Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-01-02
GOLD In THE MAILS.
COIN AND BULLION SHIPPED
IN THIS WAY.
Millions of Dollars in the Yellow
Metal Make Journey to New York
Every Year from the West, South
America ard Europe.

Vast quantities of gold pass through
the New York postoffice The post
office authorities are naturally reticent
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 indi-
yiduals every year. In two days this
year S3,175,o00 in gold coin came
through the New York postoffice for To-
cal banks. Most of the gold comes to
New York from the West.
Gold is sent through the mail in
strong canvas bags, such as are used
in the treasury and bank vaults, secure
~ fastened, and sealed. The bags
contain from 81 900 TO $4,000 each in
S., SO and $50 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
tTansit or their contents appear
to have been tempered with,
they are checked of when receiv-
ed at the postoffice without their con-
tents being counted. But once in a
while a mail bag comes into the post
office with loose coins rafting in it 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 ordi-
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 he
did know the contents of the bags he
would have hard time in getting
away with any of them, for the wagons
have armed guards in plain clothes
| inside
When the mail containing the golG
bags arrives at the postottice the mai
pouches containing the registered mat
ter are carried directly to the registry
department. The banks to which the
gold is consigned each has confiden
tial clerk at the postoffice ready to re
ceive it and carry it to their vaults
| These clerks are also accompanied bJ
armed guards. The bank clerks arr
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 ant
bank clerks gather. The bags contain
ing the gold are separated from tn
| rest, and the names of the banks t
which the gold bags are addressed ar
called off. The respective bank clerks
respond, and each bag is checked off a
1t is handed over to them. Here thu
responsibility of the postoffice end
and that of the banks begins. Th'
bags are carried to the mail street en'
of the postoffice building If the con
Segment to any one bank is large
has a wagon in waiting there, int
which the gold is loaded and carried t
the bank. Sometimes it is carried Il
cabs and sometimes in boxes by banl
messengers.
Almost every bank in New York re
ceiyes gold in this way. Most OF
comes from the West; some of it come
from South America and some froI
Europe The amount of mail shipment
Of gold is constantly increasing. /
1897 $16.0O0,000 in gold came throug
the New York postoffice. Last year tn
amount was $40, 100000, and this yea
the figures viii be much larger. Th
reason for shipping gold through tn
mails is the same as for transferrin
diamonds in this manner, namely
cheapness and safety.-New Yer
Evening Post.