Year: 1879

Ihe mint at Denver has been closed, but
much to the qualification Of the people of
Colorado an order has been given that it he
reopened and put in operation once more.
Colorado is prospectively one of the richest
mining States in the Union, and hence her
people contend, and not without justifica-
tion, that the chief coming mint of the ma
tion should be located at Denver that now
or prospectiveiy being the most central rich-
metal point in the whole country. There
are at present but four large coming mints
in the United States-at San Francisco,
Philadelphia, Carson City, and New Orleans
The location of a coming mint at the latter
point does not appear to have been made
under considerations of local advantage or
common sense. Indeed, it is remote from
the mining locations where the precious
metals are obtained, and involves large and
needless expense in transportation, both be.
fore and after coinage. For this and other
reasons the people of Colorado are demand
ing that the machinery, &C., of the New
Orleans mint shall be removed to Denver,
and our attention has been called to some
facts and figures in the Leadville Coll Re
ceiHe, which would seem to justify the
movement:


From early in 1861 to late in 1873 the mint
in question did not do any coming. 1t was
virtually closed, though n few officers werc
attached to 1t who made pretcnse of doing
some little assaying. All the money paid on
its account during that period was virtually
just so much money squandered-absolutely
wasted. Leaving out all allusion to the once
rank disloyalty of the section in which it is
located as cutting no figure in the case, it may
be stated without fear Of contradiction that
the New Orleans mint is now remote from all
the gold and silver producing sections of the
Nation. When it was established, the main
supply of silver for this country was from
| Mexico. and this was the nearest and best
point Of supply for coinage. good argument
then for its location and an equally excellent
argument now for Denver by reason of its
close proximity to the great mines of precious
mineral which to-day are going so far toward
the enrichment Of the Nation.


1t is said further, in referring to the pres
ent business of the New Orleans mint, that
in the city in which it is located, as well as
in most of the extreme cities of the South
ern States, Mexican dollars are purchased al
from seventy-eight to eighty cents each, and
sent to this mint to be recoined. This is Q
nice bit of speculation, which will not be
yielded without struggle, but which af.
fOrds a good reason, when taken in connec.
tion with the fact that bullion is shipped
from all over the country, including even
its most remote sections, to New Orleans ior
coinage for asking for this removal. The
freight on the coin is itself q matter of great
expense, much of which would be saved by
having the mint more centrally To-
Gated. To ship bullion from Colorado, Ne
vada, Utah, or any other mining region in
the West to New Orleans for coinage, and
then ship the coin over the country agar
to the Treasury at Washington, or else
where, to meet the necessities of finance, in
wolves large expense, which should be
saved in the interest of economy. The
money thus saved would soon reimburse
the expense of erecting Il large building al
Denver and furnishing it with machinery
to render it the main coming establishment
of the Nation. There is good sense in til,
nrOnosition