OCR Text |
Show IEe ACHING WOMEN WHAT MONEY MEAN 5 JJANKS Nowadays Make Special Arrangements for the Fair Ones. Even to the Extent lof Placing at the Windows Men with Tact, Politeness and a Smile That Stays On, Tr-' '. ''"v No Matter What Questions Are Ashed N Lr' V ' V ' ' V.?7 m forewomen Who Ffa7c"-Bonds and Jewels Stored in the Lincoln Safe Deposit Boxes Assuring Herself of the Safety ofHsr SccuriUes 1 f tepill if (If .1 lOpyrlchr. 191ft. I.t I be New -n C. All rlj-hls rev.-rved.) NEW VOKK. S'utmdur. . t .Ui:s' jit --mil t rosi.-(fny v.okllc(l." 1 This pollro in v it:i tioii li.injr- iiji in nunifioiis 8 bauk windows, .n.ml N (iriutfil In nlluiin I circularn tcttiu: fortli the reliability, (n-veuioni (n-veuioni c and attrnoUvcnoss of (ho banks that catfr to wonir-n, as nlm.st nil bank do nowadays now-adays with the exctptii.'U of thoe la tlx? distinctly fiuanclrtl quartf.T, Yet it Is within quite recent days that the anecdote anec-dote regarding the woman, presumably typical, who drew a check against "no aceouut" In any bank she fancied was passed merrily around. In reality, she Is as much out of date as Dickens' Dora, who wept over her household accounts because the figures would not add themselves up right. There are even to-day a few Iiras and a few womeu who do not know how to draw a check, but they are too rare to be reckoned with. ' In 100, when Mr. Joseph S Case, at that time a teller in the Second National Rank, persuaded the directors di-rectors to fit up a room for the accommodation of women and give them a separate window for the transact Ion of their business, there were so few rouien carrying separate accounts that other officers Df the bank were far from enthusiastic over the Juno-ration, Juno-ration, but Mr. Case saw that moro and more women would be making use of the convenient checkbook to pay their household ns well as their personal bills, and that the bank thai was ready to give special ne-romiiKKlation ne-romiiKKlation was the one to which they would turn. The Second Nutlonal was especially favorably located for a woman's bank, being then, where it was for so many ykars, in the old Fifth Avenue Hotel Building, at the corner of Twenty-third street, the fashionable chopping thoroughfare, and Fifth avenue, the residential residen-tial street of the wealthy. Bank's Vast Growth. Ther were only five depositor when the bank opened this department, but Mr. Case, now one of the riinvtor. has lived to see the list grow to more than three thousand, with an aggregate of over ?3.000,-in ?3.000,-in deposits. It was a small room with few of the luxurious ultings of the present lime women's departments de-partments that the bank provided, but the women were grateful for a place that was exclusively their own. for the services of a maid and for a teller who would explain to them the intricacies of bank processes, save them from blunders or rescue them after ttu-y had blundered, with tact and amiability. The substantial growth In the deposlls made by women aud the lalk of the matter attracted the attention at-tention of other banks, not only In New York but In other titles, which sent representatives to look into the matter, and the Second National's plan, widely - copied everywhere, met with success. Tho old corner became too actlre," said Mr. Cane, recently. "Ours was largely n carriage trade, and as conditions changed it was not so pleasant for ladles to drle up to the bank as it bad been In the tld days. This b lttfr." referring to the new building, at the comer of Fifth aveuue and Twenty-eighth trcet. Here the entrance for women is in Twenty-elijhtb Mreet, and all that side of the building Is given up to lellers', cashiers' and clerks windows exclusively for their accommodation, with a waiting room at the t-nd of the corridor. It was only a few years after the Second National l'.ank eslabllshed its women's e'epartment that the Fifth Avenue Kank did the Eaiuo thing. It has to-day probably the largest number of women dejwsltors of uny bank in New York between four nnd five thou sand. Although there are already fairly spacious rooms for the nccouiinodatlon of this class of depositors, deposi-tors, changes are being made which will almost double the space uow allotted to th purpo. This will be ready by the time Uiat tbo women, who form !so Jorge a proiwurtlon of the potronK, return to the city forVhe winter. The decorations rn In charge of one of th finest decorators in the country and will making money and need the services of the bank to facilitate their use of it. In some of I he circulars that have b-en sent out by uptown b;mks recently it Is distinctly stated that the small depositor will be cordially received, and the point is emphasized that women will find it greatly to th'lr advantage to pay all of their bills by checks Instead of In cash. In some of the banks which cater largely to women the young men assigned as tellers to the windows set apart for their ue are chosen as much wlih regard for their goiil looks and winning manner as for their knowledge of the bauk lug business, "although of course they ittMK have that. to," admitted a xoiue-what xoiue-what disgruntled young man who had nt been sent to the woman's side of the bank. "Hut it's a hard Job." he added, "because you have to keep on your bmllo all the time." LESSONS IN EXPLORING. TMH modern explorer, who goes about his work In very different fashion from his predecessors of n few years ago, receives every possible aid from the geographical societies of the world, from which, lu the first place, be is able to obtain all the information others have collected as well as the results re-sults of their experience. The Royal (Geographical Society, of Hngland. indeed, may be Mkl to hold regular reg-ular classes for the training of explorers, and frequently fre-quently It will not only lend Its instruments but even finance au expedition. In these classes are taught the proper use of Instruments Instru-ments for the taking of astronomical oliservfltions and for surveying, and the prospective explorer H taught how to pack and care for his Instruments under un-der divers clrcuuxstance.s. lie Is also taught how to take tbo best photograph, photo-graph, how to keep a diary and how to study "na-tlve.V "na-tlve.V to the best advantage. The society furthermore further-more supplies him with medical Information of the sort necessary to the success of his expedition, and, finally, it Is fully prepared to advise him touching the choke of furniture, weapons, dwellings and food. The first and most Important Item of the explorer's para phem alia will be a house that is, a tent and this he may have arranged for transport by wagon, cart, camel, horse, mule, ass or porter. Explorers' tents are of all sorts, from the silk contrivance, weigli-luc weigli-luc fifteen Miuhds. which can also be us-d as an overcoat, over-coat, to a marquee of canvas, one hundred feet by forty feet, which can be carried by a camel. Then, loo. there are tents to be used In connection with shooting wagons, not to mention the "punt" tent, which will overspread a boat and convert It Into a complete dwelling of green waterproof cauvas. fitted with windows and ventilators. The explorer also carries car-ries n M-rtable dark room, fitted with a ruby window. This, when folded Hp, may lo uo more troublesome than a big walking stick. Furniture for the use of an explorer, like his dwelling, dwell-ing, must afford the greatest convenience and yet be capable of collapsing into the smallest possible space. An othciiil of one society devised a bed on the converting con-verting principle. It y day It was a vulise Into widen all manner of things might be nicked, and at night It could be thrown on the ground, Its lattl e framework pulled out, Its tiistlress put on and its mosquito cur lain attached, the whole contrivance furnishing a decided de-cided convenience to the explorer for b"-c spcvitil purposes It was constructed One of the unique items of an explorer's equipment Is the "Congo" stove This has an oven .several feet square and will serve a mess of fifty nn ii. It Is in halves, capable of being used separately, and each can be curried on a orters heni1. Aruoug the collapsible articles of ihe explorer's out; fit may be mentioned tables, baths, water buckets, llltters, stretchers, chairs nnd other Items, For cross lug rivers, where even native bridges are unknown, there are provided portable folding boats, and tber oro also poiibiit carts which can be taken from th- wheels, emptied of their load of provisions, ammunition, ammuni-tion, &c and speedily converted into floating bridges About everything In the way of compressed food Is niHde up for Ihe explorers, cvt?u to milk in the form oX powder. It has been said that enough food for a hungry hun-gry niuu's dinner may be placed in a pouch about thu size of a tobacco pouch' and weigh only n few ounces, and that the modern explorer can feast In the wllder-l ness on such luxuries as trutHcs, oyetenj, caviar aud boned quail should he o desire. harmonize with the other part of the bank, vhkh is peculiarly happy in coloring, design and propori ions, and will have such additions of curtains, draperies nnd httingM as are appropriate to a woman's department. depart-ment. All the facilities for business are there, desks, telephones, writing materials, but the severity of the ordinary otllce Is modified by the shaded lights, comfortable com-fortable chairs and dainty furnishings which appeal to Ihe taste and add to the comfort of those who lu their imsiness moments ppreciate being surrounded by pretty tilings. Down in the Vaults. e Thbi bnnk has its own safe deposit department, a convenience which the law compels national banks to arrive at by means of a connection with a separate separ-ate company, The facilities furnished for the examination exam-ination of the boxes are a tribute o Ihe wealth of the depositors There is a labyrluth of corridors and rooms of varying fri7.es that in Itself Is embarrassing to the novice, cvn If there were no such things as barred grated ond locked doors, polite but vigilant attendants, attend-ants, mirrors placed nt suggestive angles and other 'details of paraphernalia that suggest that the most respectable persons ami those most expensively apparelled ap-parelled are under the same surveillance as tho our and the shubblly attired. Even the officers of the bank must unbuilt to the eame conditions as those irniosed upon outsiders and wait their turn for the unlocking of doors and the letting down of other safeguards. The boxes In their glistening rows look almost trivial, yet their size Is no clew o their value. In even the tmiallest there is often stored a fort una In securities, bonds, stocks nnd other valuable papers. The largest boxes are like smairsafesr and these accommodate ac-commodate jewels as well n papers. There is a fine disciplinary value In the possesion of a safe deposit box. The owner must remember her key; no Influence, threats, tears or suasion of any soil will otherwise gain her access to it. Having gained possession of the box by a strict obedience to all the mandates of Ihe institution, however, she may be assured of perfect privacy while she examines the contents in the little room as.sgned her, gloats over their quantity, or deplores I heir lessened value, makes notes 011 the p iper provided for her use. or telephones lu regard b some transaction connected with the papers she has come to exumlne. More than three thousand women are enrolled as depositors in the Lincoln National Hank, one of the early ones to request-deposits from women. As an uptown up-town bank, us it was then. It recognized Its different requirements from those of downtown institutions. Not only was Its location lu Its favor In attracting women in the city aud those arriving nt the Ornnd Central from the suburbs, but the arrangement by which the storage warehouse and safe deposit vaults were brought into requisition for the use of depositors deposi-tors proved highly coincident. The storage company has a different name, but lis president is president of the bank, and there Is no visible dividing line for those who want to do business in both departments. Not only Jewels, but silver, biic-a-bi uc, valuable furniture fur-niture and clothing are atorec beneath this roof In vust quantities. Women Are Capable. One of i,e prettiest women's departments is that In the Knickerbocker Hank, at the corner of Thlrty-fourlh Thlrty-fourlh street and Fifth avenue, beautifully finished and furnished with glass covered oak tables and de;ks, a handsome fountain and wide windows that open on the diverting scenes of two of the busiest slreetH In New York. About one-half of the de-posltors de-posltors in this bank are women and, as one of the nfllecrs said, "more would be welcome; we find that women are quite ms capable of managing tlnir business busi-ness 'affairs as men and wc are glad to do business with tbem." ' Many of the big banks that carry on business dowr town, where only depositors having at least $10,cXK. and who dgice to keep a balance of that amount ar desired, maintain branches in the residential locall ties, where small accounts are bothered with, not for the profit there is in them bu because the owners o small accounts to-day may have big ones to-morrow, or they may have wealthy friends who will patronize the bank on their recommendation. Woman's Influence Influ-ence Is greatly counted on In this kind of business. It is not safe to count on being permitted to overdraw an account in a city bauk, yet to a woman of limited Income, In-come, whose tastes are Jess Mmlted, has been givet considerable latitude in this matter because she hat brought lo the banks so many persous who kc profitable balances. At the time of the panic three years ago the number num-ber of women deosltois lu the banks vus emphasized empha-sized Many stood lu line as doggedly as the men aud others hired substitutes to keep their daces. On the whole thev behaved neither belter nor worse t than men under stress of panic. They were just human beings who did uot want to lose their money. lu a city bank one will notice that the women who put In and draw out money are of all classes. Women of great wealth ure conspicuous but not predominant. They are the ones who enjoy that most enviable of prerogatives, clipping off coupons at dividend paying pay-ing time and swelling their bank account to proportions pro-portions that call for the obsequious respect of the bank employes, even as It would from you or me if it did not make us hutcfully envious. There Is a con.stuntly Increasing number of women who have not inherited wealth undwbo do not get their money from rich husbands who are Important depositors, women lu business, some of rhem lu a large way dressmakers and milliners or the fashlouable class, Fhopkccpers- of one kind noil nuother, high salaried employes, clever artisans, women who In a thousand ways, pushed either by necessity or ambition, are |