Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-04-25

/ The work Of constructing and decorating
/ the new banking room Of the German
Bank in the Market md Twelfth street
( corner OF the Grand opera House build
/ irE, purchased by The bank last fall al a
cost Of about $4,000. is practically com
/ p.e,ed, except some additional stone and
/ granite work about the front entrance
/ and some little finishing touches inside.
/ and if present expectations are realized
/ the splendid business room and accessory
| offices will Dee opened 10 inspection next
| Saturday evening, and business will be
= commenced In the apartment week. from
/ tomorrow.
/ The banking room represents the two
/ original store rooms next east of the
/ Market street line of the building, which
have been thrown into one sumptuous
/ apartment, thoroughly equipped and deco
rated In the utmost good taste, at an ap-
+ proNimate cost of $23.0o0 or $4,000. The re-
/ sU.t is by an odds the finest banking quar-
/ tiers in West Virginia or for many miles
I without The borders of the State. and this
result is not only one Creditabie 10 the
management of this institution. but is an
added monument 20 the enterprise. good
taste and progressive spirit Of Wheeling
4 business men.
/ The main banking room Is for y feet
square. and is a splendid and lofty apart
meuc The floor is OF marble. laid in min
/ u,e blocks i'm intricate designs while the
walls are wainscoated with light compost
| ZION marble All tho visible wood work
is OF solid mahogany. while the upper
portion of the walls and ceiling are of
/ stuccd. iavlshy Yet tastefully orna-
mente0. The ceiling is divided into large
panels, deeply recessed by the immense
steel beams which support the super
structure, and the whole is surrounded. on
che border line between wall and ceiling.
/ with electric bulbs. In the centre. but par
/ TALLY hidden by the massive mahogany.
marble and bronze partition which en-
/ closes the desks and officers quarters. Is
/ a large marble column, with a gilded capt.
/ t3l and In the background. Immediately
I fronting the main entrance. Is the massive
marble front of the double vault which fills
/ the northeast portion Of the room. En-
I trance from the street is obtained through
double doors of mahogany. enclosed in
| heavy columns Of South Carolina granite.
/ and surmounted by massive and unique
rHI ltl TT ANLlle ne NfHl4UAlt VIII bt
tiled and i'm the centre will appear the
| words German Bank
Going TO the right. as one enters the
+ lobby Of the main banking room. the Wis
i,or finds. in the southeast corner n
sp,endid.y equipped little apartment for
the exclusive use of ladies' This, like
the main room. is finished in marble and
I mahogany. wiki mirror. a tasteful fire.
pace. and solid mahogany furniture.
BY touching button a window in the
north wall of this room raises and the fair
customer finds an accommodating clerk
awaiting her pleasure. To the left. on en-
/ teriuc the main room. is a wide corridor.
running north almost the full length Of
the building. and terminating al its upper
end iu the door TO the private room of the
/ Directors. This room is fitted in quarter
sawed oak. with all the furniture TO
match, and Will be covered with a red car
/ pet. The fireplace in this apartment is
/ "a model Of beauty.
/ Just without the door of the Directors
/ room is another passage running to the
/ rear of the vaults. where there is well
\ fitted up toilet room, cloak room and tele-
/ phone room. with a side entrance into
I two coy little rooms set apart and fitted
/ up for the exclusive use of holders of safe
deposit boxes to which one of the large
b vaults is wholly devoted. Access TO this
T department is wholly by request 10 the
I cashier. who In his office touches q but
| ton which automatically opens the door
\ 20 the caller The cashiers private Of
4 nee is at the northwest corner of The main
| banking room. just across the corridor
from the Directors room. and there he is
/ IN touch with every officer and omploye
/ through an automatic telephone system,
| by which the cashier can talk with any
/ clerk. bOokkeeper or teller. or they with
/ him. without either having 10 leave his
7 desk for an instant. There IS a like COM
7 muu.Cat!On between the Directors room
| and every desk in the bank. Next 10 the
\ cashiers room is the deJk Of the general
/ bookkeeper. and then in regular order
| come the Exchange teller. Receiving teller.
/ Paying teller. individual bookkeeper and
| the collection clerk All these are inside
! the massive mahogany and marble parti-
/ ton which divides the public portion of
/ the room from the banking Office proper.
The vaults are models of convenience
/ and good taste and marvels Of security.
] Nll~ IEl4Gltu VI Nllt4ltu 6Lt lA4ih set III
| Portland cement. they are reinforced inside
| by walls, roof and floor Of solid steel
/ plates Both vaults have outer and inner
double doors Of the best workmanship, and
inside are gravity gates affording addi-
ton3l security. The western vault is en-
tirely given up TO lO6 safety deposit boxes
for customers. while the eastern vault is
1 exclusively for the valuable papers. books
| and the steel safe for the funds of depos-
! itors. Beneath. in the basement, is a vault
| for the storage of books and papers not
| in general use. Here is also located
| various appliances for the better conduct
Of business in the banking room above.
/ The janitor's room is above and in the
rear of the vaults, and is handsomely 1T
ted up.
| The entire appearance Of the banking
| quarters is handsome. ornate and rich.
/ without the common fault Of a too redun-
daut decoration. and the hundreds Of peo-
ple who have obtained a more or less COM
prehensive view OF the interior during the
progress Of work have been profuSe in
/ their Communications and have feffcitated
] Cashier Rayha and the Directors upon
/ their good taste and enterprise. The
/ opening mex, Saturday evening will be a
/ revelation 20 Wheeling people.
/ The President OF the Bank is Mr.. Henry
\ Schmu'bach and with him are associated
/ a very competent Board of Directors.
| The cashier is Mr. Louis J. Bayha. who
/ has been with the bank continuously
! since its organization I'm 1870. when he was
! bookkeeper under Cashier August Gem
| mer. He succeeded Mr.. Gemmer as
I ~. -