The Washington times., 1917-09-30
:TRAGEDIESOF
LIFE SEEN IN
TREASURY'S
SCRAP GOLD.
BY BILL PRICE.

BY BILL PRICE.
At the Mint Bureau of the Treas
ury a few days ago arrived a pa
thetic letter from q poor widow, and
inclosed in a package with 1t was a
set of false teeth, literally filled with
gold
The teeth had belonged to the hus-
band, who had died leaving her moth
ing, although once wealthy man.
The poor woman, the words OF her
letter showing great grief, asked
whether the Mint Bureau would pay
for the gold in the teeth.
Rule Broken for Widow.
Although the rules OF the bureau
and the mints and assay offices under
It prohibit the purchases OF scrap gold
valued at less than 800, Raymond
Baker, director OF the United states
Mint Bureau, sent the teeth to the
assay office in New York with d.
reetions to forward the poor woman
payment for the amount OF gold found
By the ofrice.
The human tragedies behind pieces
Of old gold and silver sent to ths
mInts each year and bought by the
Government run into the thousands,
who sat musinE over many OF the
sad stories that had como under her
notice after years OF work In the
mint bureau.
PathOs In Every Ounce.
see this one line IN the last an
nuaI report of the director of the
mint" she went on. ''It shows thst
In the fiscal year. 1915, the Govern
ment bought Jewellers scrap to the
value Of 5000 900. Well, under this
heading there is included all the
scrap gold bought that year from
jewellers, pawn brokers, and indt-
viduals, and there was pathos back
Of nearly every ounce OF It"
Congress gives the Mint Bureau
each year a substantial bullion fund
for the purchase of gold and silver.
Few OF the purchases are made in
Washington. although thousands OF
visitors coming to this city each year
have an idea that the Government has
q mint here and turns out its gold
and silver coins under the shadow Of
the Treasury.
The purchases are made at either
of the three coinage mints or eight
assay offices outside Of Washington
The bulk Of the purchases are OF for
eiEn. coins and AlaskA-mined gold,
but Jewellers scrap" is an important
: item. No matter in what form the
gold goes to the Government, It Il
melted In electrolytical rehneries in
the assay offices and the price paid
according to the bullion obtained
therefrom- This bullion goes back
into gold coin, into the manufacture
ofsjewelry, and for use in the indus
trial arts.
3Serap" Carries Own Stories
So there frequently come through
the Mint Bureau here pieces Of jew
elry and silverware that carry their
own stories Of blasted and broken hu-
man lives; of woes and vicissitudeS
endless in number.
It may be the wedding ring Of
happy days past and gone. followed
by poverty and misfortune in later
years; a child's or woman's chain or
locket, the latter sometimes contain
ing a photograph OF one dearly loved;
q watch, the engraving upon which
told Of the esteem OF friends or loved
ones; society and fraternal emblems;
gold medals awarded to heroes who
have passed away and left their fam
lilies in destitute circumstances: trink-
cts precious and numerous, now to
be parted with. despite the memories
melting pot has done its work
To these are to be added exQuisitely
beautiful family silTerwAre, bearing
descriptive messages from relatives
and friends OF the long ago, some of
It handed down from father to son and
mother to daughter, now OF greatest
value in keeping poverty from the
door or in carrying on the education
OF q cherished son or daughter.
a. -
the "scrap gold" coming from crena-
tories throughout the land For Gov
erument officials know that in the in
cineration OF the dead there is often
left in the ashes particles OF gold
that once adorned the teeth of 4
healthy, living being. CremAtory
attendants are Watchful for these
small pieces OF gold. and dispose of
them 80 that they are among the
sscrap" which the Government buys
and turns into bullion
Dentists turn in many particles that
cannot be used again because they
are affixed TO metals which can be
lched only by the Governments
melting process. In the extraction of
teeth containing small gold filings
the dentists are careful enough to
save the nllings. # Is stated
HIS Savings q SJumbIe.-
Not long ago the Treasurer received
from a uewsboy in an American town
q mass Of jumbled metal, melted to-
Re-her by a fire thai had destroyed
the boys home. He had put away
his savings in a small bank and the
Gre had done its work. He asked
that he metal be redeemed
The Government will redeem paper
money three-hfths OF which remains
even where enough OF charred paper
remains to determine what its de
nomition had been
In the boys case nothing could Be
done, and the metal was sent to Ray
Baker The experts in the mint tu'
reau arrived at the conclusion that
the mass had originally bee worth
about 90 cents. The law could give
no relief. but Baker gladdened the
little fellows heart by sending hin