be able to appear among his
fellows In old and shabby garments, while
they. less assured, must needs be seen in
the very latest styles. There are no
modern effects and suggestions either
outside or inside the building; no marble
paved. imposing vestbule, with arched
ceiling and wrought entablature; no trim
lv uniformed factotums, waiting at the
threshold to bow the visitor this way and
that; no signs and symbols Of dignity and
responsibility; no elevator; nothing That
in any way suggests newness. Just as the
place was conducted half century ago 1t
Is conducted now.
Meanwhile the neighboring buildings
have been made over two or tnree tunes
from top to bottom, shooting up hiSher
and higher, becoming more elegant ana
convenient with each decade; but the orig
inal private bank building IN whlch the
assayer's office was placed has not
changed IL has grown a little dingier,
perhaps. more mellowed, more character
istic of innate stability and fixedness, ana
an index of the citys rapid growth III |
that n building but sixty-six years old Ut |
was built in 1892 can look so primitive
! and venerable.
A white-haired old man in plain clothes
| sits bv the door to ask of all visitors their
| business and TO see that nothing goes
wrong. and he does this in plain, unVat-
| nisbed fashion. impartial to all persons OF
! whatever standing, with no airs OF
! fiourlshes "Ehl want TO go through the
| building?" he questions whenever per
sons appears without some marx OF DUST
ness. "Well, just step into the room there
and sign your name in the visitors DOCK
ond ,bere'U he a man come presently 10
show YOU around" In the plain niue
room which contains the visitors book
viii generally be found two or three other
people. bent on seeing what is TO be seen
at the assayer's headquarters; not Ne"
Workers. for they are too busy 10 VAST
time on assayers' offices. The VISITORS w
from Oswego. or Oshkosh, or may be from
some little town up the State or across
in Jersey: tourists with a list OF the Things
IN he .een in New York and nina 10
see them thoroughly .,
1T seems odd to see my name signed
- as from Potsdam," says young woman
in q big. blue hat, with handsome piuines,
as she scans the page on when her esCOi .
C has lust written and then you divine tpdI
{ ne are bride and groom on their honey
moon. 49, e. ,oro
- About the assayers office there IS none
~ the hurrv-skurry high pressure that at
taches TO the average New YORK puslhe99
| Mace The visitors I'm the PLAIN niue room
, | have time to study each other anu ~
speculate as to the sights that await theil'
! bofora a uniformed guide appears 10 con-
T. 49, hen IN the mysteries. This is the
y receiving-room," he says, on entering an
- | onartuent in which scales are a man
feature. and. as II to illustrate his words
there are two clerks behind the parIeu
e and grated counters in the act or taxing
r. crude material from customers youhs
d man has brought, fin an ordinary saIchel
f. some odd-sized nuggets Of mixed, green
e ish-tinted gold. To the uninlualed lh7S
4 annear of small value, but are welghe'
V with great exactness on the big cleaning
h scales. The other customer, from th'
e depths of a shabby, brown leather Gag
> takes handful after handful OF ola Je"el
e nv: the uncoiled rims of brooches, Danse'
and battered watch-cases, links OF chalil
Il gold studs, pencils, what not; all empue'
d out in a heap on the scale-plate, IKE ;
- many apple parngs or nutsheils. IN
n gatberers of old and disused jewelry ar
a regular patrons of the assay othce, ano
o the guide explains, many Of these me
e secure their wares from the humDles
p order of pawnshop, or from out-oI- 'he
II way watch-menders and jewel-broheIs'
y on the way through the hall is see
P hand-truck after hand-truck load OF shNe
Il bullion being trundled in; solid bars Jus
"A arrived by express from a Dakota Hlli'
10 They are brought uncovered in the expires
D. ,,oeon through the street, ard are carrie
at nm the stems and dumped down on tn
I'd band-trucks under the eyes OF the dooi
tender lust as so many Ordinary DITCH
would be. Each bar is worth 2,5OO. ines
must be weighed in the crude got IN
such shape that they can be sampled the
ct weighed again; and go through the San
routine as the brooches and hnger rings
NJ somebody comes in with thrt
ia dozen big-bowled sterling silver spoons
en- he assaved. They are smooth from IoI
od usage and it seems a pity 10 deslIu
: them They are weighed, and the Gu
NC toner told to come back in three days Il
e. exact remuneration. In the sHeiIlh
ry room beyond silver spoons are sIoou u
right In a flaming hot cruclpie " Do
ed duced and resolved 10 samplhs co,
re sistency. The brawny workmen ABOUT -
sis hot fires give no sign no matter WI.
Ter heat flares in their faces and handle u
er hottest substances with the deit serenl
Ter 90 Iono custom. There are pots full OF u
ng refined gold being resolved put the nIe'
re- inc silver spoons attract most atleh'loii'
"a Seventy-four million dollars worm
in nure gold ready for coinage Is SUI"
'as AWAY on the storeroom shelves III an "
lFT Joining apartment, SldShSN i''
Mt iaver hairs duly labelled, and mace ITO
of inst as a housewives Jellies' gan
at ana nickles are slowed away neatly
ber nantrv shelves. No wonder Win
This treasure in its Golfers, tnat the
assaver's building takes on certain ~
eoioreness of worth as above any ms
n outward show. In addition TO ms lr'
hair q million TO a million dollars WI
of nrecious metal is customary y'
suit ne loose I'm the various department
AL "a even the workmen's worn WOOL
,oh e.arr,ents are charged with the precie
Freigbtaee so that when finally disca
yes "a sbev deliver up this alluyium, TO
I'M refined along with the sweephss Oh
boy door and the accretions on the walls
re- GLOW many suits is 1t that l have
SUI into the furnace? repeated the NJ
workman I'm the separatng-room; "a
and it's too many for me to keep col
az blouse. trousers, cap, gloves man
90 the suit I've shed, and many a doHa
" worth of gold come out OF 1t. came
80, , work here along with the first ten n
aL that were brought over from the IN
GOD delphia mint 10 get things st"rteu
WV New York That was forty-two ye
~ ago and I've been on the roll ever sll
ton but I'm maze anu ~ yrori,nen
or theie 5 three hioi -. -, Ohio
IA sides me out of that first ten VINO
here vet, TO show as the JoD am
healthy II don't look healthy he ade
as he slapped open the door OF u'
mouthed furnace and poured In sno
10 iinuid that as soon as 1t touched