Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-04-08
The steady growth Of the business Of

The steady growth Of the business OF
tho safe deposit companies in New
York and the demand for similar in
stitutions in smaller places show that
people are anxious to secure their
portable effects against the fire, bur
glars and mobs. says the New York
Tribune. Securities. wills, jewels and
valuables of all Kinds we're formerly
! stored in the strong boxes of the large
banks, and In many instances priceless
heirlooms and valuable documents were
kept in badly constructed safes IN the
homes OF the owners, who had more
confidence in their own primitive pre-
cautiopary measures than in the more
elaborate safeguards of the bank, be-
cause, as one man explained, "they
were less afraid Of a burglar breaking
In and taking away the stuff than of
bank official breaking out and taking
their securities with him.
With the establishment Of safe de-
post companies the calls upon banks
to take care of the valuables of their
patrons became fewer and people ceased
TO take the risk of storing their valu-
ables at home. The growth of tine
business has been steady. and for a
number OF years it has been considered
she proper thing to have box in some
one OF the safe deposit concerns for
the people who possess much jewelry or
negotiable or other valuable papers or
by people who are the custodians of
such property.
Tho vaults are all perfectly con-
structed with view to keeping out fire
and burglars and they are arranged SO
that byery comfort is provided for those
who visit them. IAN officer of a safe
deposit company said:
aThe people IN the country were
quick to recognize the advantages of
the safe deposit vault and hundreds of
our customers live out OF town. They
have their valuables here and the tramp
and the burglar have fewer terrors for
them than for their neighbors who are
less wise.
The safeguards, consisting of great
doors with many layers or chilled steel
and time locks, competent, honest and
wellarmed watchmen and perfect pre-
cautionary measures, make breaking
into safe deposit vault almost an i'm
possibility But suppose man did
get through the outer gate, the Official
said, "what good would it do him?
Here is room lined on both sides with
small safes of various sizes. All around
the place, floor, roof and sides, every
thing is solid steel. Now, take it for
granted the man even had a key to one
of the safeH. 1t would be perfectly
useless to him. because before he could
open the box an attendant must pre-
pare the lock with a master key and as
every customer is known to our people
thu Ioolr If h6y xrat.ld attralsy not he
prepared for any person unless he had
Alright to the box and after he had
been there for little while he would
probably bs more anxious to get Out
again than to make any further effort!
to got at other peopls's property"
When person rents box in a safe
deposit vault he is impressed at once
with the thoroughness of the system
and the evident determination or
the part Of tho company that NJ un
authorized person shall have access t.
rhe subscribers treasures. The new
customer, il he be found worthy Il
have a box at anywhere from IS I,
$1,000 year, and if the officers hav,
no fear that he will put bomb or any
thing OF that Kind into it. is Registered
and must tell his residence. place o
birth, profession, age, height, weight
place of business, if married or singh
and size of family. To this record tn
officials ada other points OF description
such as complexion, color OF eyes
characteristics of the face, hair AM
figure, and when it is all done th
patron selects password which vii
serve as further means of identified
tion If by any chance the gateman doe
not recognize him.
"a list of articles contained in th
strong boxes would surprise and anus
you" said bank official, ian
although it is believed that securities
stocks and bonds form the bulk of th
valuables kept in the vaults. there ar
hundreds of other valuables. OF course
the hank officers and the attenadnts az
not expected to know what is in tn
boxes, and they would not have th
knowledge on that score but for tn
customers themselves, who, in man
instances, become communicative an
tell Of their treasures and then Rho
them. So we know that one man REM
and pays regularly for box whic
never contained anything more tina
his naturalization papers. lie Gomt
every little while and takes out Ii
box and examines the document an
puts it away again and walks out wit
a strut which shows that he knows |
is still secure in his citizenship.
"Then there are boxes in whiC
family secrets are hidden away aud 9th
boxes with divorce papers and all sor
of legal documents. commissions ar
diplomas, love letters and jewelry. v
hear of these things and are frequent
called upon to admire some old piece
jewelry or to hear the story connectt
with lock Of hair or ragged and We
low letter.
Most of the safe deposit concer
have stock of goods on hand for whIt
they have no use but must keep b
cause the owners cannot be foun
According 70 the charters OF the COZ
panies, when patron neglects TO p
his box rent for three years notice
sent to him by registered letter and
in 60 days he does not pay the amou
due the box is broken omen and the CO
tents are stored until an owner can
found. ''By this process, it was sal
I've have accumulated a lot of tru
which is of no value to US but of viii
We can make no disposal. Many OF t
bvxes we found empty and they We
probably rented for the safe keeping
some document which had been tax
away and the box holder did not thi
it worth while to return the KEY.
have also been directed by the SUR
cato to open boxes to look for wi
which were supposed to be in O
possession.
L