Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-01-26
MAKING REAL MONEY.
Mighty Mills witch Grind Oct Gold
ond silver Coins.

ccpt Philadelphians. perhaps, there IL no
person who could stay In Philadelphia
without an overwhelming desire Ia sce
gold and silver converted from molten
masses into money for Uncle Sans ca
phcious pocket, says tho Philadelphia
Record. Everybody has heard about the
people who coin money II is worth
while to sec money coiFftd BY the barrel
full and thousands Of dollars heapcd up
in the twinkIing Of An eyclash. No de-
scription however vivid. can quite supply
the emotion that IL created by the sigh,
Of these mighty mills as they grind oft
the alluring hits Of gold and silver for
which nations sacrifice their people. and
for which hundreds Of weak mortals sell
their souls. There In little formal red
tape about visiting the mint. A score Of
uniformed employees are in the building
ready TO show one through. The number
Of visitors who avail themselves Of the
courtesy of the mint varies every day.
Sometimes there are az many as 1000 q
day; sometimes but 20b Or 200
Visitors 10 the mint. like the people
III the Mother Goose melodies come in
a variety of costunles-a some in rags,
som" in tags aud some in velvet gowns.
Last week poor Italian woman who
lives downtown wanted 70 see the mint.
Sho mao f"w opportunities to como with
out nor offspring. she brought them
all with h"f. a lively. chattcrine. excited
bunch Of six. who kept the guards busy
ana almost drove tho too curious mother
10 the verge of distraction, In tho same
marty as Tho troublesome brood were
a couple Of treasury officials who had
como to take ctrsnry view Of the new
building. some very intense New Eng
iand school teachers a group OF school :
boys and n couple Of Handsomely sowriod
society wonan--a typical mint party. and
much as can be said any day Of tho week.
With Tho exception Of a few sacred
places reserved for the conclavcs Of the
dicnataries who dominate tho affairs of
the mint and a few of tho womons apart
ments. there arc no places in the building
to which visitor may not 60 Tho be
ginning and the end of the coin is here
While You wait YOU can sec the moltcr
n'asses Of silver and gold being turned
into 'ht legal tender, Every detail o
he process except the mining and smclt-
ing OF the raw articles takes place bc
fore onc's eyes in this mint ~ Philadcl.
pha, You can touch money. smell i
and feel it in every process of tho evolu
ton. 70 the vast ma iority of visitors
! there is no room in tho mint quite Ct
! IA scinatinG as thc press room. In thi
room the unmarked pieces of gold am
! silver arc stamped by tho thousa nds
Twenty four presses do all the coinnl
! for the mint. Pieces OF small denomina
ticns. like quarters and dollars. are coinc,
at tho rate of 40 minute. while thos'
of tho larger denominations arc coino'
at the rate Of So a minute. The largos
output of money in one day in the Phila
,lophia mint wa. sln,oO. There can h.
no calculation of an average daily out
put. as no two days re exactly alike il
tn" kind of coming that is done. Some
times all the presses do not work at once
sometimes all work On silver or all o'
gold. 80 that there is nothing that vii
serve as the hasis for calculation.
Until very recently women cinploye.
in tho mint were intrus.cd with all kind
Of work. Tho counting room Of III
staining room especially was occupied b.
women workers. Women sat at III
presses and fcd the machinery. and the.
did it as we'll as men. Now. when il be
comes necessary to accumulate votes. tn
women are dismissed and men put in the
places. Surely this is a field for tho suf
| fragc enthusiast. which also offers
! striking example Of the economic valu
Of ~omon's work. for. hcsdes suffering
'hc indieri,y oi being thrust ruthlessI.
from their positions, the women know
that the mon receive higher wages 10
doing the same kind OF work. Wit
women work in the mint in this rospec
lis not exactly onviable. for political con
i'tions increase or lessen their intiuenc
in retaining their positions.
Tho counting board has attracted con
siderable attention from all the visitor:
IT Is rather unique device for cOuntn
money that has come into Vogue With
reccn. years All the coins are place
upon the board. and when every mich
is filled it is cmpticd. Some OF the count
ing boards measure out as many ns Al
worth Of quarters at a time. II take
but a couple Of seconds TO fill the boarc
and then it is turned into box. and 81
more is added to the money stored up
the inaccessible regions Of the mint
safe deposit vault Nothing could he sin
pier nothing could he quicker than tn
modern device for counting money. "
for a great number Of years the enpoy'
labored over the counting. which wa
|
, some and expensive
Besides the mint here there are thrs
minis in this country. one in San Frar
cisco one in New Orleans. and one
Denver. but Philadelphia leads them al
OF all four there is none that can cor
pare with the mint here for the amour
OF work done. Last year, when the go,
eminent demanded an unusually larl
output of money. all of the inints in tt
country we're made 10 work at the high.
pressure. II will crafty the citizens
this city Ia know that in this contest II
!. Philadelphia mint was capable of doir
I better work in a shorter space of tim
than any one of tho other mints. Thiri
million dollars in double eagles were coir
= ed by this mint during the month
May last, This is the largest amour
OF money that has ever been coined !
the local mint also the largest amour
Of money that has ever been coined
any single mint in the whole world. l'ui
Ing the last fiscal year there was come
at the Philadelphia mint Sll1 10000, - sui
f that has never been exceeded by an
mint.
\ large source Of the revenue for tf
, maintenance Of the mint here comes fro
, foreign countries In other words. inc
sam lets out his coming machines to pee
lplc in other countries who are Not 50 fo
tunatc AS to have these little CONVEX
1 fences Nearly all the South America
u republics have had their money come
I at the local mint. When a small countr
r like Costa Rica wants some money con'
r il advertiscs for bids. In most cases Il
r,,ft CT. hro h.a