St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-20
THE MERCHANTS NEW HOME.
Handsome Structure Completed
at the Corner of Sixth and Jack
son Streets

handsome structure COmplcCcQ
at the Corner of Sixth and Jack
son Streets.
The Merchants National Bank, one
of the foremost monetary institutions in
the state, as well as in all of Uncle
Sans domain, is at last nicely en-
sconced in its new building. This
banking house has a 44-foot front
age on Jackson and extends on Sixth
street IA feet. 1t is four stories above
ground, and the architect was Mr.. E. p
Bassford, of this city. The exterior Is
mostly of Portage Entry stone--a light
shaded granite and marble, all blend
ing to make harmonious effect. The
entrance is not equaled in the Twin
Cities, being quite large, and composed
of marble and granite from most every
where OH earth, including Spanish, ST.
Bum, Portuguese, Egyptian. Swiss,
Italian, African. Mexican onyx, and
Tennessee. The banking room proper
occupies the ground floor, two stories in
height, making an extremely high and
spacious room. as well as the best
lighted place of the kind in st. Paul.
The floors are mosaic, and the inte-
rior woodwork is entirely of mahog-
any. No expense has been spared, and
been placed in this building to make 1t
thoroughly modern, as well as to facili-
tate the working and security of the
bank. On July 6, in an extensive arti-
Gle on the banking houses of st. Paul,
the GLOBE gave a history of the Mer-
chants National, as we'll as of the gen.
tlemen Interested, embracing Hon. w.
r. Merriam. president; f. A. Seymour,
cashier, and Directors E. T. Drake. A.
II. Wilder, r. c. jefferson. j. l.. Mer-
ram, Hon. c. f. .Flandrau, D. r. Noyes,
c. Il. Bigelow and E. n. Saunders.
THE CONTRACTORS.
The construction of the fire and burg
ar-proof protection has received, per-
haps, first consideration, and this feat
ure is model of elegance. Solidity and
strength combined. being an entire de-
parture from former recognized meth
DDS of building vaults into the wall, the
walls of buildings being largely de-
pended on for protection. In this in
stance plan of Architect Bassford was
adopted OF locating the vault away from
any wall, its foundation from bed rock.
The under portion of the banking room
being of solid masonry, not possible
of disentegration. Two hundred pot DIS
of steel and fire-proof material rests
upon it, forming practical monument
CT lnvulneraOlllty to the Skill of the
designers and builders, the Diebold
Safe and Lock company, under the
supervision of their Northwestern
agent at st. Paul-D. K. Osborne. Two
entrances through triple doors, self
clOsIng-one into the exclusively money
vault, and the other into the collateral
vault-give the fullest freedom for the
easy transaction of business. In each
of these vaults are classified subtreas-
uries of steel, all provided and fitted
with the latest appliances of strength
and convenience. Eleven in the money
vault represent the different letters,
custodian's reserve funds, gold, silver
and special deposits. The collateral
vault is similarly furnished and is di-
vided from the money vault by steel
partition, the upper half of which is
treated in such novel way as to be, In
stead of a barrier, all agency of ventila-
ton and light, from one vault to an
other. The massive outer doors, each