Exhibit 10.9

                            RETENTION BONUS AGREEMENT



     This Agreement is made as of the 15th day of September, 1999 by and between
                                      -----
Wilber National Bank, a national corporation with its principal office in
Oneonta, N.Y. 13820 (the "Bank") and Joseph E. Sutaris , a resident of Oneonta,
                                     -----------------                 ---------
NY 13820 (the "Employee").
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                                    RECITALS

A.   The Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wilber Corporation, a New York
     corporation and registered bank holding company with its principal office
     in Oneonta, N.Y. 13820 (the "Holding Company").

B.   The Bank and the Employee acknowledge the ownership consolidation that is
     occurring in the financial institutions industry, particularly among
     community banks, and the Bank and Employee acknowledge that at some point
     it may be appropriate for the Holding Company and/or the Bank to
     participate in this industry consolidation.

C.   The Bank recognizes the value of the Employee's services to the Bank and
     desires to insure that the Employee has adequate incentive to continue in
     the employment with the Bank in his/her present position or in a similar
     position with enhanced responsibilities.

D.   Given the current consolidation occurring within the financial institutions
     industry, the Employee desires to continue in the employment of the Bank
     with appropriate financial incentives.

<PAGE>


     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing Recitals and of the
promises and mutual agreements set forth below, and for other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged, the Bank
and Employee agree as follows:

1.   Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have
   the meanings indicated:

     (a)  "Misconduct":

          (i)  the willful and continued failure of the Employee to
               substantially perform his/her duties with the Bank (other than
               any such failure resulting from incapacity due to physical or
               mental illness) after a written demand for substantial
               performance is delivered to the Employee which specifically
               identifies the manner in which the Employee has not substantially
               performed his/her duties;

          (ii) the willful engaging by the Employee in illegal conduct or gross
               misconduct which is materially and demonstrably injurious to the
               Bank;

          (iii) personal dishonesty or breach of fiduciary duty to the Bank that
               in either case was intended to result in personal profit to the
               Employee at the expense of the Bank;

          (vi) willful violation of any law, rule, or regulation (other than
               traffic violations, misdemeanors or similar offenses) or
               cease-and-desist order, court order, judgment or supervisory
               agreement which violation is materially and demonstrably
               injurious to the Bank;

          (v)  the Employee directly or indirectly, alone or as a member of a
               partnership, or as an officer, director, member or principal
               shareholder of any other entity, engages in or is concerned with
               any other commercial duties or pursuits whatsoever that might
               conflict with the Bank's business, or materially affect the
               Employee's ability to perform his duties or create an appearance
               of conflict, except as may be approved in writing by the
               President.

<PAGE>


(b)  "Change in Control":

     For purposes of this Agreement, a change in Control shall be deemed to have
     occurred (unless Employee shall have agreed in writing to the contrary) if
     (i) there shall be consummated (x) any consolidation or merger of the
     Holding Company or of Bank in which Holding Company or Bank is not the
     continuing or surviving corporation or pursuant to which shares of Holding
     Company's or Bank's Common Stock would be converted into cash, securities
     or other property, other than a merger of the Holding Company or of Bank in
     which the holders of the Holding Company's or Bank's Common Stock
     immediately prior to the merger have the same proportionate ownership of
     Common Stock of the surviving corporation immediately after the merger, or
     (y) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one transaction or a
     series of related transactions) of all, or substantially all, of the assets
     of the Holding Company or of Bank, or (ii) the stockholders of the Holding
     Company or of Bank approved any plan or proposal for the liquidation or
     dissolution of the Holding Company or of Bank, or (iii) any person (as such
     term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act
     of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), other than Brian R. Wright, his
     spouse or his children, or a trust for any of them, shall become the
     beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act)
     of 25% or more of the Holding Company's outstanding Common Stock or (iv)
     any person (as defined above), other than the Holding Company, shall become
     the beneficial owner (as defined above) of 50% or more of Bank's
     outstanding Common Stock, or (v) during any period of two consecutive
     years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the
     entire Board of Directors of Holding Company shall cease for any reason to
     constitute a majority thereof unless the election, or the nomination for
     election by the Holding Company's stockholders, of each new director was
     approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in
     office who were directors at the beginning of the period.

     (c)  "Coincident With" shall mean any time within nine months prior to the
          consummation of a Change in Control.

     (d)  "Current Annual Salary" for exempt personnel shall mean current gross
          annual salary, excluding incentive payments, profit sharing payments
          and commissions. "Current Annual Salary" for non-exempt personnel
          shall mean an amount determined by multiplying the current hourly rate
          times 1950 hours, and excludes incentive payments, profit sharing
          payments and commissions.

2.   Change in Control and Retention Bonus. If a Change in Control is
     consummated and on the date of the consummation of the Change in Control,
     the Employee is employed by Bank (in a position having the same level of
     responsibilities as the position that Employee held on the date hereof (or
     in a similar position with enhanced responsibilities), Bank or its
     successor shall pay to the Employee in a lump sum, in cash, within five
     days following the date of the Change in Control, a Retention Bonus of
     $ 150 % of their Current Annual Salary as defined above in paragraph 1(d).
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<PAGE>


2.1  If the lump sum payment under this Section 2, either alone or together with
     other payments which the Employee has the right to receive from the
     Company, would constitute a "parachute payment" [as defined in Section 28OG
     of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the "Code")], such lump
     sum payment shall be reduced to the largest amount as will result in no
     portion of the lump sum payment under this Section 2 being subject to the
     excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code. The determination of any
     reduction in the lump sum payment under this Section 2, pursuant to the
     foregoing provision, shall be made by the Company in good faith.

2.2  Employee acknowledges that pursuant to Section 9.4, Termination of the
     current Personnel Handbook of the Bank, current or as amended, Employee may
     receive certain benefits if the Employee's services were terminated. In
     consideration of the promises and mutual agreements contained herein, the
     Employee and the Bank agree that the total of payments to be received by
     Employee under the terms of Section 9.4, Termination, of the Personnel
     Handbook, as it may be amended from time to time, and under the terms of
     this Agreement, may not exceed the amount described above, as modified if
     required by section 2. 1. Cash payments described in Section 2 of this
     Agreement are not intended to include the amounts the Bank may be obligated
     to pay for health insurance coverage under the terms of Section 9.4 of the
     Personnel Handbook.

3.   Termination by Company not for Misconduct, Coincident with a Change in
     Control. In the event the Employee's employment is terminated by action of
     the Bank not for Misconduct, Coincident With a Change in Control, and the
     Employee at the date of termination held a position having the same level
     of responsibilities as the position Employee held on the date hereof (or
     held a similar position with enhanced responsibilities), the Bank shall pay
     the Employee within five days following the consummation of the Change in
     Control, the same Retention Bonus in amount and manner described in Section
     2 above. In the event of the Employee's termination pursuant to this
     Section 3, the Employee shall not be subject to the non-compete restriction
     described in Section 4 below.

4.   Termination of Employment by Employee/Non-Competition Agreement. In the
     event the Employee voluntarily terminates his own employment within Six (6)
     months of the date of consummation of the Change in Control and subsequent
     to receipt of the Retention Bonus provided for in paragraph 2 above, the
     Employee agrees not to compete, directly or indirectly, with the Bank or
     any successor as an employee, officer, director, independent contractor,
     consultant, or shareholder of any financial services company or any other
     entity providing financial services, including but not limited to lending,
     securities, brokerage, trust or insurance products or services within a
     (75) mile radius of the main office of the Bank, or such other office of
     the Bank at which such Employee was physically located during the majority
     of Employee's work tenure for the Bank, for a period of 60 days following
     the date of such termination.

5.   Withholding. All payments made by the Bank hereunder to the Employee shall
     be subject to the withholding of such amounts, if any, relating to tax and
     other payroll deductions as the Bank may reasonably determine should be
     withheld pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

6.   Employment at Will. Nothing in this Agreement should be construed to
     constitute an employment agreement for any length of time of the Employee
     by the Bank. At all times, Employee shall remain an "At Will" employee of
     the Bank subject to the rights arising under this Agreement.

7.   Non-Disclosure. During the term of his/her employment with the Bank, or at
     any time thereafter, the Employee shall not disclose or use (except in the
     course of his employment hereunder) any Bank customer information or any
     confidential or proprietary information or data of the Bank or the Holding
     Company or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates, including any such
     information with respect to a sale or merger of the Bank or Holding
     Company, regardless of whether such information or data is embodied in
     writing or other physical form.

8.   Pooling of Interests Treatment In the event anything in this Agreement will
     prevent, or have the effect of preventing the use of the pooling of
     interests accounting method by an acquirer in a Change in Control and the
     use of the pooling of interests accounting method is a condition precedent
     to the consummation of such Change in Control by the acquirer, then this
     Agreement shall be deemed valid only to the extent that the pooling of
     interests accounting method can be used; provided however, that any
     determination that this Agreement would prevent, or have the effect of
     preventing, the use of the pooling of interests accounting method shall be
     supported by an opinion letter from the acquirer's independent accounting
     firm or from the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the event that the
     Employee's benefit under this Agreement is reduced by operation of this
     Section 8, the employee, at his sole option, shall have the option of
     accepting the reduced benefit under this Agreement or the termination
     benefit he would have been entitled to under Section 9.4 of the Personnel
     Handbook in effect at that time, if terminated by the acquirer.

9.   Successors; Binding Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon and
     inure to the benefit of the Bank and the Employee and their respective
     successors, assigns, personal or legal representatives, executors,
     administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. If the Employee
     should die while any amount would still be payable to him hereunder if he
     had continued to live, all such amounts shall be paid in accordance with
     the terms of this Agreement to his devisee, legatee or other designee, or
     if there be no such designee, to the Employee's estate.


10.  Modification, Waiver or Discharge. No provision of this Agreement may be
     modified, waived or discharged unless such waiver, modification or
     discharge is agreed to in writing and signed by the Employee and authorized
     officers of the Bank. No waiver by any party hereto at any time of any
     breach by the other party hereto of, or compliance with, any condition or
     provision of this Agreement to be performed by such other party shall be
     deemed a waiver of similar or dissimilar provisions or conditions at the
     same or at any prior or subsequent time. No agreements or representations,
     oral or otherwise, express or implied, with respect to the subject matter
     hereof have been made by either party which are not expressly set forth in
     this Agreement; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not supersede
     or, except as expressly set forth herein, in any way limit the rights,
     duties, or obligations that the Employee or the Bank may have under any
     other written agreement between such parties, under any employee pension
     benefit plan, or employee welfare benefit plan as defined in the Employee
     Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 as amended, of the Bank, or under
     any established personnel practice or policy applicable to the Employee.


11.  Termination of Agreement. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this
     Agreement, the rights, duties and obligations of all parties to this
     Agreement shall cease, and this Agreement shall terminate on September 30,
     2004, provided, however, that this Agreement shall be extended after said
     date, up to nine (9) months, from the date of the first announcement prior
     to said date of an ownership consolidation which might result in a Change
     in Control provided further that said announced ownership consolidation is
     consummated in a Change of Control on a date within nine (9) months from
     the date of said announcement.

12.  Governing Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance
     of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York to
     the extent federal law does not apply.

13.  Validity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this
     Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the other
     provisions of this Agreement, which latter provisions shall remain in full
     force and effect.

14.  Arbitration; Specific Performance. Any controversy or claim arising out of,
     or relating to, this Agreement or its breach, shall be settled by
     arbitration in accordance with the governing rules of the American
     Arbitration Association to be held in Oneonta, New York with New York law
     applying. Judgment upon the award may be rendered in any court of competent
     jurisdiction. The Bank and the Employee recognize that each party shall
     have no adequate remedy at law for breach by the other of any of the
     agreements contained herein, and in the event of any such breach, the Bank
     and the Employee hereby agree and consent that the other shall be entitled
     in arbitration to a decree of specific performance, mandamus, injunction or
     other appropriate remedy to enforce performance of such agreements.

15.  Non-Assignability. No right benefit or interest hereunder shall be subject
     to anticipation, alienation, sale, assignment, encumbrance, charge, pledge,
     hypothecation, or set-off in respect of any claim, debt or obligation, or
     to execution, attachment, levy or similar process, or assignment by
     operation of law. Any attempt, voluntary or involuntary, to effect any
     action specified in the immediately preceding sentence shall, to the full
     extent permitted by law, be null, void and of no effect. Any of the
     foregoing to the contrary notwithstanding, this provision shall not
     preclude the Employee from designating one or more beneficiaries to receive
     any amount that may be payable after death, and shall not preclude the
     legal representative of the Employee's estate from transferring any right
     hereunder to the person or persons entitled thereto under Employee's will
     or, in the case of intestacy, as applicable, to Employee's estate.

16.  Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts,
     each of which shall be deemed an original, but of which together will
     constitute one and the same instrument.

17.  Right to Attorney. Employee acknowledges that he/she has had the
     opportunity to consult with an attorney prior to signing this Agreement and
     that nothing contained herein will be construed against the Bank as
     draftsman.

18.  Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications provided
     for by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be sufficiently given
     if and when mailed in the continental United States by Registered or
     Certified Mail, or personally delivered to the party entitled thereto at
     the address stated below or to such changed address as the addressee may
     have given by similar notice.

         to the Bank:
         Chief Executive Officer
         Wilber National Bank
         245 Main Street
         Oneonta, NY 13820

         to the Employee:
         Joseph E. Sutaris
         20 Suncrest Terrace
         Oneonta, NY  13820


Executed and effective as of the date first above written.

                                               WILBER NATIONAL BANK

                                               By:/s/ Alfred S. Whittet
                                               ---------------------------------
                                                     Alfred S. Whittet


                                               /s/ Joseph E. Sutaris
                                               ---------------------------------
                                                   Joseph E. Sutaris
                                                   Employee