The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-20
SAFETY DEPOSIT VAULTS
AFFORD OPPORTUNITIES FOR HU-
MAN CHARACTER STUDY.
Lightning Changes Take Place at
T~axpaying 1tme-Various Types
Among the Patrons.

Many persons use the safety deposit
vaults about the city TO hoard cash and
frequently large sums are carried in this
way, as they prefer TO come in objective
contact with their money, rather than in
the form Of accounts. Just before the first
of A~pril-tax-paying time-people take their
money out of banks and the safety deposit
vaults do.a switch-engine business.
They are used by all sorts of people for
the storage of all sorts Of things. The
thousands of these boxes in indianapolis,
aside from their material treasure, con-
tain the secrets of a thousand hearts that
death only will reveal.
These repositories afford fine opportuni-
ties for human character study. OF course
many Of their patrons are men of large
wealth and who have incidentally acquired
many eccentricities in the long pursuance
of the science Of -money-getting. A few of
them exhibit miser-like tendencies. For in
stance. a little old man will come in, glanc-
ing in the rear and to each side like a
church member going in a saloon. His box
is way off in a dark corner in the vault,
down low in the tier. AS he leans over to
4iASS1( hS KEY HS SHINY TN spectacle case
falls out of his upper vest pocket to
the floor. When he stoops to pick it up
his pencil dorps out, and as he picks up
his pencil his toothbrush falls out, and re-
covering this, his spectacle case drops
again and he finally has TO wait until all
three are on the floor, when he picks them
all uD at once. After he has opened his
box and, with another series of glances
around him, he spreads out his long, black
alapaca coat to shield his actions from any
chance eye and begins TO tumble, tremu-
lousy, some crisp papers, with an occa-
sional granting moan that magnihes as it
echoes in the marble-hoored and masonry
walled room, until it sounds like the cry Of
a seal.
AN ELDERLY WOMAN.
An elderly woman enters, who, evidently.
has had the management of affairs thrust
upon her recently. She is so intent that
she does not know she is wearing herself
out by fast walking until she is home and
sits down. When she goes 10 her box she
fumbles vigorously in the bottom of her
reticule, feels each side of her dress, puts
her han on top of her bonnet, turns
around a few times, looking intently at
the floor, then removes the contents of the
reticule separately, including several bulky
documents, a twisted envelope around
which is wrapped a sample of colored floss,
an attachment from a sewing machine she
brought down to get fixed, and
finally discovers her glasses in the
folds of a letter that she just
received from her real-estate agent
about one of her tenants who wants the
pump repaired, three rooms papered and
shutters on the outside of the house. After
depositing or taking out something she
will close the little door and rush out, in
tent on some other errand.
Another of the miser-like type will come
man old man-who has a box on the rear
wall. He turns his back on the entrance,
opens the box, pulls up a little stepladder
for reaching the high ones in the tier, sits
down on it and the bell-like ring of gold
coin is heard as it runs through his fingers,
feeling ii with his thumb and forefnger like
sampling wheat. He will rub it in his hair
or whiskers, all the while g~rowling-an
agitato growl, like an eating dog. After
closing the box and busting off his goatee
as a precautionary measure against any
coin lodging therein he will get up and
walk out. short of breath and painting.
A middle-aged, well-groomed degenerate
enters who is cross-eyed, wears a plug hat,
new suit of clothes, with fancy vest, new
tan shoes that squeak when he walks and d
diamond in his shirt that is as large as a
| cut-glass door knob. He has split finger
nails, checks in the skin at the back of his
| neck, uses black waterproof drawing ink
on his mustache, and his visits to the bar
Der shop every day keep him smelling like
an upper bureau drawer. He is a "slaugh-
ter sale merchant OF some sort, and If he
were thrown in the river he would come up
covered with gold dust. His box is in a
conspicuous place, and after opening it he
paws its contents hand over hand, scatter
ing bonds, stocks, notes, moneys all over
the floor, stopping now and again to put
his nose inside of the box like a digging
| dog shifting at a rabbit burrow. After pick
ing up his Settlement, with a disappoint-
ed air tina nobody has been looking, he
will close his box with a bang and walk
out.
Last year a youth of about sixteen came
in one of the downtown banks, walked be-
hind the grating that i~solates the public
vault from the other parts of the institu-
ton. He had evidently grown too fast,
for he was tall, spare, stoopshouldered,
with head, hands and feet out of all pro-
portion to the rest OF his body. He stood,
| hesitatingly, tanning himself with his hat,
| and the manager frequently having visitors
| asked him If he wanted TO see the vault.
He remained in silence with an expression
of wonder on his face as he was shown
the big front door. taken inside. and al
lowed to inspect the interior of several of
the vacant boxes and the whole system
explained. He finally broke silence by ask
ing how much they were and when told
IS to $50 per year. he stroked his beardless
chin with his thumb and first two fingers.
| contracted the corners of his mouth. turned
his head one side, closed an eye, surveyed
the tiers of boxes with the other and broke
| silence again, saying. well 1 guess 1
| ought to have one"
FIVE SILVER DOLLARS.
While his name was being entered and
| the receipt made out he extricated with
his sweaty hands after some difficulty, five
| silver dollars and four quarters from his
pockets. The attendent gave him his re-
Il. 49, b4s Eve Silvar dollars Onopad