The San Francisco call., 1906-05-20
BANKS RETURN
TO old HOMES
Sacks Of Coin and Records
Cdfted Over Ruined
ThOrOughfares.
Men of Financial World Back
in Their Former
Premises.

The commercial banks of San Fran
CISCO moved yesterday to their former
places OF business as fast as possible
In the old banking and wholesaling
center OF the city Through ruined
streets, in which crumblingS walls and
heaped debris gave melancholy evil
dence OF the great fire, golden coins,
carefully guarded, not less fully
watched and protected books and Sc
curities and bank officials were given
ride in express wagons. with gun
men as an accompaniment. A singular
and picturesque spectacle
Since the fire the commercial banks
have been housed In mansions in the
unburned portion of the city in the
Western Addition. Drawing rooms
have been daily used for banking
quarters. On costly tables, amid
artistic surroundings, gold coins have
been stacked, shuffied with the deft
manipulation of skilled tellers and
dfsbursed in settlement of checks and
drafts. 1mprovised platforms. have
furnished standing room for business
men to occupy and do business with
the banks across window sills pro-
vided temporarily with wooden lodges
in lieu of FURNISHED counters. Family
on the walls that resounded to the
merry jingle of money
Scores of automobiles have been
used to bring the persons having
banking business to transact to yards
faced with aristocratic looking gates
and reveling in fine, broad lawns and
flower beds Of great beauty. Lean men
and fat men, emulating the agility of
goats, have toiled up and down the
steepest grades on foot to have con-
ference with the financiers OF the city
in the several commercial banks. Resi-
dences known the land over for the
functions that have taken place In
them have been placarded with cheap
cotton bannerets, on which the names
of banks were painted or stenciled
Yesterday brought an end to the
unique and unparalleled banking con-
ditions and environments. The signs
came down. The doors were closed.
The bankers were anxious to get down
town to their vaults and former bust
ness haunts The banks that are able
to ues their former premises went
! home in part yesterday and will finish
moving today.
For some days after ttc fire the
bank vaults loomed dim ed ghostly
amid the Wreckage or Ddnk structures.
After some clearing away the time ar
rived when 1t was deemed to be safe
to open the vault doors. In all cases
the contents were found to have been
fully preserved. After that carpenters
and others have worked night and day
to get premises in readiness for the re-
sumption of business. Great headway
in this direction was made during the
last week. Consequently 1t was deter
mined to move at once.
The clearing-ho held no meeting
yesterday. The checks that were due
on April II were cleared. Those sub
sequently becoming due will be cleared
tomorrow in the Mercantile Trust
Company building, which will be the
headquarters of the institution for the
present.
The clinking Of coins that took place
in the western part of the city when
the assets were packed up for moving
was duplicated when the vaults were
opened for their reception downtown.
That sound signalized the removal OF
the financial and banking center OF
the city back to its former locality.