Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-16
LOCKED UP IN GLOOM.
WHERE MOTHS CANNOT CORRUPT NOR
THIEVES sJEAL IN.
Enornous Wealth in Storage yaals-Hundrsds
Of Millions of DOlla5 in Rich Jewels, Rare
Paintings and Profitable Bonds Deposited.

spsaol correpondsns OF the Sunday Rsoistsr.
New YORK. April 13.-From $780,
900. 900 to 5000. 0S0. 900 worth OF private
property is constantly housed in few
great storage warehouses in New York.
This property includes every conceiv-
able article or q movable nature, from
house furniture to diamonds. The
earlier storage warehouses were places
in which persons porsrily vacating
their homes might store furniture that
they did not care TO rent or sell. The
modern storage warehouse is not only
this, but to hundreds it is purse, jewel
casket, treasure house and club.
The safe deposit feature OF the ster-
age business is picturesque develop
ment growing directly out Of the enor-
nous accumulation Of wealth 10 lew
hands. A great trunk In the basement
of one such warehouse bears upon its
face the magic initials, sc. "" It's list
of depositors would sound liks the roll
of Ward McAlister's Four Hundred.
Cge house alone is believed to contain
upward Of 5000, 100000 worth OF prop
erty. Household furniture and paint
ings and the like make up small per-
centage of this sum. Down in the low
est basement are the silver vaults, the
trunk rooms and rows upon rows OF lit
tia safe deposit boxes. A box i've In
ches square and eighteen inches long
may contain fortune.
One man whose wealth is estimated
at $50, 600, 600 rented such box for his
wife and placed In II 100000 in Bank
OF England notes, saying that whatever
happened TO him or the United States
she was sure OF fortune. The lady
complained, however, that the sum was
insufficient to maintain her in the state
to which she was accustomed, and &C
cordingly the husband placed in the
box deeds to Q block OF houses. Again
the lady complained, and deeds to
another block OF houses were added.
The box finally contained probably
three times the value OF its original
$500, 900.
One OF the most curious developments
of the storage business is the use OF these
houses by wealthy wome as jewel cas-
kets. Many women in New York pos
ScS l0WClo Vi ouCA ~ 80
deemed unsafe to keep them at home.
Accordingly miladi rents box In the
safe deposit department OF storage
warehouse and deposits her jewels
alongside the diamonds and mortgages
of her neighbors. Some Of the handsom-
est Jewels that are seen on opera nights
spend their days amid the gloom of the
storage house vaults. At the storage
house but two persons possess keys TO
the safe deposit vaults, and time locks
make it impossible that they enter save
during business hours. Miadi receives
two keys to her box, and she may give
by power OF attorney permission Oh ac-
cess to whom she will. When the jew
els are needed, Miladi comes herself or
sends her maid with proper credentials
and list of the jewels needed. They
are carried home TO flash Ia the lights OF
a single entertainment and are returned
next day to the safe oblivion Of the
strongbox.
A list is kept Of all persons having
right of access TO any private box. One
woman OF szsasaa.Aa>iuevrm
-. yesaS wealth. has three snun
boxes. 10 one she admits her husbands
to another. her maid; TO third access &;
denied to all save the lady herself. One
man keeps as much as SIS, 900 in cash on
deposit. He makes the box his great
purse and takes from 1t and replenishes
1t as he would pocketbook.
Many depositors treat the storage
house as though 1t were a club. They
have their business letters addressed
there and forwarded whithersoever they
will. They make appointments and dis
cuss business matters Ia the coy little
private apartments provided for that
purpose. Each apartment is furnished
with chairs, desk, ink, pens, writing pa
per. When the depositor enters with
his box, he displays on the door OF the
compartment a painted sign, "Occu-
pied" and locking the door on the in-
side is secure from intrusion. Two
maiden ladies who had thus retired
called an employe Of the house to help
them cut of coupons. The polite man
readily complied, but found himself
busted for three hours In the task.
Some one at the storage house must
know by sight every one OF the deposit
ors, and their number often runs up to
500. Some of them visit the house fire.
quently; some only once In two or
three years. The identifer at one OF the
great storage houses finds that be can
make sure OF persons identity II only
the face be exposed from eyebrow to tip
of nose. Sometimes depositors amuse
by attempting 10 deceive
him. One man came after an absence
of three years and denied his own iden-
tity. He abandoned the pretense, how
ever, when the identlfier cooly declared
his readiness to take all risk OF loss
arising from the visitors obtaining
access to his box. A lady disguised
herself In the dress OF her sister, a de-
positor, and tried to obtain access to
the sisters box, but acknowledged the
deception when the identlfer asked for
her Signature.
E. n. VALLAEDIeHAM.