The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-09-27

height Of fifty feet parapet
ornamented BY hundreds Of lit
tie panels and about four feet
high, extends allthe way around.
The rich carving that adorns
the outside was done by skilled
Italian scuIptors after the build.
ing was completed.
THE INTERIOR,
The interior is elegant, being
finished with quartered oak and
ceiled over head with ornamen
tai corrugated metal ceiling, The
floor and base boards are OF mar.
BILE and the bank fixtures
are OF the latest design. the ma.
terial being French glass, bronze
and polished brass, The vaults
of this bank have no superior In
the country, except the vaults OF
the U. S. Treasury. or course
some are larger but none strong,
err There are three large vaults
built on a foundation of 10 feet
of stone and cement. The walls
of fire brick laid in the cement,
are over two feet thick, the outer
layer, being English glazed
brick. Two Of these vaults are
lined inside by a coating of IF.
teen-layers of chilled iron and
steel, absolutely drill proof. The
outside doors, each weighing 3,
600 pounds have automatic time,
locks. The inner, double doors
weighing 1000 pounds, have the
latest improved combination
locks. A burglar after having
passed these two mammoth doors
would find himself within a
chamber of the vault, hut not in
sight of any money. To reach
this he must besiege one Of Halls
latest 1000 pound safes, having
first q huge door with an auto.
matte time lock and o second
door with q combination lock.
One Of the three Chambers ii
which only books are kept, has
no steel lining. The middle
chamber OF the vault is used by
the bank and the third one, steel
lined. contains e5 deposit boxes
which are rented to the public.
Everything aboutthis building
is Of the best that money could
purchase and when complete 1t
had costnearS4O 900 The designer
was Wheeling's clever architect,
Mr.. f. F. Faris, and the super
vising architect Nj. q. L. Hick.
man, of this city. The carpen.
tiers were Messrs. W. Clate Nc.
Keehar, Thos. Prim and John
Drummond. The filing and
painting is beautiful and was
done wholly by Mr.. Will A. Blair
and Mr.. w. L. Deison.
We cannot. however, leave the
list of those engaged in its con-
struction without mentioning the
Clarksburg Planning Mill Co.. 4
Jasper Pew, Chas. Ridenour,
Jno. Clemens and David Davis /:
on the stone work, Gilmore Wells.
A. B. Clark and @. Watts: on the
brickwork. Jpo. Phillips, g. j..
Cramer, w. d. & T. j. Bryan and
AL. Jackson. The ceiling was
furnished by Caldwell. Peterson
4 Co., of Wheeling; the furniture
by Il. Mitchell Fur. Co. OF Gin
cinnati and the vaults by Debolt
SAFE and Lock Co.
For a generation this bank has
been regarded as one of West
Yirgiuia's foremost financial N.
situations. II was founded as a
State bank in 1860. AT the cash.
ier's desk still stands the venera-
BILE Luther Raymond the Oldest
cashier in the United States.
whose official connection with
Merchants National dates back
to its organization. During the
revolutionary days from 81 10 ,65.
the credit Of the bank was never
doubted although at times its Of.
ficers were forced TO gather all
the funds and flee from the raid.
ers who threatened to devastate
thecountry.
The first assistant cashier is
the genial Maj, Lee Raymond
and the second assistant, that
prince Of good fellows Mr.. S. r.
Harrison. Assisting in the book,
keeping department are those
clever young gentlemen Messrs.
Thos. Raymond and w Il. Lewis.