The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-03
p
THE STREET
Deposit

licitors, bought the site in Lombard
street In the conventional way. The
property came into the market on the
death Of an old lady who lived at Mar
ket Marlborough. who has nothing to
do with this story. and 1t was put up
to auction in the orthodox fashion.
MI. William SPEEDING ecure the site
at G1O6, 900, a sum sufficiently large to
excite the interest of all the evening
papers and a great number of the
morning journals as we'll.
AS a matter of exact detail, I may
proved by the city surveyor for the
erection of a building of a peculiar
type. The city surveyor way a little
puzzled by the interior arrangement of
h new edifice, but as it fulfilled all
h requirements Of the regulations
governing buildings in the city of Lon
don, and NJ fault could be found either
cade had been so artfully designed
that you might pass a dozen times q
day without the thought occurring that
this new building was anything out of
the common ruck-and as the systems
of ventilation n light were beyond re-
shrug of his shoulders.
II cannot understand, Mr.. Spedding,"
he said. laying his forefinger on the
blue print. chow your client intends Sc
curing privacy. There is a lobby and
one big hall. Where are the private Of
fees, and what is the idea of this huge
safe In the middle of he hall, and
he will have clerks? Why. man, he
won't have a minutes peace!"
Mr.. SPEEDING smiled grimly.
II will have all the peace he
wants." he said.
And the vaults-I should have
thought that vaults would be the very
thing you wanted for this" He tapped
the corner of the sheet where was in
scribed decorously: Plan for the cree
ton of a new safe deposit"
'Ther is the SAFE" said Mr.. Sped
ding, n smiled again.
This William SPEEDING, now unhap-
PLY no longer with us-he died sudden
~, as l will relate-was a large, smooth
man with a nne He smoked
good cigars, the ends of which he
shipped off with a gold cigar-cutter,
n his smile came readily, as from a
man who has no fault to find with life.
10 continue the possibly unnecessary
details, / may ada further that whilst
enders We're requested for the erection
of h new safe deposit, the provision
Of the advertisement that the lowest
would not necessarily De accept
ed was justified by the fact that the
offer of Potham & Holloway was APP
proved, and 1T is an open secret that
their tender was the highest of all.
My client requires the very best
work; he desires a building that will
stand Shocks" Mr.. SPEEDING shot a
swi1t glance at the contractor. who sat
at the other side of the desk. Some
thing that a footing little dynamite
would not scatter to the four
winds.'' "
The contractor nodded.
You have read the specifications"
the solicitor went on-he was cutting
estal-ah-the pedestal, you know"
He stopped and looked at the con-
tractor.
1T seems all very clear said the
great builder. He ook a bundle of pa
pers from an open bag by his side and
read, The foundation to be of con-
crete to the depth of 20 feet The
pedestal to be alternate layers Of dressed
granite n steel in the center a
compartment. 10 inches by S.
and half the depth of the pedestal it
self"
The solicitor inclined his head.
.Ihat pedestal is to be the most i'm
The steel-lined recess-I don't know
the technical phrase-which one OF
!hese days your men will have to fill
IN, is the second most important; but
the safe that is to stand SO feet above
the foor of the building is to be-but
the safe is arranged for"
An army of workmen, If the hack
neyed phrase be permitted. descended
upon mba street and pulled down
the old buildings. They pulled them
down and broke them down, and lev
cred them down. and Lombard street
gray with dust. The interiors
OF quaint Old rooms with grimy IA
nAnC'tnR NNAra fn1ornrtl1, ~ AZ.
q passing public. Clumsy, earthly carts
blocked Lombard street, and by night
hartng Wells lights roared amidst the
chaos.
And bare-armed men sweated and
delved by night and by day: and one
morning MI. SPEEDING stood in a driz-
zie or rain, with a silk umbrella over
his head. and expressed, ON behalf of
his client, his intense satisfaction at
the progress made. He stood on a slip
perry plank that formed a marrow road.
n worRmen. reused to unusual ac-
uvity by the presence OF 1.-The Firm.
MIR. Spedding,s cicerone-moyed to ard
fro at a feverish rate of speed.
They don't mind the rain, - said the
lawyer, sticking out his chin in the al
rection Of the toiling gangs.
"Th Firm" shook his head.
Extra pay" he said laconically,
we provided for that in the TENDER"
~ " aOQ Al JUSIli1CaIlOn OF
his munificence.
Sc in rain and sunshine. by day and
night, the new 'safe deposit came
existence.
once-it was during q night shift, a
brougham drove up the deserted city
street. and a footman helped from the
dark interior of the carriage q shiver-
Ing old man with a white. drawn face.
He showed a written order to the fore
man. and was allowed inside the un-
painted gate of tho works."
He walked gingerly amidst the
debris of construction. asked no,
questions, made no replies to
explanations Of the bewildered fore
man, who wondered what fascination
there was in a building job to bring
old mar from, his bed at 3 o'clock
on a chill spring morning.
Only once the old man spoke.
Where will that there pedestal he o"
he asked in q harsh. cracked cockney
voice; n when the foreman pointed
out the spot. and the men even then
busily filling in the foundation, the old
mans lips curled back i'll an ugly smile
showed teeth too white and reg