The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-01-31
banking In Berlin.

vi lcSS ulTJlneSS, anu up " Slsbp, uith
pair of stairs. And when you get there
there isn't very much to suggest bank.
All there is about the whole concern
consists in two rooms-one small one
where the actual business between Gus
toners and bank is transacted, and a
large one where the books are kept and
The clerical work done. Behind the
counter stands man who combines in
himself the dual Offices of paying and
receiving teller. The counter itself is
an ordinary wooden affair, with nothing
about it to suggest financial solidty or
inspire confidence. Neither are there
trays piled high With twenty.mark
pieces. In short, nothing is in sight to
give one the idea of bank. In the
larger room of the two there are lot of
ordinary high desks visible through the
glass doors separating the two rooms.
And seated on the high stools at these
desks are from fifteen to twenty clerks
and bookkeepers, all with ledgers and
day-books before them. What in the
world these banks can do with so many
clerks is beyond me. The same amount
vi DNotllCoo WOulu uC uOlC
by three or four clerks. But, neverthe-
LEGS, there they are. They never appear
TO be very busy. Most of them appear
to be half-aslos,,, and those who happen
to be writing in the books do not seem
to be in any hurry about it. From the
gray-headed, stoop-shouldered old man
who has been bank clerk from his
teens, down to the smartly-dresSed, eye
glassed youngster, everybody appears
to be on good terms with himself, and
does not feel called upon TO hurry.
Having so many clerks, the bank, of
course, can not afford to pay very large
salaries. In fact, the younger members
of the clerical force are there under
sort of an apprentice contract-paying
something for the privilege of "learning
! the business" And even when they
have been in the banks employ for
years they receive salaries which, COM
pared TO an American bank clerks sal
airy, are mserablv small.
Ones first encounter with German
bank is rather discouraging. | remem-
Der how helpless felt when took my
draft to one of the prominent Berlin
banks to deposit it. | succeeded, after
some trouble, in finding the bank. And
after | had crossed the dirty court,
climbed the dirty back stairs, and pene-
trated to the den of the paying and re-
ceiving teller, new trouble arose.
elbow am TO know that you are the
real Mr.. Kaegp" asked the cautious in
dlvidual behind the counter.
81 don't wish to draw any money; |
only wish to deposit this draft. 1t is
made out in my name. I'll indorse it..
And as shall not need any money for
a couple of months, you will have plenty
of time TO find out whether everything
is correct. Besides, YOU have my sigma
ture, sent from San Francisco"
But it was of no avail. lie wouldn't
let me deposit that draft until | had
proved my identity. After considera-
bic talk happened to think of my pass
port, and asked him if that would do
"If you do not know anyone in Ber
lin who can identify You think / Car
accept that" was the answer.
So had to walk mile or so in the rain
to get my passport. But when returned
to the bank new trial awaited me
the bank was closed, locked and barred
Here was u Guandary; o'clock and
the bank closed. Visions OF "suspend.
cd payment" and all that sort oil
thing rose up before me, and | waS
troubled. As stood in the courtyard
debating what could do next, win
dow in the second story was opened ant
voice said:
I" IIelo What's the matterp"
So explained. And the voice SAID
"You'll have to come back at
o'clock. The bank is closed daily from
II to 2 to allow the clerks to go to din
ner.n
This was decidedly new idea il
banks-closing from l2 TO 2, the busies
part of the day.
But there was nothing left for mo t.
do but to stand around in tho rain fol
an hour. After this ordeal felt rather
disguised with things in general. But
at 2 O'Clock ! was back at the bank
The doors were still locked and the bars
were still up, with no signs of life about
the place. Five, ten. fifteen minutes
went slowly by. Then u slow, heav!
step came across the court; the owne
of the step deliberately drew q large Ike,
from his pocket and deliberately pro
ceeded to open the door. Up the dirt
stairs went the deliberate steps, fo
lowing. Arrived at the head of I'll
stairs, another great KEY was pr
duced, and smother door deliberatcl
opened.
"What does the gentleman wishP"
l The gentleman wished to deposit
a draft.
r "Will the gentleman be kind enoug
t to take q seatp The clerk who u
$ tends to that part of the business ha
o not yet returned from his dinner"
d Yes, the gentleman would be GOO
@ enough to take seat: and he sat the
k in the cold, damp room, beating IL
Q floor with his feet, shivering, playir
@ with his umbrella, thinking of unutter
= BILE things, and waiting for the relul
% of ''the clerk who attended to tn
/. part Of the business" At intervals
l. two or three minutes the outer dot
opened, duulutihS " S"'' -.
N and bank clerks by ones, twos, an
70 threes. Each one, as he came dellpe
IS ately in, carefully took off his overco,
IS and hat, slowly went into lttie cioal
room, and in the course of minute
5 so came deliberately out ana wei
ID slowly to his place. At hali-pasS1,
o Inost st, OF tho clerks were at 'neir aesk
at twenty-five minutes to ) there wne VINE
4 only few absentees; at eight m1hw W,
id TO ., Nv the panx CLOCK, "tne c'orh WI
Of attends to that part OF the bushes, ,
10 came in, and at fourteen minutes 70
ia appeared behind the counter and W
IA ready to wait upon me. !usl imag''
ne It! Two hours and forty-six minu.es
lv business hours wasted IN order no
70 the clerks 60 to dinner" | never p leu
ri utterly disguised in my lie, bds
:" would not have been so bad IT buslne
had been resumed promptly ~
ny Thrce.quarters of an hour late.' 'u
'lo think Of it! al r,rht and 7 w
mt ,si,.od to dpnost my draft. |