The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1892-02-13
PONDEROUS SAFES.
Massive Receptacles for the Keep.
ing Of Precious Jewels.
Solid Walls of Steel That the Most Skill.
ful Burglar Could Not Penetrate
In a Shorter Time Than
Twelve Hours.

Here are 200 feet of showcases half
OF them on one side of long room,
and back OF them are as many feet of
upright cases stood against the wall
In The rear of the room are more cases.
and wherever there is room for them
are costly music boxes, bronze statu-
cites, and other valuable articles of
European and American make. All
the showcases are full of jewelry and
other articles made of gold and silver.
For twenty feet near the front the
cases hold nothing but real diamonds
and other precious stones, for the place
is big jewelers. salesroom up town.
where no imitation articles are sold
nothing but real gold and silver and
real stones.
"What beautiful field for burg
lar!" was the idea that flashed through
the mind of Sun reporter who en-
tered the place a few days ago. Not
that he contemplated operating in that
field; but on looking about the room he
could see no sign of safe or any other
strong receptacle-not even such lit
tie iron box as Mr. Russell Sage was
recently expected to produce 1,20O,-
900 from.
What do you do with your goods at
at night?" the reporter asked the pro-
prietor.
you'll find it easier to get them in
the daytime" Mr.. Jeweler smilingly
responded.
"But you have some system of secur-
ing them. Tell me what it is for the
information of the public-if it is not a
secret"
s'There is no secret about it," the
jeweler replied. do you see those
three cabinets, those black walnut
cabinets, against the east wall? We
put everything in those at night"
you trust to black walnut cup
board all these cases of gold and
diamonds, do you, valued at-at about
how much?"
'If YOU take the entire lot" Mr..
Jeweller laughed, ''you can have it for
$350,o0o But come behind the counter
with me and let me show you the cabi-
nets"
The jeweler led the way to the mid
die of the east side of the room. be-
tween cases full of diamonds and costly
stones on the one hand and upright
cases full of silver teapots and trays
and sugar bowls on the other hand.
Here" he said, when the cabinets
were reached, lis where we keep every
thing at night, except such large arti-
cles as would not go in. In our busi-
ness it is not the big things, but the
little ones that are valuable"
They were ordinary looking walnut
cabinets, each perhaps seven feet high
and five feet wide, and each with fold.
ing doors, an upper and lower panel
in each door. A boy might break
them all open with a hammer in one
But Mr.. Jeweler threw open one of
the pairs of folding doors and disclosed
inside an immense safe that seemed to
say: "Come on, now, if you're burg
lar; let's see what you can do!'' 1t was
one of the polished steel sort, with tre-
mendous resistance written all over it.
These are called burglar-proof
safes, said the jeweler; "but l need
not tell you that no safe is burglar
proof. Nothing has been or can be
made that cannot be broken, and an
expert burglar can open any safe in
the world. However, / think these
are as nearly burglar proof as any
safe in New York. 1t is merely
question OF time with burglar, and
these safes are warranted to resist any
attack, except with explosives, for
Twelve hours. There is not much d an
ger from gunpow der or dynamite in
such an exposed place. and to operate
with tools successfully requires twelve
hours"
AS he spoke he opened the safe doors.
Fhree-fonrths of the interior was di-
vided into shelves, all Of the same
aeight and breadth. The other fourth