Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-01-06
GUARDING THE MINI.
HOW THE PHILADELPHIA INsTITu-
TON is PROTECTED.

Litt1s Chance ror any One to Get Rioh
Quickly BY Helping Himself TO Uncle
Sans TreAsure-ratrOIs. RevOlvers and
wineheascrs In Plenty.
Probably not ono person out Of hun
dred who pass by the Philadelphia mint
that grim looking edifoe at Chestnut
and Juniper streets. after nightfali 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 got it honestly aud by
process daily laid down. Therefore he
has taken all kinds Of precautions to
properly protect, especially at psght.
the millions upon millions piiql up in
the vaults. p
The doors of the mint ere Gose aY..
cry weekday promptly at 4 o'clock il
the afternoon. After that hour No me
brt mint employees have any buA IS
within the walls which inclose SO my sh
money, and no one can either stay, n
or get in without special permit frof,
the superintendent Needless 10 say,
this is dihicult to obtain.
Simultaneously with the closing Of
! the doors at 4 O'Clock s,.- si,ifs d
the night guard goes ON duty. The shift
is compoged Of the captain Of the guard
and III stalwart men. As the men file
out to begin their round each one is
handed biz Colt revolver Of the most
approved pattern and loaded with big
cartridges.
From then on till midnight seven Of
che 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 tho
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 60 keep tabs on his
men. Each Of these little machines COM
municates with the rotunda opposite
the Chestnut street entrance to the
mint. Hero it is that tho captain is sta
toned all through the long hours of
bis shift. Every two minutes and "a
half the central machine In the rotunda
denotes the presence, Of some enc of the
guard at como particular station in the
building. If it doesn't, then the cap
tain knows that something is wrong,
and he Immediately proceeds 70 discov-
er what it is
But it has heen q ,ong time siaco the
little machine failed to forth its
announcement at the prop Vine, for
the mint guards are patrolling up aud
down outside tho big tuilding, careful
ly wptohiug that no suspicious charNo-
ters approuuh too near the vast treasure
left in their care
Promptly at midnight the second
shift Of the night guard puts in an ap-
peerance to relieve the carly shift. 1t
is also composed of captain ard II
men, end they arc split up, as the other
squad, INTO inside and outside details,
From midnight On until o'clock in
the morning they follow in the foot
steps of TIE first shift, with every fac
ulty alert TO catch an Intruder.
The big revolvers are not the only
weapons upon which the guards have
W TNlJs vi NdGI ElNAO u lllt llllu COI-
ridor leading from the Chestnut street
entrance stands a walnut case. Through
the polished glass front of one frown
30 Winchester rifles. The other con-
tains as many ugly looking oarbines
To grab these dispensers Of death would
be but the work Of an instant for the
guards, and then WOO be unto any man
or mon upon whom it might be found
necessary. TO turn them.
Bor the reVolvers there is kept con
Etarfly on hard in the mint 800 rounds
Of ammunition, and for tho rifles and
earBines 3, 500 rounds. Each Of the
guards is an expert in the use of both
;the pistol and the gun, and each is en-
dowed with a plentiful stock Of cour-
age; hence q combination capable of
successfully resisting almost anything
less than q regiment.
The superintendent and assistant Gus
todian both talked to the reporter about
the. methods in use to protect the mint
and its contents. Both smiled signif-
captly when the possibility Of one,get-
ting away with portion of the vast
treasure was suggested. ,..~ = -
ut would be folly for any one TO try
It. " wag the superintendent Is only COM
ment. To it the assistant custodian nod
ded emphatio assent.
II have been here for good many
years the latter said, land no such
attempt has ever been made 1t is prac-
tioally impossible for any one to break
into the mint from the outside, and no
one could secrete himself in the build
ing during the hours when it is open to
visitors and hope TO avoid discovery.
We search every nook and corner of the
structure carefully as soon as the doors
are closed for the day, and you may
change Reported.
,sNEv health was oerv moor had