Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-09-20
SAVINGS BANK SIGHTS.
THE TOfLERs or IHE METROPO.
LIsAND vHsIR HOARDS.
Drawing Their Interest The Doorkeeper's
vigilance The Dificnit Italians - the
mighty Interpreter-The Chinese Depos
aanru Ear IN nnal with

|
Nrw YoRK, Sept lO--A New York
| savings bank u capital place IN which To
study humanity. The people who carry
their little boards to tnat refuge of the in.
dustrious boar also the marks in their faces
of the prics they have paid for their
money. Toll, privation, hardship care,
have all written their autographs on most
OF the faces that pass into savings banks.
What histories, what trag d,es, are thcrc'
| What strength, thought, timn AMI effort
have been parted with to procure the pre-.
cious bills that arc pa5sel over the counter
through the small opening of that thick
| wire screen
The "depositors" and the drawers
make continuous procession. From the
hour the bank opens until it closes not
minute passes without bringing them. Tho
| doorkeeper has no enl of time with them.
| How he wrestles with them without being
| daily worn to the bone | cant imagine. No
matter how many times some of them have
visited the bank they never learn which
line leads to the depositors' window. They
must be told and fairly taken in hand and
| put where they belong. All this wears
| upon the patience OF the doorkepper. who il
only mJrta' until he falls int, the habit Of
using short" words. Only an angel could
preserve anv swe tneSs in his tones and fill
such an office.
Yet wished II were possible for him 10
always speak gently to the poor over
worked, ill-clad, shrinking women, young
and old who entered, anl said so mention.
net hat hat, ,In ,f
find life almost too harl t. be borne They
are bullied by coarse hu bands at home,
bulliei by petty officials of all kinds. and
,, browbsaten and snub ell at every turn and
corner of Their wrctched lives. They are So
usei to OPPRESSION that they take on
stulkiny air, which becomes as much part
OF them a their clothes.
Yes" said the doorkceper 'they do
have hard time Of it, and ! try to
to be polite To thpm. but many of them
don't seem to understand language that is
not peremptory."
He told the truth. | think. While chat
ted with him they wavercd in and took posi-
tons at the end If both lines in a adazcd way,
as though they we're transacting business OF
such tremendous Importance that they we're
uncertain OF their own movements Many
of them were most shabbily clad having de-
MED themselves everything they could pos
sibly do without in order to provide against
the ever dreaded ''rainy day"
The smallest Iermi,sibl deDoSit is ono
dollar. Often the worst dressed woman will
have her roll of bills to the amount of fifty
or a hun tired dollars to dcpo,it. She
has earned it over tho Nash.tub per-
haps or scrubbing floors, or ironing in some
hot laundry into which pure air never en-
| ters. Women in sun bonnets are there.
women in rags and women in silks All
kinds OF people under the sun go up and
down the steps of New York's savings banks.
They travel in carriages, on foot AMI on
crutches. Here AMI there is a pOmpous man.
cleanly shaven and dudlShiy dres,el. They
are noticeable in the long line of bent and
loosely clad figures familiar with hard labor.
Here and there woman in stylish walking
| suit and Jaunty hat joins the less IA ,hionable
| file and lays up her treasures in bank. Sn.
may be a teacher, an artist, writer, an
| actress.
One savings bank here draws the limo on
! Italians. 1t will not take their money Mt
all Why' Because it Is impossible to deal
with the unoiucatei ones without inviting
I trouble. Their names are all alike, AMI
they sign with au X. Giovanni NAV have
bank deposit which his brother. who looks
like him, talks like him, aud can answer the
examiners questions properly, may wick.
eily draw out Thee children Of song ani
earrings grow very angry when their money
Is refused, aud their hands are instantly ON
the inevitable stllstto. Then the door
keeper rises to the occasion and expels
them forcibly, if the comptroller so orders,
Practice has made tlis doorkreper expert
at detecting natives OF sunny Italy. He
knows them ths instant he sees them. |
saw him vanquish "A most excitabe one re-
Gently. Ibs Italian walkel in with an air
Of assurance.
'What do you wantp said the ever-vigi-
liant watcbman.
"Me know replied the son of the sun, in
soft accents, garnished by al exasperating
smile.
But ] want to know" said tho door.
keeper, with some emphasis.
"Me know" repeated the child of song,
quite pleasantly.
Then the watchman undertoO the diff
cult work of making him understand that
the bank could not take his money. The
instant he comprehended he became an
engine OF wrath. His krees shook under
him. and his ton cue grew too nervous to be
mani ipulated, his eyes bulned like Goals and
his hand wandered int1 an inner pocket
The doorkeeper was firm, and fortified by a
word from the comptrOllAr h. lurei him 4,
the sidewalk without violence.
The low grade Of Italians are all half
bandits, and not very satisfactory persons
to have any dealings with. Sone,im they
go TO the bank accompanied by one and
often two priests. Thus strengthened they
imagine that all doors must open for them.
When they discover that the priest is not
omnipotent in this countsy they are beside
themselves with astonishment and fury.
All savings banks have an interpreter
Not infrequently he is a person who speaks
all languages save that of politencss. Par
ticularly fluent and capable is he In the
business of snubbing timii and ignorant
women. That Is pnre enjoyment to him,
and he doe a great deal of it.
1t always looks to spectator as though
more women than men patronlzel savings
hanks. Officials say that is not the case
However, officials are not always either po-
lite or accurate when talking to writer.
] asked one most civil and comm on place
question. He became ics at once, and re-
pliei: "We don't care to give information
for pubicstioc- Savings banks are very
shy Of nsvspAp pers.n