Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-28
SEE MILLIONS IN COIN
Visitors to the United States Treas
 ury View Impressive Sight.
Silver Vaults One of the Best Shows in Washim imgton-Throngs from All Over the World Go
 There Every Day.

Ellis H. Roberts, treasurer of the United States, says that one of the least of his official troubles is the $1, ,o56, ,837, ,761.55 2-3 which is stored in the electrically guarded vaults of the treasury building. The money is not half so hard to handle as are the peo~ pie who daily throng the treasury and almost overwhelm MT. Roberts for permits to see the outside wrappings of this almost inconceivable wealth. The treasurer holds that every citizen has an interest in the money and con- sequently if he gets any satisfaction in looking at it and in examining the vaults in which it is kept, he is entitled to that satisfaction. Consequently, none is turned from his office without. the necessary permit unless there is some special reason forwithho iding it, says the Chicago Daily News,
 The hospitable welcome given visit- DTS together with the sordid delight Americans take in seeing vast stores of money makes the treasury one of the best showhouses in Washington. Were an admission fee charged to the silver vaults the revenues of the government would be appreciably increased, for there is rarely a day that from 2,oo0 to 4,ooo persons do not feast their eyes on the crisp new bills tied up in pack ages containing from S4,o00 to $2,000,- 900, according to the denomination or voice their approval of the apparently wanton destruction of the precious bills in the division of.redemption.
 Sightseers come from all over the world. One day when it was partic- ularly gloomy and disagreeable out side, so that there was not much doing in the tourist line, Treasurer Roberts took the trouble to keep track of his callers. Exactly TOO persons entered his office that day on other than de- partmental business They repre- sented 35 states, seven foreign cohn- tries and nearly 40 different nationali- ties. The foreigners camefrom Great Britain, France, China, India, Germany, Africa and Australia.
 Matters are arranged so that the visit will impress itself upon the minds of the strangers. There is corps of we'll drilled guides maintained, who. after Mr. Roberts has passed upon the per init, see that the stranger registers his name in little book kept for the pur- pose. This is for the purpose of assist ing the government later on in case silver certificate or gold bond is missed during the day. They first go to the vault where the money Is kept, which is used in the current business of the treasury After the necessary signing and countersigning of the per- init they are admitted. The cashier in charge hands around small frame, (which incloses$ two weIl-worn $1O, ,ooo bills, and one of S5,ooo
 "There!" he says, triumphantly. "You'ye had S25,Ooo in your hand"
 Bigger things come later on in the trip when they are permitted to fondle millions of gold bonds in the national bank. division or to look at the doors behind which are stored tons of pre- cious gold and. silver which has been stamped into coin. Because of the electrical appliances they cannot see the bags of coin. Any attempt to move the magnetized doors, the guide iIn- pressively relates, would result in call ing the 73 heavily armed guards who are constantly kept at the treasury to protect the money.
 If we were as money mad as some foreigners would make us out,' ob- served Treasurer Roberts, visitors at the department would not conduct themselves as they do. I presume that 6,oooOoo persons have gone through the vaults during my tenare of office, but as far I know not one has made an attempt to get hold of any of the money. Of course we keep close watch on them, but if the American people were insane on the question of money this would be good place to note interesting symptoms. We like mon- ey, but we are not so crazy about it as our foreign friends profess to believe. At least the presence of the cause of our alleged madness does not seem to aggravate the disease"