Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-14

General Bingham. official head Of the DO
lice department has come TO the conclu-
sion that members OF the detective force
might improve their skill by getting next
to the thieves and crooks run In on sus-
picion, so he has arranged to parade the
shady fraternity before his men. While
the officers can study the faces in the pro-
| cession. the latter cannot spot the detec-
tives. The latter wear masks during the
hour given for facial study at the police
headquarters. Behind slips Of velvet they
can focus their attention and do the act
Of mental Photography, while themselves
rendered immune.
One Of the most noteworthy figures on
lower Broadway has disappeared says the
Brooklyn Eagle. No; l do not refer to any
millionaire or captain Of industry! l have
In mind a man whose face has been known
to every pedestrian on Park Row and
Broadway, below that point. for twenty
years, as a seller OF mems garters. He has
been stationed upon the steps Of one OF
the best known banks in this metropolis
always in his humble capacity
The fact has been known to the we'll
Informed in that locality that this man was
one Of the highest paid detectives in New
York Although he was apparently selling
stocking supporters for men at Is cents a
pair, he was closer to the desks of the
cashier and the paying teller OF the bank
behind him than any other man IN the
great establishment. In the woodwork OF
the outer doors, that appeared to swing as
freely as the air Of heaven permitted, were
two large spots that seemed to every other
eye than his like brass screw heads.
They were in reality electric buttons that
kept him informed of the absence or pres
ence Of doubtful characters or detected
thieves inside the bank When the danger
signal was given to him, the vender OF gar
tiers turned knob at the LETT hand of the
entrance to the bank and the front doors
were closed by secret bolts, rendering i'm
possible the escape of all persons inside
the bank. The man who had presented a
forged check or a stolen bond was caught
The detective would then abandon the
few dollars worth of stock in garters or
ear muffiers, as the season served. He
would enter the bank by a narrow front
door at the left of the main entrance and
place the alleged culprit under arrest.
That man has saved hundreds Of thou
sands OF dollars for the great bank ne
served. But now that a new building Is
completed, he has been promoted TO a place
inside and the most complicated machinery
ever known for stopping the escape OF
suspected character is under his control.
Not only is he able to close the doors lead
ing to Broadway, but he can instantly
warn every man on the main floor who
handles money to seal himself inside the
steel lattice that surrounds him. Success
by a 'pocketbook dropper' or "a man on
the paying line" who reaches for the cash
handed to the man in front Of him, is inn
possible.
The newest conner among New York's
many exchanges is one in John street a
few doors east of Nassau, the moving spir-
its of which are employees of jewelry houses
in the neighborhood. These meet daily
from II 80 to l o'clock and auction of what
ever bargains they may have picked up.
In illustration, a clerk in a Maiden Lane
shop say, sees a piece OF marked-down
jewelry in the show case and buys It from
his employer, receiving the regular com
mission then hurries to the exchange and
sells It to the highest bidder. The member
ship Of this institution is about 100. A po-
lice officer has been detailed to keep the
curious from blocking the street Outsiders
cannot buy.
The favorite stock" traded in on this
exchange is diamond dust. Experts Will
explain to you that when diamond is to
be cut It is imbedded in a preparation OF
which cement is the major part. In the
process Of cutting the dust and chips drop
into a canvas pouch beneath the lapidary's
bench. The Job finished, the diamond Is
pIcked out of its cement bed and sent to
the polsher. The cement Is swept up and
bought by cutters at 50 much an ounce.
and the buyer autions IL off on the floor
OF the exchange. One man buys II all,
and makes considerable money. He has
invented a substance that eats away all
the cement and other foreign matter. Oc-
casionally he finds small stones weighing
as much as one-sixteenth of carat and
at rare intervals some as big as one
eighth All OF the stones, chips and dust
he sells to manufacturing jewelers. who
use them in making set pieces Of jewelry,
such as insects and small flowers.
Mavor Mcclellan has vetoed the White
salary bill, giving equal pay for equal
work" in the language OF women teachers
OF the city of New York. The mayor
saws that the bill violates the principles
of home rule in that 1t makes the In
crease mandatory. He also says that the
local authorities have all the necessary
power in the premises that the bill dis
eliminates in favor OF a certain class OF
women teachers and that It would Destroy
the elasticity in the present school sys-
tenn and would result in great injury to
the service" The women teachers will
now attempt to secure the passage Of the
bill by the legislature over the mayors
veto. As the measure passed the senate
bv a vote OF IS TO /, and the assembly by
q vote OF 105 to Is, the women confidently
expect to get It before the governor.
A clerk who has served for Twenty-Five
years in New York hotels, beginning at
the bottom and working up to the top, de-
clares that his opinion Of people Is far
higher today than in any other time in
the past.
Constant contact with the public" he
adds, "broadens and mellows a man, II he
is the right sort OF a man. rather than
sours and narrows him. Ninety-nine men
out Of a hundred. take them year in ana
year out, are disposed to do what Is
right II you only give them one-half