The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-30
TO THE RICH AND POOR
PROVIDENT SOCIETY A HELP
TO ALL SORTS OF FOLKS.
Serves 40 . storage Place for Furs and
Silver and Tides Over the Wants Of
the Girl who'd Take q Friend TO the
Theatre-New Building an Attraction.

Silver a Tides Over the wants OF
the Girl who'd Take q Friend TO the
T~heatre-New Building an Attraction.
It's interesting to watch for an hour or
SO the stream Of persons which each day
flows in and out Of the recently opened
Office Of the Provident Loan Society In
it's own building at Fourth avenue and
Twenty.hfth street. The building looks
moro like a prosperous bank or trust COM
pany than a %pawnshop, and ID probably
the finest %pawnshop in the land.
Whom the distress following tho panic
OF 1898 caused some philanthropic men to
found a year later The Provident Loan
Society," for the purpose OF providing this
form Of relief for the poor at one-half
the rate OF interest charged by pawn
brokers it was with few exceptions the
pool who fastened to take advantage OF 1t.
The amount loaned the first year at the
one office then open was $500 600. In
1898 the amount loaned was $3.50 900,
and a year later. when a second Office was
opened, the loans jumped to 81, 284 900. In
1901 the opening OF a third office increased
the loans to 1880, 900. In 1908. with six
offices in operation. the amount loaned was
ss.z1i wv, The capital employed by the
society at the close OF the first year was
Sl55. 900. The capital employed at the
close OF 1908 was s 5.223 900.
The six offices are at 27s Fourth avenue.
is0 Eldridge street. ll8 West Forty-second
street. I05 East l25th street. 400 Grand
street aud "a Graham avenue. Brooklyn.
OF these the Eldridge street Office does by
far the largest business, the loans there
last year a~ggregating 1881. 7sa. h
Fourth venue Office ranks Q X with ST.
S35. 524 loaned in the same time.
Until the volume Of business crowded
vaults and working space the central
office occupied hired quarters a few
blocks further down Fourth avenue and
it was not until early last year. when the
trustees, got a chance to buy n 401I5 foot
lot near by. that they decided II would be
good business to put up a four story and
basement building. The result is a beauti-
full structure, a model building for its pur-
poses. The lofty main floor Of this ia given
over entirely to the loaning offices and the
public. and here visitors often linger.
admiring the white marble walls and hooB.
bronze partitions. doors and gates. bronze
and gold lighting fixtures and gold relief
ceiling decorations.
The executive Offices above arc fin
ished principally tn marble and metals,
and the basement. from M point Of view
the most interesting part Of the building,
10. with the exception Of the boiler room,
given over to f~ireproof. moth proof.
burglar proof vaults and safes. Each is
a large. high, studded chamber. lined with
receptacles for s~ilverware. furs and other
goods. The jewel safe. so-called. ad-
joining tho loan offices, ID really . room
about sxl0 feet and 10 feet high. This
10 equipped from floor to ceiling with
rows Of small drawers In which are stored
several million dollars worth Of watches
and jewelry ranging in value from a few
dollars to many thousands.
Just now the fur section is doing a rush
up fast for the reason that many persons
In the neighborhood and many more from
afar, "a a matter Of convenience and
economy, pawn furs and winter clothing
for a small amount. aware that their prop
than they would have to pay TO q regular
storage company. Six months interest
on a pledge of SO say. at | per ccnt. a
month. the regular rate charged by the
Provident Loan. IS 90 cente. which is get
ting OF cheap.
1t is the same with silverware, which IL
turned In in larger quantities than usual
early In the summer-smal silver, sin gle
large pieces. occasionally a good sized
box full OF assorted sizes. which is pawned
maybe for $40 and redeemed Ave months
later. Presumably some Of the pawDers
OF silver are in straitened circumsta noes,
others probably are not, but loan clerks are
mol reepecters of persons. Rich and poor
must be treated alike at this Office. The
woman's department Is reached by an
entrance away from the venue and is
cut of from the mems depart
ment by the cashiers offices. Many
women. however. enter by the front
door, and as there is no rule excluding
them from the main Office they transact