The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-07

roof and running clear around the
inside of the. vault. Each box con
tains two bags of silver dollars, just
like the thousands Of bags which lie
within. The none is all stored IN
bags of white nya Each bag VIII
hold about a peck and it contains 1ust
one Gus silver dollars The
bags are about as large as those with
which boys go chestnntting, and as
they lie there in the vault they look
for all the world like SO many little
bags Of wheat. Each bag has a seal
upon it, and it would be Impossible
to get az the none tho break
ing the seal
AS 1 looked, / asked as to the
weight and was told that the bags
weighed about sixty pounds each,
and that the total weight in the vault
was $500 or 3,400 tons. We began
to figure on the amount of space the
whole would cover if all were spread
out upon a flat surface, and as | re-
member it was thirty or forty acres.
Then we piled them one on top of an
other and they made a solid column
of silver more than $50 miles high.
AS l looked at the figures l was
reminded Of a corner lot which for
generations stood vacant within a
block Of where the Treasury building
stands. 1t is now occupied by the
Wyatt building, where the Offices OF
the Western Union Telegraph Com
Joe Willard, who let it lie idle until
the day of his death. 1t was some
time before that tina one Of our
multi-millionaireS wanted to buy it.
He sent his confidential agent to Mr..
Willard, saying that if the latter would
sell he would give him enough silver
dollars to cover the ground. To this
old loo Willard ron1jod. 1T will oe-
cept the proposition, but you must
stand the dollars on end" The lot
was a big one. The man did not
stop to figure, but, like the young
man in the Scriptures who had many
possession, he buttoned up his peck
etbook and went away sorrowful."
i The question as to whether the
money in the Treasury is safe has
often been discussed. This big vaul,
is practically burglar proof. 1t is
guarded by the iron bars and is also
walled in cement and stone, with q
wide aisle running around it, which
would prevent any one attempting
to emove h money without being
seen. There is no doubt that some
of the vaults are behind the times il
; their safety appliances. l remember
! that one Of the treasurers became
alarmed as to their condition SOM
: years ago. He vent to New Yorl
/, and asked for the most expert SAT,
breaker and lock picker on earth. Al
. of the banks recommended the sam,
man. He found him and rough hin
+ to Washington. The man wrote out
: report, and as he presented it said:
q II have here a detailed account Q
r the vaults, but before you read it
want to give you a practical demon
%stration that ] know whereof l speak
q II you will go with me into certain O
+ them | will leave my workmen O
the outside. We will enter the vault
and your men can then lock the door
o and my workmen will let US out in
IS side Of an hour"
y The treasurer consented. The
II picked out a vault which had $4,000
600 in it. They went inside and tn
r. doors were duly locked, although tn
e time lock was left off. 1t took jul:
j. twelve minutes to throw the door
IF open. This was done tn
n use of explosives Of any sort Al
'e merely by driving wedges in betwee
% the doors and safe. In compan
ie with this man the treasurer the
O, went to the committees Of Congre:
n by their representations the ma
n ter was 1e.nedied. There is no doul
We bat that the vaults are absolutely sa,
TO now.
IT Anyhow it would be a very bra,
m man who would try to robe the Trea
j. ury. A tunnel might be dug fro
A somewhere nea the Treasury bull.
ing, but the robbers would nave
p drill, and they would have TO have
ne railroad to carry away the silye
I'll After they had taken a few Jhousar
dollars tho bags and boxes con-ai
3 ing the remainder would tumble abo
Ae With such a noise as to apprise i
ne Treasury guard: OF their action. a.
eI as these guards are on hand day a,
Ht night, it would be almost impossit
- TO get anything 20 speak Of witho
OF discovery.
There might be a combination wi
n the guards, and a fortune in gree
.ry backs or silver certificates taken. h
ed these are all and I
en- thieves would be sure to be identif.
he There is a goodly corps of guards
is the Treasury Department., and the
10Y are divided into different watch
BIZ They have to salute each other fro
al. time to time, and a whistle wo,