Figure 37. — Pressing and milling room of the U.S. Mint, 

 Philadelphia. Three toggle coining presses are shown in 

 background; three coin milling machines are in left foreground. 

 From Gleason s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion (July 17, 1852), 

 vol. 3. 



He said bids would be considered for iron and brass 

 castings, including; patterns, finishing by surface 

 measure; also by day's work, including use of lathes, 

 tools, etc. This interview was on a Saturday after- 

 noon; he regretted that the time was so short and 

 that he had not called on us sooner, for if we desired 

 to bid for any portion of the work we must do so by 

 noon on Monday. 



To my surprise, on reference to Mr. Eckfeldt I 

 found that there were no drawings or plans of any 

 kind. The specifications were all in writing, and for 

 the details of machinery reference was made to the 

 machinery then in operation in the mint. That for 

 the steam engine, gave diameter of cylinder, length 

 of stroke, length of connecting rod, size and weight 

 of fly-wheel, cylinder to be vertical, the general plan 

 of engine to conform to that in the mint, which I 



think was a Rush and Muhlenberg engine, the 

 successors of Oliver Evans. 9S In addition to the 

 shafting [were] pillow blocks, hangers, giving size 

 and lengths, all of cast-iron, with coupling boxes, 

 etc.; as to the rolling mill, draw benches, coining 

 presses, milling machines, we were referred to those 

 then in use. 



98 In the U.S. Treasury Department's "Report on the Steam- 

 Engines in the United States" (H. Ex. Doc. 21, 25th Cong., 

 3d sess., p. 156), the mint engine is listed as 30 horsepower, 

 built in 1 829-1 830 by Rush and Muhlenberg. Early mint 

 accounts show payment to Oliver Evans of $6508.52 on June 

 24, 181 7, for a steam engine and sundry iron castings for 

 machinery of the mint (Frank H. Stewart, cited in note 43 

 above, p. 186.) 



72 



