Chapter C: C. Harris

_Answer._—The Valley of the Amazon is larger than that of the Mississippi, the former river draining 2,330,000 square miles, the latter 1,244,600 square miles. The Amazon drains a greater area than any other river on the globe.

UNITED STATES MINTS AND ASSAY OFFICES.

FARRAGUT, Iowa.

How many mints are there in the United States, and where are they?
What are assay offices, and where are they?

ADA A. HALL.

_Answer._—This government has coinage mints in Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Carson City, and a mint at Denver used at present merely as an assay office. This last and the assay offices at Boise City, I. T., Helena, M. T., and Charlotte, N. C., are limited by law to melting and assaying gold and silver bullion and paying for the same from Treasury funds. There is an assay office at New York for the testing of foreign coin or bullion bought by the government to be coined or recoined. All the precious metal purchased for mintage is computed at the value given it at these assay offices. The single letters, O., S., C., etc., stamped under the eagle on American coin indicate where the pieces were minted.

POLITICAL AND GOVERNMENT TOWNSHIPS.

WINDSOR, Ill.

Is there any difference between political and “government”
townships? If so, what is it?

A SUBSCRIBER.

_Answer._—1. A full township, according to the United States Government land survey, is six miles square and contains thirty-six sections. This is often called a “Congressional township,” sometimes a “government township.” Along the borders of large lakes and navigable rivers, and particularly next to State boundaries, fractional Congressional townships are common. For purposes of township government, fractional townships are in many cases united with adjoining townships, or two full townships may be joined under one town organization. In other cases three or more Congressional townships organize under one or two political town governments, according to the convenience and wishes of a majority of the inhabitants. 2. For an explanation of the United States Government Land Survey, including definition of base lines, ranges, and names and location of all the principal meridians, see Our Curiosity Shop of last year.