New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-20
MOVING DAY FOR A BANK
Careful Preparation Long IN Ad-
vance Makes 1t Easg.

Moving day for the average family means a
preliminary week Of confusion In the old home.
q day OF anxiety for the safety Of household
treasures In transit. and finally a week more OK
readtustment in the new place. For disagree
able fortnight, personal possessions are lost to
sight. and life IS a matter OF makeshifts Il, in
deed. existence in mess Of belongings can be
called living" At length some order Is brought
out OF chaos; the fatironS are found carefully
packed in tissue paper In the china barrel. miss
ing cutslass discovered among pots and pans;
Willie's books are unearrhed from the icebox
and baby's bottle is rescued from fathers cigar
cabinet. FOr some days afterward however
father cannot discover his evening clothes, and
regards this trick to force hin to STAY homo
nights and help in reorganization. Still later
peace relgns. and mother says, Two moves are
worse than tre,' and orders glue to repair
broken china. and prepares especially good din
ners TO mend fathers broken peace OF mind.
When fathers bank moves. however. there -
no time for all this readiUStmsnt. The bank
must, so to speak, hold a reception all day for
its customers in It's Old home close at .. m,
and then without fail next morning at 10 o'clock
be in full social trim and ready TO receive It's
friends as II IL had always been in it's new
quarters If mother were required to hold one
reception on moving day and another the nsxr
morning IN her new place. she might think shs
had cause for divorce without residence In a
Western state. Possibly. therefore. the banks
methods Of moving contain suggestions. which,
IL copied in family migTatiOns. might mean a
saving Of two weeks Of life and comfort
G.
must provide for transferring its chattels but
also must make ready to move many hundred
pounds Of silver and gold and hundreds OF thou
sands OF dollars In bills and securities through
the city streets The bank. therefore, can take
no chances on its new home. because money,
unlike children. must be put safely to bed every
night. Therefore. the bank first finds new
home which Is entirely satisfactory before is
even determines too move And the signing Oe
the lease establishes merely that the bank viii
move soon. but does not tx definitely the actual
moving day.
The next step after the signing Of the lease
is 10 make the new home absolutely ready
Money does not rest quietly with strangers In
its home so that the bank does not wish to
have painters. decorators, carpenters, marble
workers and artisans tnterrIDtirZ the horns ufs
OF its financial family. Therefore. all painting
decorating. installing OF new fixtures and new
furniture are completed prior to the fixing OF
moving day. AL safety devices on windows and
doors are put In place and tested. ThS new
vaults where the money IS TO sleep are made
absolutely ready for the change In combination.
the setting OF the time locks and the final clos
inG Of the doors which are essential to monetary
repOso at night The telephones are installed
Particular attention Is given TO the lighting
fixtures. and the current Is turned and tested.
II may be all right for a household to move
about It's new quarters with pickering wax
splitting candles because some one has forgotten
TO direct a gas company to turn on the gas az
the meter but II Is not pleasant TO have 20 pus
half million dollars 20 bed with such light
and the assistance OF dark lantern.
When all is ready IN the new home preliui~
nary operations are transferred to the Old From
the old quarters the bank proceeds lsisursly 20
move into its new offices all purely ornamental
belongings that are not needed IN its daily BUSH
ness. Extra chairs. desks. stationery, old led
gers, Ink and carpets are taken 20 the home
and put where they belong. Needed supplies arc
distributed Ink wells filed. and everything 10
made ready for the clerks when they arrive.
When the old bank Is down to what might be
called racing trim. the date for the moving "a
On moving day nothing can be done until tho
close or business. Just az o'clock al the clerks
begin TO balance their books and count their
cash. Nothing can be done until every penny In
accounted for and the books are closed for tho
day. When the books are In order the moving
begins. In order that strangers may not be
around the bank. the clerks generally Volunteers
20 got tho furniture out OF the bank proper.
current ledgers and books are moved personally
by the clerks. who never lose sight OF them until
adding and check Derforatine machines coin
testers and all the other machinery used By tho
vanloads OF office furnishings arrive they ars not
thrown into a heap on the floor A placs has
been determined for them IN advance. and each
article or book Is put where II Is TO remain par
When everything IS In place the clerks take
their positions IN their new cages IN the raonsy-
less bank 20 act as sort OF receiving commit
tee FOR the cash. Word g. then teleDhoued To
the old home and the officers Of the bank IN per-
son proceed TO move the actual money. In the
case Of the most recent bank 70 move the Times
Square Branch OF the Mechanics and Traders
street and Broadway. the money consisted OF
over S600OOO In currency. OF this S. 900 was IN
Si"tH Cnahses quarters. utckelS and dimes and
Weighed between three hundred and four hun
dred pounds In cases where main banks move
tne weight OF cash is often much larger-a ton
perhaps. The money. In sealed packages. IS
moved Quickly by the officers to a waiting car
rage or automobils and whirled through tho
streets 20 the new bank Generally the money
cannot De moved until night and probably no
one IN the evening crowds In the streets realizes
mat ne IS so near TO passing wealth.
Wnen the money arrives at the new bank fe IS
carefully counted and checked II Is then placed
IN the vault The combination on the vault n
ehanSed by the few men who are TO know how
10 open the safes. The time clocks. which IN
cSrtaih hours close the safes TO all even those
VINO nave the combination. are set ticking The
9ooFs or the vault are closed and the money Is
IN ped Tor the night The last element Of tho
moving Is dress rehearsal. late at night by the
cIeFKs. VINO make certain that all the properties
are IN place for next mornings reception. Than
tne night Waterman turns out all but hts safety
lights. Inc bank Is moved. And BY 10 o'clock
the next morning a visitor TO the moved bank
cSouiu not discover from any outward sign that
sno teller who caShes his check had not h>en -
PA nAN caxe Tor XeaxH