The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-30
A NEW KINK IN BANKING.

Among the banks and trust COM
panies situated in the shopping dis
strict and wealthy residential sections
of Manhattan Borough, says the New
York Press, there recently has grown
up a new institution. Lovely woman is
at the bottom Of it, as she is at the
bottom of so many other things. The
institution has come to be known as
the stocking room" although that is
not it's official name. Its reason for
existence is not far to seek.
Surprising you were a nice young re-
| ceiving teller, and a pretty woman
should step up to YOU window to an
nounce that she wished to make a de-
post, and you should smile affably and
say, "All right, madam; where is the
money!" only to see a burning blush
o'erspread her face. Would 1t not be
just a little embarrassing?
Once upon a time the uptown banks
did not have many women patrons.
but there came a startling increase in
their numbers coincident with the
growth of independence among the
fair sex, until such incidents as the
foregoing got to be altogether too COM
mon, and-well, no uptown bank now
is considered complete without a
AS may be imagined, these rooms
are sacred to the purpose for which
they are set apart. Usually they are
separated from the bank proper by
| heavy curtains, and no man ever pen
etrates behind that barrier during
banking hours. If it is one Of the
| larger banks or trust companies, the
woman patron. upon entering her spe-
cial room. will find provided every
| comfort, and not few Injuries. There
are even artistic little hassocks upon
which she may rest her foot while she
performs the delicate operation of ex-
| tracing her money from the peculiar
| hiding place which gives to the room
| it's name. Besides this, there are in
dividual writing desks, telephones, a
maid and (of course) a huge mirror.
One of the most attractive of New
York's Stocking rooms" is in the Of
flee of the Lincoln Trust Company, No.
| 1923 Broadway, near Madison Square.
A Sunday Press reporter arrived there
! just before closing hours. and as there
were no women around he was treated
| to a glimps of the holy of holies," as
| the irreverant clerks call 1t. The room
is Immediately to the right of the en-
trance. AS one Of the officers of the
bank opened the door which is remark
able in it's way, as it consists of a mir
ror in a casing Of white enamel, a
neatly attired colored maid arose, evil
IDENTITY prepared to offer her services
If it had been a woman patron who en-
tered
The room proved to be as dainty in
| it's appointments as any woman could
wish for her boudoir. 1t is furnished in
green and white, after the style of the
First Empire. One entire side is de-
| voted to a mirror of beVeled plate
glass The individual desks. chairs
and telephone stands are of solid ma
hogany, and they as well as other of
the fittings were especially imported
| from France. Carpet of green velvet
covers the floor.
Just outside of the curtains which
shield the stocking room" from the
unhalowed gaze of mere man is the
marble and glass cage of the ladies
| teller" This functionary occupies an
| important position in all the uptown
banks and trust companies. He acts
as paying teller, receiving teller, book
keeper and cashier combined for the
women patrons: in short he attends
to all their vans. The man selected
for this post is invariably progresses
! ing in appearance and manner and
blessed with tact and patience.
1t is agreed in banking circles that
to the Second National Bank. which
has offices in the Fifth Avenue Hotel
building, belongs the credit of origi-
mating the stock room" institution.
Joseph S. Case. the Second Nationals
cashier, was the first to realize the ne
cessity for a special room for women.
It might be said that Mr.. Case was
forced to realize 1t. He said:
1T became apparent to me several
years ago that we would have to de-
vote a room to the exclusive use of
| ladies' The thinks l have seen right