The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-05-27
IN Old SAFETY BOXES.
Deposits Company's Regular Examination
of Forgotten Boxes.

Deposit CompaGy's Regular Examination
of Forgotten Boxes.
We have already opened up so
boxes which are ten years overdue.
The letters sent by our attorney to
the holders of these boxes brought
but five answers. One man whose
box was found to be empty returned
his key and sent check for $50, the
full amount of the back rent. When
it is remembered that many safe
deposit drawer contains several
thousand dollars, it is reasonable to
suppose that any man who has q
particle of the gambling instinct
about him would jump at the chance
of paying $500 for the sum total of
the valuables to be found in so de-
linquent boxes. He would consider
that his chance of finding at least
one box we'll packed with currency
was excellent, this line of reason
ing being based upon the knowledge
that persons who rent boxes are in
clined to be secretive, and that any
sudden fatal illness is likely to take
them to the grave without leaving
behind them any clew to their hoard
ed treasures.
Speaking from our own expert
ence, the man who risked $500 in q
gamble of this kind would be sadly
disappointed. In the so opened boxes
the only articles of value which we
have found were $40 in old half dol
lar pieces, eight tickets in a European
lottery and a cheap gold plated
watch. There is no premium on the
silver half dollars, the most recent
of which bears the date of 1884 and
the earliest that of 1922 We will
probably realize S24 from the re
demption of the lottery coupons.
Each of these tickets is nearly a foot
square and is stamped with huge
red cross. The amount of rent due
on this box is $47.5O. I doubt if the
watch will bring us more than IS, or
less than one-third the unpaid rent
on the box in which it has reposed
for five years. From this account
ing it may be seen that our reprisals
amount to practically nothing.
But there is one thing which we
are almost certain to find in every
box This is an insurance policy of
some kind AS a general rule these
are life insurance policies upon
which only one or two premiums
have been paid.
The process of opening boxes is
exciting - full of large hopes and
larger disappointments. From one
drawer, on which the unpaid rent
amounted to $57 so, we took out a
big fat pocketbook. It was one of
those long, bulky affairs used by
people who do not like to fold a
greenback or bank bill and conse-
quently have a receptacle large
enough to hold paper currency when
spread out at full length. AS soon
aswe saw this we felt certain it con-
tanned a nice sum in paper currency.
The vault keeper opened it eagerly
and laid bare the most complete col
lection of coal bills that I ever saw.
In another pocketbook of similar
construction we found not so much
as a single scrap of paper.
There is nothing like the prying
open of these boxes to reveal the
fact that men cherish the sentiments
and associations of their youth with
a persistence and fidelity which they
would doubtless conceal from their
nearest friends. Here is neat little
package of old love letters, written
in a fine feminine hand. It is care
fully sealed with wax and has been
laid away in this vault for ten years.
1t is against my sense of principle to
read them, and I have simply look
ed into the package sufficiently to
learn the general character of it's
contents. Along with these letters
we found a Rock Island time table
and chattel mortgage covering the
household furniture of the box rent
er.
But the most romantic treasure
which we have yet unearthed is
dainty ball slipper. On it's sole,
close to the heel, is written, in an
old fashioned round hand, the name
Helen. If that slipper could only
speak, what story it could tell
Many married women rent boxes
without the knowledge of their hus-
bands and observe the utmost Sc
crecy in their visits to the vaults.
The keeper of a safe deposit vault
occupies a very responsible position
He knows every one of his patrons,
and they generally share their trou-
bles and condolences with him. Very
few stations in life afford better OPP
portunity for the study Of human
71a417T0 4hoY1 +ho+ h