Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-05-19
miscellaneous.
ere sixht Of Horror.


PAINFUL DISADVANTAGES CoNNECTEI
WITH THE PLAN OF HAVING YOUR BEL
CLOTHING TOO SAFE FROM HARM.
Much loss and annoyance might be
avoided in this world by reasonable cart
in securing our property 10 such way
that it would be perfectly safe. and. weiie
such precautions do not cost much, the
neglect may be productive to US OF serious
loss How often are we led to regret the
oversight of some trihing duty in this d.
rection, the performance of which would
have saved Us MANY and bitter regrets.
MANY wears ago when was student
in the law Office of Bingham & jenkins,
there were two of US young law cubs
who not only labored in the Office days,
but camped in back room adjoining dur
ling the night. This room was one OF the
suite to which the Office belonged. So we
had to do up our bed lounge daytimes. land
nut our blankets, ETC., in some place where
| they would be out of the way. Folding
beds that look like an upright piano were
not verv common then, so we had to 90
the best we could. favored putting the
blankets in one end of the flreproof vault
DAYS, SO that they would be out OF sight.
but more especially because they would
he perfectly safe there in case OF fire. Ii
the CITY should burn down and everything
he left homeless and bedless,I maintained
that we could 90 to our fireproof vault
when it got cold and take our bed out in
good order. while others looked on and
euvied our forethought.
- IN
as he always made up the bed. =! didn't
try to learn the combination OF the lock
on the vault door. MY duties consisted
in keeping up the fire and sweeping the
room on legal holidays, If it needed it.
Sometimes holidays came so close together
that we would let them 60 by without
celebrating in the above manner.
Every evening Bob would 60 to the
vault alb. ut ten or eleven O'Clock, reverse
the nickel knob on the lock three or four
times 10 the left, then two or three times
to the right. stopping on certain number.
then back three or four times to the left,
and so on till the handle turned. its bolts
shot back, and the door would swing open.
Then he would get the bedding. and make
up our lOwly couch. After that we
would frolic around in the lamplight.
shedding our clothes as we chased each
other through the other rooms, and when
we got tired we would sing some little.
simple song that would reduce the price of
rent for half mile in every direction.
Then we would go to sleep.
One day Bob had to 60 away for week
between Christmas and New Years. so I
got him to tell me the combination of the
vault. At the usual hour that night got
sleepy and lonesome, and as the fires had
all gone out. thought would make up
the bed and retire. 1t was about the cold
est night of that extremely cold winter in
very cold State. took the lamp and
began on the combination. got to &c on
the second turn and carelessly allowed the
knob to move little too far. Then |
went back to the place of beginning and
reversed the thing back and forth till l
got to where the lock is supposed to click
and the door swing open. but it did not do
so. A wild feeling of doubt and uncer-
tainty came over me, and my fingers got
stiff with the great wealth of cold that
now pervaded the apartments. / went
warming my hands every now and
then in my capacious mouth. l did this
till the clock in the steeple struck twelve
Then put on my overcoat, kicked the
vault door with all my remaining
strength, and went to the Central Hotel.
The clerk woke up and told me that as it
was Christmas time the house was plumb
full and could not be accommodated.
went to the Mailman house and they told
me the "Yule tide yarn" there. and eject
ed me from the place. 1t was then l
O'Clock a. m.
went back to the office, lit the gas and
began again on the combination. l knew
that there were only three or four million
permutations and combinations of num-
bers, and so thought wonld run through
them all. It wouldn't take long, and one
of them of course would be the right one.
Winding up dial on fireproof sarcoph-
agus all night, with the thermometer AS
degrees below is exciting, but the excite
ment does not repay one for the ext,aus-
ton and resultant fatigue. Well screwed
that North American dofunny around to
the right and left as long as can remem-
Der, and when the senior partner came
down at 9 o'clock he said sat there
with small lamp in my hand. mechani-
cally turning the knob back and forth and
yearning for my bed clothes.
When we opened the vault we found
the bedding in there all right and per-
fectly safe. never saw anything so safe
as that bedding was. 1t seemed to me
that it was almost too safe. When thing
is so secure that YOU can't get it yourself,
yon naturally think that the matter OF Sc
curity can be overdone.
The foregoing incident. as gave it, is
absolutely and entirely true, with one ex-
ception. Bob was the hero of the whole
thing instead of myself told him was
going to give it to the public, and he con-
sented on condition that / would make
myself the victim, and he was so sensi-
tive about it that put it that way. Peo-