Telegram-herald., 1890-02-19

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tEs E2xLsh systeU-

ences = feeling Of rsAef shen Dc Al1s
Is uloney oorreot al ths close q hfi-
csys sork. sz1 MS feeling = -s~---y
shared In by tbe resi- O, ne stAns Mo
can lot leave the bauk unul be either
discovers his error OF s4uSass h1lass y
as - the sct4Gl shortage Tie great
ouLk q he shortages made across DaAA
counters IN England are believed - %
cur Oh hat day
Next Ia order Ot bad days Cor the tell
e., or czshies, as he IS designstsd in
London, comes Saturday, but there The
bad LUCK Is inteligi Die. Saturday Is
wages d2y, Snd no sooner has the teller
filed his TIL and loaded up his shelves
with silver IN Is and Elo bags than The
days work sets IN Ike food. I nth
twelve o'clock no Is paying assy Win
both hands; after that hour, II he IS a
receiving clerk ss well. he begins 10 70
oei,e heavily. FOR Saturday Is also the
lasE day Of the week. and every one
elects tkat the bank should receive his
deposits rather than that 10 should Aoep
them a his own less secure custody over
Sunday.
In beginning work on Saturday the
London teller faces an open mahogany
counter. OF which the portion controlled
by his desk is probably sis feet long by
three feet wide. He likes 20 have =
good, square view Of his customer, ana
IL is one Of the oanons OF British bank
ing that the eyes OF the stsff shall com
mand the counter. With such an open
counter the chief clerk IS able 20 keep
the whole field ander hts eye Rt one
time. and 20 relieve the overstrain at
any particular desk. The effect OF the
exposed condition is beneficial. too, on
the staff, the members OF which pre-
serve a s5eedier demeanor and attend
more closely 10 business while under the
eyes OF the public.
The London teller is a quick manipu-
lator OF coin. This is largely owing TO
the feet that the smallest note issued in
London is OF the value Of e5 or s25
When asked for gold In greater
amount than his eye can count at a
glance, the teller, after counting IL
quickly with pianoforte motion,
faithful scales, and SO checks his count.
The weights of these scales are arranged
in suitable Numbers. The teller also
checks the gold which he receives by
weight, and here his knowledge OF his
business will be tested. One hundred
new sovereigns are of full weight, rath-
er more. in fact, but the same mum Der
taken at haphazard will be found TO be
nearly half a sovereign for y per cent }
short In weight, while 100 pounds ster-
ling in ordinary half sovereigns are
sometimes 20 shillings Tor per cent
short In value. The tellcr can quickly
satisfy himself "a TO whether the de-
fciency Is caused by shortage in the
weight or the count by dividing the
amount and weighing one moiety
against the other. If they balance
evenly the count is correct, and the diff
ference is due 70 underweight. II the
latter exceeds the average stated the
coin will need 70 be specially examined;
there is probably something wrong.
The edge OF the English bank counter
IS provided with lip to prevent the
coin from rolling over and TO aid the
teller in scooping up the money. The
teller usually counts with the first two
fingers OF both hands, simultaneously:
sometimes ne uses six fingers, and a
teller has been known to count four
hundred and fifty sovereigns in one
minute, working against time. An ex-
pert teller will count one hundred
pounds sterling value of silver in seven
minutes. When it is remem bered that
the coins are always mixod, and consist
OF sixpences, shillings, forms. half
crowns and crowns, with never deci-
NAL convenience among them. this will
reasonably be considered as remark
able feat.
The annual loss from wear and tear OF
gold coin in England by reason Of the
absence of small notes Is almost incred-
ible. In Scotland the issue Of one
pound sterling notes displsces gold to
great extent. Tho Scotch teller excels
in counting paper money. In lingering
bundle OF notes be is king OF men.
Placing the packets upright against his
left palm, and seizing the top corner be-
tween the finger and thumb OF his right
hand, he will turn over the notes SO
quickly that an ordinary observer will
be as entirely deceived a by the three-
card trick. and will probably count only
sixteen or seventeen % the teller's
twenty. Then. to check his count, he
will either alternate his hands. or, plac-
ing the notes horizonta tally on his coun-
tor. hc viii count them toward himself
with the same paralyzing speed.
Tho Scotch counter is twice as wide az
the London one; it is elevated IN the
center and IL minus the rim. which IA
cilitates tho English teller's dexterity
with the coin. The Scotch teller N Ed
inburgh Is rallied in. His domain ia a
little island by itself. he takes no re-
sponsibihty. he carries no balances In
his head, and will not look 81 check
until tho ledger clerk. 'ar OF in the cor
ner. has counters igncd it.
An Advantage which he English tell
er possesses over the American and the
Scotch teller lies in tho fact that ne Is
sues clean notes only. 1he Bank 81
England has She exclusive priviioge Of
note issues in London and within rad
rs of sixty miles, a right conferred for
2 certain val liable cons Iteration granted
go tho Government in years gone hv
Al the notes received BIZ the London
teller s-e sent INTO The Bsnkof England.
and thcv s-e not re!ssaed. The average
life o. Eve pound sterling bank note IS
two or tarse weeks. tbat of q one-hs7-
dred pound sterling bank note three
days lat "a. the interval between lts