Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-05-27

over tho different floors and their
brooms have covered "a space OF 13 acres
before the close. Shortly before mid.
night sturdy scrub women, with dresses
that stop at their shoe tops. appear
upon the scene and make the gboetly
silence echo with their gossip. Theirs
is task that does not end till the gray
morning light has stolen through the
windows and the red sun has followed 1t.
In big store there is always sons.
thing still to be done at night by ons
detachment or another of ths clerks.
1t may be the draping OF show win.
dow or bit OF decoration for depart.
ment, and 1t may be- a pressure OF work
upon one of the shop rooms. So that
every pight there are likely to be 40 or
90 persons working aftsr time for an
hour or two. The departure OF these
people from the upper floors gave the
early hours of this evening little OF
the variety that In general the life OF the
captain Of the watch cannot he said to
possess. He stood near the single door
that all night long is left open for exits
and entrances, his eye alert for the en-
terprise of any OF the gentlemen outside
to whom the thought Of millions of dol
lars worth Of property in stock lying
loose on counters is more THAI common
honesty can endure.
From somewhere man approached
him. A husky young fellow he seemed.
What are you doing hereq" de-
manded the captain.
n am porter" was the reply.
Your rassf"
Here it is.
A momept's inspection. cab, very
good !" declares the captain and the
porter thus voucbed for joins bis com,
rades, who are installing furniture two
floors above.
"We have to be very strict here,"
remarked 1.-The captain. There is too
much property in Il big store to justify
our taking any risk. Fire, through
carelessnesn. is constant possibility.
We have our own engines In the base
ment and ranks on The roof and are
ready to extinguish an ordinary blaze
as soon as it shows ITSELF With our
watchmen on every floor and compelled
by the regulation to make half hourly
rounds and record them by turning a
key wbich'registers upon watchman's
clock we keep very close lookout upon
every part Of the stofe''
AS the evening advanced the sound of
far.away voices and the occasional feet
ing glimpse OF form in the gloon did
not make the big tuildipg leHs lonely
In its aspect.
row of bright lights still burning
in the show window, over which the
vista OF dRrkening street was seen, gave
one the seusatioa Of lookirg from the
ahandUned pit Of theater upon de-
serted stage whereon the night was fall
ing. There was shifting and deepen.
Ing OF shades and the noises from with
out became more infrequent. Inside,
the u6ep rotunda was like we'll Of
darkness. The faint odors of sandal
wood issuing from the oriental stuffs
fioated up from tho basement. At in
tervals there was heard tee musical
note OF clock chino calling the hours
out of their order. Thare would be a
little hustle and then the ludiorously
doleful vOico ut II cuckoo would take up
the work Of misinformation and whoop
in unauthorized celebration of the
flight of time.
Occasionally one Of the sweepers
would bring to the captain trinket,
q bit of jewelry or piece OF money.
Every night something of value is
found in the debris Of the fioors. II
goes to the lost and found desk to await
a claimant. From the floor two flights
below the pavement there were mutfled
sounds OF stoking. Ittook four tons of
peat coal every night. the captain ex.
planned, to heat the building in mod
crate weather. 10 cold weather the
furnaces consumed as much fuel almost
as the steamship of generation ago.
The first shift Of guards was going to
their hunks as the reporter was passed
out. Every watchman gets three hours
eleep during the night and he is on
duty about 10 more.