The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-01-19
EOW NEW ENGLAND KEEPS HER VAL
UABLES.

SCOTS novels is entitled The Heart Of Mid
lothian, said heart being the populous pris-
on of large district If we were to desig
nate the heart Of New England the place
about which centre the hopes, fears and al
tections Of our thrifty and money getting
people. it would be located at the Safety
Deposit Vaults of Lee, IIigginson & Co., in
State Street, Boston. 1t is there that thought,
forecast. care and mechanical ingenuity have
combined to make an absolutely secure place
of deposit for valuables at the lowest per
centage of cost to depositors. An hour re-
Gently passed in this place enabled us to
make some notes that may interest our
readers
The problem to be solved by the man who
would make accumulations of money, is not
so much how to get dollar, as how to keep
it after it has been realized At once the
world exercises its ingenuity TO get it away
from him. Enticements, caiolery, tricks and
traps all lay in wait for the representative of
value which he possesses. The old time robber
who laid in wait for his victim in lonely
wood and mountain pass. to put in force
the simple plan
That they should take who have the power,
And they should keep who can,
is nc more. Law and order and bank safes
have proved too much for him. But in his
place has come the more skilltnl and equally
dangerous burglar, who acts upon the maxim
that human ingenuity can make no safe
which human ingenuity cannot open And
this has been proven in many cases, TO the
sorrow Of banks, and the bereavement Of de-
positors. Wedges, screws, levers, gunpoW-
der and nitro-glycerine have proved the super
or of iron and steel and surprise, the Gag or
the bullet have overcome watchmcn.
At length the banking firm alluded to I'M
dertook the task of neutralizing al! these
dangers, and of preparing 4 place the abso-
lutte security of which no one could oainsay.
In the rear Of their banking house they dug
a foundation so deep that it cannot be reach
ed by burrowing burglars, because wat cr
would drown them out. Upon the solid
Of Ccmented brick and iron helms to The floor
Of the vault. The apartment for the safes
is So by u feet, and nine feet high, with
granite walls two feet thick The roof, like
brick work OF immense thickness. Around
this room is a walk for the watchmcn, and
outside of this walk are again thick granite
walls. The safes, inside the vault, are OF
tHn 1aSGira linn yy,th "A
combination locks. When opened they show
rows Of Numbered steel boxes, of various
sizes These boxes have two locks, one kew
being KEPT by the clerk, who must first mn
lock it, and the other by he tenant,
Having provided for the safety of the val
tables against the violence of those who
'break through and steal" the next point is
to make certain to circ umvent the cunning
Of those who might get possession Of keys
and pcrsOnatc the OWL er, Every dep0sit0r
is furnished with password, which he is cX-
pectcd TO give when asked for. His photo
graph is also placed III 4 book for reference
Among the depostor; are few ladies' but
their pictures would not give the highest order
vi iAt:itllS 'intl 'plltol not oft
associated. Wealth pertains to sallow cheek
and shrunkcn limbs as a general thing. The
fact is that in this world we can't have all
that is desirable al once. We were amused
at the sight of some of the capitalists whose
boxes were close to the floor knecling on
cushions to take out their contents-it seemed
and probably was SO much like worship.
person who approaches these vaults from
the street is met by q closed door in partition
Of iron lattice work, behind which, II unre-
cognized, he cannot pass. Satisfying the at
tendant, he goes in, passing the scrutiny Of
many Jealous eyes until he reaches his trea-
sure. At night, the Waterman is shut into the
passage way outside the vault, the entrance
to the latter being closed by steel doors. Gas
burns within the vault, and narrow loop
holes through the walls enable him to inspect
the inside and to fire upon an intruder, if By
any possibility one should Get there The
Waterman must 60 around this passage ut
regular stated intervals, in n0iScess shoes
TO insure his waketulncss and fidelity a
clock, inaccessible to him, is made to record
his rounds II he turns a handle, at giyen
times, the clock records lift he don't do II
the clock records his failure An electric
alarm connects with the police headquarters.
by which a force can be summoned to the snot
in five minutes
The advantages Of this place OF deposit for
securities have so commended themselves to
capitalists that the depositors have increased
from 800 TO $500 in number. Afterthc cleanino
out OF the Boylston Bank, cspecially there
was great rush of customers. The boxes
rent ut from $40 to 800 per year according
to size The whole cost OF the vaults was
about 100000, and we should Judge the in
vestmcnt to be q paying one.
The banking institutions of New England
are among the leading depositors, recent
robbefles leading them to distrust the safety
Of their vaults. Both the Belfast banks rs
Well rs some Of our citizens. rent hoxcs II
these vaults.
Altogether, we have no doubt that. NEXT
to the Kingdom of Heaven, it is the best nlace
IN which to lay up treasures. When va
have accumulated \ quarter Of a million IN
publishing the Republican Journal. we pro-
pose to take what is not invested as aforesaid
and put it in these vaults for safety
me San domingo resolve having passed
u, 4