Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-17

How Safe Deposit Companies Secure
the Safety of Valuables.

the Safety of vaiuables.
ABLE POSSESSIONS no LONGER HIDDEN IN CHM
SEY-LARaE VARIETY OF ARTICLES PLACED IN
vAULrs-PRrvArE BOXES OF COUPON cLrpPERs
successful burglar, whose professional ca
reer was finally finished neatly of at the end Of
rope, once said that a man who kept anything
valuable in his house besides his wife was a
1ooi. There was no doubt good deal OF pro-
| Iessional pride in the remark, but at the same
time the record of the skill and ingenuity of
some of the noted cracksmen shows what a
| high point of excellence the profession has
reached. In the days when people stored
their valuables in tin boxes or in iron safes
with old-fashioned locks the gentlemen who
hved by their wits ON other peoples money
mad comparatively easy time. But in recent
years 30 many improvements have been intro
duced and SO many devices discovered that it
became necessary for the burglar to undergo a
special training in order to prepare himself for
| the successful practice of his profession He
mad to study locks and the hardness of iron and
steel and invent new tools, and in addition the
uimcuitles OF procuring an opportunity to pur-
sue MS calling, even il the requisite knowledge
was obtained, we're greatly increased. In fact
THE PROFESSION Is NOT WHAT 1T USED TO BE
1
IN time between the old stocking and the mod
ern safe. The people who used to put their
| money and securities in the chimney piece or
In some secret drawer are nearly all dead, ex-
| cept IN cases where the pure air and simple
| naplts OF some remote country district has
| Kept them alive. There is another change that
Is noted. 1t used to be the custom to have a
great deal OF silver plate on the table in private
| residences. 1t is the fashion now to use plate
In the everyday table service, but it is gen.
| orally plated ware. The solid silver is kept in
some vault. Massive walls, with heavy welded
steel doors, now inclose the larger part Of the
| money aud the valuable household and per-
sonal effects Of a community Burglar proof
| Is the name that makers of safes and vaults.
give 70 their products, and they consider that
Is the chief merit
LOSING HIS OCCUPATION.
The burglar may see that his occupation is
gradually dwindling away He can have the
satisfaction Of knowing, however, if he consid-
| ers it worth while, that. owing to the skill and
perfection obtained by his profession, entire
communities have changed their habits.
THE SAFE DEPOSIT COMPANIES.
1t has only been few years ago that in this
city it was the general custom when a family
arranged to leave the city for a month or so
that the silver and other valuables were packed
up and taken down to some bank. Perhaps.
stay In town all summer and SO the valuables
were Entrusted to his care That vas before
such thing as safe deposit company was
heard OF and in fact for some years afterward.
Nowadays these companies are organized for
the special purpose of taking care of the valu-
ables OF the public. They have great vaults,
which are believed to be burglar proof, and
these vaults are inclosed in great buildings,
which are built to defy not only the burglar
but fire and accidents of all kinds
VARIETY OF vALUABLEs.
at used to be money and silver ware mainly
that people wanted us to take care Of" said the
president of one of the large institutions of the
kind in the city. 'but now the list of articles
that we take care of is long one 1t includes
nearly everything that you can imagine. We
have the boxes in our vaults for money and
securities. Then there is provision made for
the storage of large packages, boxes and
trunks. We have everything from an oil
painting TO lace handkerchief. Costly dresses
are intrusted to our care, the plates of yalu-
able books, engravings, rare manuscripts and
even violins. Some people are afraid Of burg
lars and others are afraid of fire, and then
there are some who are afraid of both"
WASHINGTON DEPosIToRs.
'In this city," he went on, there are
large number of people who come here for
part Of the year. They have their own estab-
iishments, which they perhaps. rent furnished.
through this country they want a secure place
to keep their costly rugs and paintings and
silver ware. So they bring them to u.s. We
have thousands of dollars in our custody Peo-
pie have confidence in our ability to take care
OF their property. They know that every pre-
caution is adopted and that neither burglars
nor fire is to be feared. Burglars or at least
the more intellectual Of the craft.
have given up the idea that q modern
vault can be opened in the few hours
hat fhnxy H..
time was when clever craftsmen were feared
This was before such progress had been made
IN the building of vaults In the first place it
is practically impossible to force an entrance
into the building. But, even if such an attempt
succeeded, there are the vaults. which are a build
ing themselves, every precaution having been
taken to make them absolutely secure against the
operations Of burglars the efforts OF fire.
large force Of watchmen is kept on guard day
and night, both on the inside and outside of
the building, and an electric arrangement
watches the watchmen.
absolute security is what we guarantee, he
added.
BOXES OF SECURITIES.
A large proportion of the customers of a safe
deposit company only keep their securities
there. They have boxes to which they alone
hold the key, and no one else has access to them
unless expressly delegated by the owners of the
boxes. Those whose duty it is to attend the door
must have good memories for faces. Many
owners Of safes or boxes visit them only for the
purpose Of cutting off coupons The guardian
must. however, recognize them at once and
lead the way to the box rented by them. There
must be no delay or hesitation, for all men are
sensitive about being forgotten and some
would if their right was questioned to enter
companys vaults, Immediately sever their
relations with the company. Private rooms
are at the disposal Of the patrons Of the COM
pany where they can perform the auduous duty
of cutting the coupons off Of their bonds or ex-
anime their papers. The utmost quiet pre-
walls, as is BETTING place where persons are
engaged in the discharge of such solemn duties.
The precautions taken by safe deposit COM
pany to avoid the possibility of loss would
seem rather unnecessary at first sight. but they
are all the result of experience. The entire
business is based upon the confidence Of the
public.
THE COMMODITY OF SECURITY.
The commodity which the deposit companies
have to sell is security against loss, and every
safeguard is adopted that can possibly be de-
vised. 1t would seem rather superhuous for
example, to have more than one night watch
man inside the building. They are locked in,
as rule, and they can't get out themselves or
let any one else in. To effect q forcible en-
trance would be difficult undertaking even
for attacking party whose object need not
be concealed; but for the burglar, who has to
guard against surprise from the outside and
avoid detection by the guardians inside, the
undertaking is hopeless one. 1t is not at