Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-09

Access 20 the show cases of the
large establishment is barred by neat
but securely locked grilles of bronze
II you ask to have stickpins OF
brooches shown you the salesman will
show you a few. and only few, al
a time. II you want to inspect loose
stones, whether diamonds, rubies or
pearls, you cannot examine Them 10
the main part OF the establishment
You are escorted TO a little cabinet
in the rear. about three times the size
Of a telephone booth. Here are two
chairs and little stand. The door OF
The passageway to the cabinets is
locked behind you and the cabinet
door Is shut Then the salesman
/ opens the packet OF loose stones be-
fore you. The top OF the cabinet is
open and there is gallery overlook
I! ing It, Perhaps there is no one. armed
with an opera glass. watching you
from that gallery then. again, there
might be some one.
You ask to see another paper or
tray Of stones. The salesman re-
tires with the first paper. and Just
to make sure that you have not alb
strac.ed or substituted a gem despite
his vigilance, he weighs the lot and
finds whether it allies to Rair with
its previous weight. You may dress
! like a millionaire and look like Bish-
op. but it is the duty of the salesman
TO assume that you are crook. In
fact, there is extra suspicion against
the opulent or episcopal types. for in
such guise jewel thieves often mas
queraee.
A. the employees entrance on the
side street you may see heavy metal
doors like those of bank. only larger,
to permit the passage Of the firms
delivery motor cars. These delivery
cars, in which valuables are con-
veyed, are entirely inclcsed and well
locked in the rear. They are loaded
and unloaded in the basemen, Of the
building being carried down or up on
an interior elevator.
II you could pass two or three
watchmen and timekeepers who eye
! you through peepholes in locked
doors and ascend to the jewelry work
shops of certain large concern at
the top of the building you would
see some interesting precautions.
There is a cage of steal bars in which
girls are sorting and stringing pearls.
Other smaller cages contain individ-
ual workmen or small groups OF work
men engaged in mounting gems, ham
merIng and engraving ornaments Of
gold and the more precious metal,
platinum. The method OF cagipg work
men is said to be new and not prac-
ticed outside of his particular estab-
lishment
Here there are not only cages, but
all persons on the floor not confined
in them are warned 10 keep away
from them. Employees from other de-
partments may not enter The floor
without having special business. The
weight OF gems and gold received by
each workman is credited to him,
and the valuable material is locked
t.p at night in a safe equipped with
burglar alarm device In the case OF
$4,000 necklace the weight OF ma
terial may be checked up daily. with
"a calculated allowance FOR waste. In
any event there Is checking up when
the job is finished.
The water in which jeweiry work
ers wash their hands and faces is
too valuable to be allowed to run d.
rec.Iy into the sewer. II is carried
on in sluices. like those used 10 placer
mining, and the rifles catch not a
little gold dust, diamond chips and
diamond dust. Even the aprons OF
the workers hold enough gold dust to
make il worth while 20 bum them Pc
riodicsIly and extract the precious
metal.
A few years ago building in New
ark. n. J., which is jeweiry manu-
featuring center. was to be replaced
with a new structure II had long
housed jewelry concerns ard its wood
work was believed 20 be impregnated
with gold dust All the foors, beams
and window frames were carefully
ashes yielded about $4,000 worth OF
gold.
The estimate of average waste on
a Job only prevents large theifrs on The
part Of a dfshonest workman. While
. - -. .. g. eof.sr,rr tho man