The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-07-14
BANKING BERLIN.

t....4R Cor. saa tsiaeisca -zTanicle.
 The majority of banks m ber.in are in tae second story. and the only way 10 gel ie them IS through a court of more or ess dirtiness, and up steea dar'; par ot stars. And when you set there there isr. very much to suggest bank. All isere IS abou, the whole concern consists
 . TWO rooms-one smal! one where the 4c:aal bislness between customers arr. 5ank is transacted. and large one .shere the books are kept and the cleri cal work done Behind the counter stands q man who combines in himself the dual offices oi paying and receiving is.er. The counter itself Is an ordinary
 93den affair, with nothing about II 10 slsgest financial solidity or inspire con n1ence. Neither are there trays piled high with twen;y-mark pieces. In short nothing $ In sigh, to sive one the idea of
 oank. In ,he larger room of ;he TWO trere are lpt oi ordinary hlgh ,.esks s.s.0.e through me glass doors sep ..raiInt ne ;~o rooms. Aa4 seated o,. the h. -h stools u these desks are from ti'ees ,o twenty .erxs and aoas keep CTS at. &.a lecsers and aty-books before them. What 2 ne world these s4nSs caa s.a al,h so many clerks ls beyoni me The -4a1e amount of business weulG ae dsrs Anerica by three O; fo'ir clerks i5a;.
 erertheless, there they are They never sppear ;o be very busy. Most of them ppear ;o De hali asleep. and those who happen 10 De writing ,G the books do not seem to be n any hurry a5oa, Il. From the gray-heaoed. stoop. shouidered oid man. who has been 4 bank Jerk from hls teens. down 10 the sinarily-dressel. eye-slassedy 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 toiTse, cannot afford 10 pay very large salaries. In fac', the younger members of the clerical force are there under sort of an apprentice contract paying something for the privilege of learning ne business And even when they nave been in the banks employ for years they receive salaries which. compared 10 aa American bank clerks salary, are nlserably small.
 Ones nrst encounter with q German bank IS rather discouraging. remem- Der how helpless fe., when took my draft 10 one of the prominen; Berlin banks ,o deposit Il. l succeeded. a::er some trouble, in finding the 5ank And after l had crossed the dir;y court climbed the dirty back stars, and pen esTaied 10 the den of the paying and re- ceiying teller, new trouble arose.
 ho@ arr ] to know that you are ;he real MT. kaes :' asked the cautious in- dIyiduai behind the counter
 !" don't wish 10 draw any money 1 only wish 10 deposi, ,h,s draft II Is made out in my name. I'll endorse II. And as l shall not need any money m a couple of months, you will have plenty of time to ind out whether everything IS correct. Besides, you have my signature, sent from San Francisco,
 But II was Of no avail. He wouldn't let me deposit that draft until ! had proved my identity. After considerable talk happened to think of my passport, and asked him If tha, would do.
 If you do rot know anyone ID Berlin who can identify you think can ac- cept that"
 So had 10 walk mile or so 1T the rain 10 ge, my passport. Be; when re- turned 10 the bank a new ,rial awaited me: the bank was closed, locked and barred.
 Here was quandaV o'clock and the bank closed. Visions of :. suspended pay,aen, and all that sor, of thing rose ap before me, and was troubled. As s.ood in the courtyard debating what esuld do next, window n the second story was opened ard voice said
 Hellow, What's the mater :'
 50 explained And the voice sad
 You'll have to come back a, Q clock The bank IS closed daily from i2 io 10