Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1894 — THE JULIUS TOWER. [ARTICLE]

THE JULIUS TOWER.

It Contains the MHllons atfann»ay'» War Treasures. The Julius tower, hot far Trom Berlin, contains the war treasure of 120,000,000 marks yielding no interest. This large sum, consisting of crowns and double crowns, is from time to time, without long notice, counted by two members of the imperial d’ebt committee. Entrance to the well guarded tower can only ba gained if these two members put their complicated keys in the key hole simultaneously. Needless to say that there is always a sentry at the entrance door. A strict record is kept of the hour of opening and closing the tower. On opening it one enters at orice into th-e rotunda, where the shining 120,000,000 marks are stored. This vast sum is divided into twelve equal parts, each subdivided into ten others of the value of 1,000,000 each. This 1,000,000 is again distributed in ten bags of 10,000 marks each, two-thirds of which sum is in ten- mark pieces. When a revision is ordered the number of the division and subdivisions to be counted is chosen at haphazzard. For the counting a squad of soldiers is ordered. As soon as some of the 100,000 mark bags fire counted and found correct the., war treasure is considered to be properly revised. The other large funds—those of the invalids’ relief and the fortification building fund—are also overhauled by carefully comparing the coupon sheets, numbers, series, &c., with the original entries. Until the beginningof the new reichstag building, this fund was also kept in the Julius tower. As soon as the work of counting and comparing is finished the auditor’s report is drawn up and signed by both functionaries—the two keys are again simultaneously inserted in the locks —and the revision of the war treasure is concluded. The “counters” are drawn up in line and marched back to the barracks, the “committee” drive off in a cab and the “hoard” is left once more in that absolute quietude which every peaceloving Teuton hopes it may enjoy for many years to come.