How Uncle Sam Makes Money
Mint Exhibit at Lewis & Clark
A million pennies a day—that is the
capacity of a strange machine which
Uncle Sam uses in the Philadelphia
mint to count the coin of the smallest
value made by the government. This
machine, known as a counting table, is
exhibited in the Government building
as a part of Uncle Sam’s $800,000 dis
play on the Peninsulo in Guild’s lake in
the Lewis & Clark Exposition.
The counting board is about as large
as a kneeding board such as housewives
use. The surface is wide enough to
hold b row- of forty pennies. When the
pennies are to be counted, several thou
sand are heaped on the board which is
placed above a hopper. Then an oper
ator tips the board backward and for
ward, and sideways, so that the pen
nies slide about and finally settle in the
grooves made by the brass partition
strips. When the board is full there are
1,000 pennies on it. Pennies are coined
only at the Philadelphia mint, and the
government finds their coinage profit
able, because the value of the metal
they contain is only three-fourths of a
cent.
The upsetting machino is another in
teresting mechanical contrivance. It is
used for turning the edges of coins.
The coin discs of the proper size and
thickness, but with the edges still
rough, are put inth tubes made to fit.
These tubes are placed upright beside a
round-topped revolving table. At each
revolution of the table, one of the discs
drops into a groove between the table
and an outer shell, and the pressure on
the edge of the discs makes them smooth
Stamping the coin is the last process,
and this is done by means of a great
machine which weighs 15 tons and costs
$15,000. There are twenty-four such
machines in the Philadelphia mint. The
discs to be coined are again placed in a
tube. Two steel fingers take hold of
of the bottom disc and move it over to
the die. Then the die above paesses
down so that an impression is made on
both sides of the disc. At the same
the edge is milled, when the steel fin
gers push the finished coin away and
bring a new disc into position.
The machine at the exposition stamps
ninety $20 gold pieces per minute., A
pressure of 130 tons is required.
Lon the creeks J
E. T. Townsend is working alone on
5a Deadwood.
Chadwick, Diedrich & Heine, on 5a 1
m, are on pay.
Langford, Pierson & Williams are
hoisting pay on 6a 1 m.
A. H. Woods is in for a few days
from 5b Thanksgiving.
John Stanley is placing deadmen in
position for handling* the dredge next
summer on 8a Big Minook.
George Shirley rutumed to 1 Seattle
last Sunday. Shirley is awaiting the
completion of a thawer in order to get
started.
Tom Evans went out to 2a Little
Minook last Sunday. It is likely that
Evans will put in an automatic dam on
2a and work it in summer hereafter.
Chapman, Olson & Jamieson, 5a 1 m,
have nearly 3,000 buckets of pay on
the dump. They are hoisting from
three shafts.
Pres Ireland has been compelled to
quit work on 10a Little Minook for the
time being, owing to growing blindness
in one eye. He is now under the care
of Dr. Hudgin.
Frank & Graham are taking down
their flume on 4b Little Minook. They
are getting ready for next summer’s
operations on 3b, Some of the ground
worked by them on 4b the past season
went as high as $50 to the shovel.
J. H. Fisher is now working alone,
his former partner, Hemquist having
gone to work for Anderson & Olson on
Omega. Fisher reports that Bob Hy
att and partners have struck pay on
the upper end of his claim and will fol
low it down stream.
J. H. Fisher and R. H. Wright came
iri from Thanksgiving Thursday, Mr.
Wright confirms the report of good pay
being located on his ground by Scrib
ner, Hall & Henderson, and says that a
large body of payjias been found. He
will remain in camp until the arrival of
the outside mj.il: Mr. Wright received
a postal in in the last mail announcing
the safd arrival of his family at Kansas
City on their way home to Mexico, Mo.
Mrs. Swanson has moved from the
Izzo building into the cabin formerly
occupied by Miss Parke.
656* King
LACEY
WHISKEY
Northern Commercial Co.
Distributerm
Julius Rahmstorf
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
c 11 1 * TIN, GRANITE &
r Ull Line crockeryware
JAMES B. WINGATE
Notary Public & Conveyancer
Forum Office
Rampart
Masonic Association of Rampart
Meets on the last Saturday evening ch
month. All Masons invited to attenc
J. H. Hudgin, M. D. Pres. f. B. Wingate, Sec,
DROP us a line and have a copy of the
Weekly Alaska Forum mailed to your
outside friends or relatives. They will
appreciate your thoughtfulness. Saves
letter writing. We pay the postage.
NOTICE OF MEETING
A meeting of the MINERS* ASSOCIATION will
** be held across the divide Thursday evening, Dee. 28
Due notice will be given of place of meeting.
Every Miner should make an extra effort to be present at
this Meeting. G. W. Ledger, President.
Notice
To Whom it May Concern: Notice is hereby given,
* that any and persons are hereby warned not to
enter upon, or to remove any wood from claim No.
10 above discovery on Little Minook creek, under
penalty of prosecution for trespass.
Rampart, Nov. 20, 1905. Press Ireland.
MASONIC MEETING.
The regular meeting of the Rampart
Masonic Association will be held this
evening at the residence of Dr. Hudgin
All Masons cordially invited to at
tend. By order.
.
q LOCATION NOTICES. FORUM OFFICE