The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-09-17
MONEY OF NATION.
ALL AT SOME TIME DUMPED ON
TREASURY BUILDING BLOCK.
One Object Of Interest in Washington
Which Has Been Overlooked by
those Who Have Written
Up the Capital.


"see that building?" asked a Wash.
ington correspondent of visiting
friend to whom he was showing the
sights Of the capital. They were
standing on the east side of Fifteenth
| street. near f.
Yes" replied the visitor, "and it IS
the treasury building
The untold millions OF dollars in
notes, gold and silver which the gran
ite walls of that structure has hidden
would make RockefelleT's pile look
| like 80 cents"
Very true; / know that" reioined
the visitor.
"And that building and its money
and its associations, and everything
else connected with II, have been
written up about million times and
in million different ways" added the
Washingtoniah.
Il know that, too" replied his
friend.
Nevertheless, there is one thing or
object connected with that historic
pile Of stone which has thus far es-
capped fame"
impossible" exclaimed the tourist.
incredulously. Il thought that Wash
| ington was annually raked with a
fne-tooth comb by writer's"
1T is acqulesced the correspond
ent, "and then 1t is reraked by still
others. Yet there is one object which
we will now make famous, which. as i
have said, has escaped. Do you OBJ
serve that low block, or platform. Of
heavy iron-jointed beams OF wood
close to the curb opposite the base
ment entrance on the Fifteenth street
side. almost directly opposite from
where we are standing?"
Yes said the visitor interestedly
That block Is the one thing in
town that hasn't been written up,
from the president to the frescoes in.
the congressional library. For a quar-
ter Of a century those heavy wooden
planks have had the distinction Of re-
ceiving every cent of the hundreds OF
billions of gold coin, silver coin, gold
bullion, silver bullion and gold and
silver certificates, treasury and bank
notes which have entered and have
afterward been dispatched from the
treasury building. The grand total OF
this wealth is scarcely susceptible OF
estimation; it is simply fabulous. Do
you note that covered dray backed up
to the block and drawn by three big
white horses? 1t is filed with govern
ment notes which await only the seal
of the government to make them legal
tenders. AS such they will afterward
leave the treasury for distribution.
when that load Is emptied an
other vehicle will back up 10 the
block, perhaps an express wagon,
from which will be dumped a million
dollars in coin or bullion. Then more.
millions done up in securely sealed
packages of notes will be carried out
OF the building. deposited upon the
block and thrown into still another
wagon, covered van or wire-netted ex-
press wagon. And thus the continu-
Gus performance of handling the
wealth Of the nation in the public.
streets OF the capital goes on day by
day. year after year unnoticed by the.
public at large. And It all, from bags
OF dimes 10 packages Of notes Brae-
tically without limit as to amount. as
well Aan of the bullion. lands at one
time another upon that old wooden
block"
i should think some enterprising
thief might try 70 make a raid some
day" suggested the visitor.
That's what the men whose duty
Il Is 70 handle ali this great wealth
think. too, so they are at all times pre-
pared 20 welcome any gentleman
whose enterprise might prompt such
an actlen." replied the correspondent
And the funny part Of It is this: All
this great accumulation Of money
which passes over that block at inter
walls during the day is handled By poor
men who work for moderate wages.
perhaps not over SIS a month. This
would seem 70 prove that man
hasn't got TO be ricA 70 handle big
money after all,