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Weekly News January 7, 2019Description
Lamson's Cash Carrying System: Tom Marshall's computer was misbehaving on Sunday, so he was unable to draft his usual Weekly News story. In its place, I offer a remembrance he related to me last week when we were talking about early stores in Wilmington and elsewhere. He remembered visiting the original Wilmington Dry Goods Store as well as Desco Plumbing Supply store downtown and described an intricate conveyor system that was a novelty to me. When I asked for more info, he replied, "The device I was trying to describe was invented about 1880 and was known as Lamson's Cash-Carrying System. It was in wide use in department stores, large hardware stores, plumbing supply houses, and the like, where a clerk at the sales counter collected cash, wrote up a temporary sales slip, put everything in a cage that was attached to a metal framework than ran throughout the store. When the clerk closed the basket and pushed a button, quantities of air blew through this air-tight framework and moved the basket toward its destination, which was probably the treasurer of the company or the chief clerk, who was located on a 3rd- or 4th-floor landing. Very rapidly, said official would type a sales slip and insert this, along with the merchandise and cash change, back in the box for return to the counter clerk, who was keeping his customer occupied. This device was available in at least five large Wilmington stores: Lippincott's (dry goods and department store), Wilmington Dry Goods Company, Woolworth's Five and Ten Cent Store, Kennard & Pyle (dry goods), and Desco Corporation (wholesale plumbing supplies). If these were installed around 1900, they were long-lived, as some were still in service in the 1980s. There was quite a clatter in the store when the boxes were moving to and from the main cashier."
I Googled the system name and found images that show the system in operation at an antiques store in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Sadly, the store burned down on New Year's Day 2004, but these images remain.
The Cash Cable Story (as related by the store owners before the building's destruction by fire): Installed in 1915 by Walter Joyner, this Lamson Cash Carrier System was made in England and is the world's largest operational Cash Carrier System. The system is one of only two still remaining in the world today and the only one still in operation in North America.
This system is over a 1,000 feet in length and still operates throughout all three levels as well as all three sides of the building. The cash cars travel at 22 miles per hour on the system. With 15 clerk stations, this was the quickest and most economical means of handling cash in the early years of the Joyner's Department Store.
In 1992, the Joyner family was offered a substantial dollar for this system by Walt Disney World for their Euro-Disney; however, Mr. Joyner decided to honor his late father's wishes that requested the cable system always remain in Moose Jaw. The cable system remains in the building on lease from the Joyner family and is used now solely as Moose Jaw's Newest Tourist Attraction.
If you would like to see the Cash Cable in operation please ask for a demonstration from the clerk in the Candy Department up front.
Work Report
Work sessions resumed on Wednesday, January 2, with the following volunteers attending: Richard Bernard (supervising), Stan Lakey, John Ryan, and Larry Tennity were in attendance today.
• The Mountain Wagon oil tank was cleaned out further. This still needs more cleaning.
• An attempt was made to fire up the 740 to run the car under steam pressure to check the operation of the oil pump and the new oil line connection and additional check valve. While filling the boiler, it was noticed that the drip was not allowing water to exit the engine (throttle was open). Water was circulating through the engine back to the condensing radiator and out the water tank overflow. Water was also leaking at the new oil line connection to the steam pipe loop. This fitting was tightened, but there was some concern that the new check valve installed at this point may not be working properly.The check valve was taken off and tested and seems to be operating properly. One diagnosis for the leak at this point would be a loose fitting and un-annealed flair.
• In the meantime, the mystery remains as to why the drip was not allowing water to exit the engine when obviously the boiler had filled and was running back into the engine. With the drip mechanism taken off the drip valve and the drip fully opened water was again run into the boiler with the same result, no "peeing" at the drip and water circulating through the system and coming out the water tank overflow. The car was pushed back into the shop bay during which time water was observed to be expelled from the engine through the fill cock at the front car which had been left open. Further testing is needed to determine why the drip appears to be obstructed on this car and is not functioning in the usual/normal fashion while filling the boiler. The new fitting at the connection of the oil line to the steam loop also needs to be carefully observed for leaks and to be certain the check valve is operating properly.
