Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-07-13
MEN WHO OPEN SAFES.



They Are Not burglars, but No Lock Can
Keep Them Out.
when any one Of the manufac.
turers gets out a new type of safe"
said veteran agent. "he can always
bs certain of half a dozen customers
who will fairly tumble over one an
other in their eagerness to purchase.
Strange to say, they are not men who
I are in need Of safes; on the con-
trary, they have safes to burn. They
are his business rivals, who are anx-
ious to lose no time in putting their
skilled mechanics to work unravelling
the secrets Of the new mechanism.
"fou must understand" continued
the veteran smiling. that the strong
est card of safe agent is the point
blank assertion that every lock except
his own can be opened by an expert,
and he must be prepared to make
good when the statement is ques-
toned. | don't think exaggerate
when | say that this one claim is the
backbone of the safe business and
brings about more sales than all other
arguments put together. To Illustrate
its effectiveness, suppose | am trying
to persuade the officers OF a country
bank to put new doors in their vault.
But, my dear man.. they protest.
these doors we have now are nearly
new and are guaranteed burglar.
proof by q Co.. That gives me
my cue. glance at the vault. smile
sarcastically ana shrug my shoulders.
DO you really believe that work is
the slightest protection against bur
glars? inquire. or course we do,
they chorus anxiously. DO you mean
to intimate that it isnt?' I don't re-
ply Immediately. but affect reluc-
tance, and every director stares ut
me and breathes hard. Well. gentle
men, say at last. I never like to
run down business rival. but since
you ask me, don't mind telling you
that we have man at our works who
can open those doors any day in less
than Is minutes. That will give you
an idea how long they would hold out
against modern burglar or course
such speech throws the whole crowd
into a cold sweat. but nevertheless
they Indignantly scout my assertion,
and | proceed to jar them again by
calmly telegraphing for my man.
Next day. let us say. the expert ar
rives. He is generally a very oril-
nary looking fellow, which helps the
game along, and | take him over to
the bank and introduce him to all
hands as workman from our shops
Now. then, gentlemen chirp cheer
fully, get out your watches and see
how long our friend here will be in
breaking into your burglar proof
closet AT that the expert walks
over, lays his ear against the door
and begins to manipulate the comb-
nation. The chances are he has been
studying 1t for months and months.
and every faint click Is like so much
plain print. Generally 1t takes from
four to six minutes to do the job, and
when the door swings open the poor
directors look at each other and
groan. After that. It's dollars to
doughnuts | close my contract.
have been through this little comedy
SO often" chuckled the veteran. that
know it by heart: but you mustn't
suppose that every deal Is as easy
as the one ! described. selected
simple case as an illustration. and
often the work IS great deal more
complicated. But it all turns on open.
ing the other fellows door, and what
I wanted to make clear was the i'm
portance Of the professional expert.
The moment any novelty is introduced
he makes it a study and keeps at it
until he has devised some method Of
exhibiting 1T to its disadvantage.
The touch and hearing of men of that
class become so abnormally sensitive
in time that they appear to be guided
by instinct, and they do things they
can't explain themselves. No. | never
heard of one turning crooked, and
doubt whether any burglar that ever
lived equaled them in skill."--New
Orleans Times-Democrat.