Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-09-05
From the New York Daily Advertiser.
MAJOR DowNING's OFFICIAL REPORT
ON THE U. 5. BANK.
PUBLISHED cav AUTHORITY"
RIP RAps. Aug. 9TH. 1899.

Il u
The Gineral was SO bent on my doing
it, that had to ego ahead" or I'd
sneak'd out the first day. was nigh
upon week about it, fgerin and offer.
in all the while. Mr.. Biddle see quick
enuf it was no FOOLS journey | come
on; and | made some of his folks scratch
their heads, | tell you. gin EN- no
notice of my comm, and jumped right
in the thickest on EN- there one day
when they were tumbln in AMI shelln
out the mummy like corn. "Now,"
says |, "my boys, advise all on We to
brush up your multiplication tables, for
, am down upon you with allegation, and
the rule of three, and vulgar fractions;
and if find penny out Of place, the
Gineral shall know it. I'm no green
horn, nor member Of Congress, nor
Judge Clayton, nor Mr.. Chainberleng,
neither" says /. As soon as Mr.. Bid
die read the letter the Gineral sent by
me, says he, "Major. I'm glad the Gin
eral has sent some one at last that knows
something, and can give strait ac-
count" and with that he called all the
Bank folks, and tell'd EN- to bring their
books together. "Now," says he, "Ma.
jor, which eend shall we begin at frstl"
"lt makes no odds which," says L; "all
care about is to see if both eends meet;
and if they don't, Mr.. Biddle," says |,
sits all over with you and the Bank
you'll all 60 hook and line"--and then
we off coats, and we went at it. |
found some of them are fellows there
plagy sharp at syferin. They'd do
sum by kinder short Dilwort quick
as fash. always use a slate--it
comes kinder natural to me {: and |
chalked her off there the first day and
figured out nigh upon 100 pretty consi.
derable tutf Sums. There was more
than three cart load OF books about us,
and every one on EN- bigger than the
Deacon's family bible. And such an
etarnal batch of fgerin ] never see,
and there waso't blot or scratch in
the whole on EN-.
put a good many questions to Mr..
Bid lie, for the Gineral gin me long
string on EN-; and | thought some would
stagger him; but he answered them all
just as glib as our boys in Downing.
vile do the catakize, from the chief
"ecnd ofman' clean through the peti.
tions-And he did il all in a mighty
civil way, too; there was only one he
kinder tried to git round, and that WIS
how he come to have so few Of the
Gineral's folks among the Directors
until very latelyl "Why," says he,
"Major, and Majors VS. he, (and then
he got up and took pinch of snuff and
offered me one }, says he "Major, the
Bank knows no party; and in the first
GO off, you know, the Gineral's friends
were all abov. matters of 80 little i'm
poltance as Banks and Banking. If
we had put branch in Downingville,"
says he, ''the Gineral would not have
had occasion to ask such a question"
and with that he made me bow; and
went home and took dinner with him.
1t is plagy curious to hear him talk a
bout millions and thousands; and got
as glib, too, at it as he is; and how on
earth shall git back agin to ninepen-
ces and lourpence.happennies, ! cant
tell.
AFTER had been fgerin away there
nigh upon week, and used up or S
slate pencils, and spit my mouth as dry
! as a cob rubin out the sums as fast as
| | did them, writ to the Gineral, and
tell'd him it was no use; could find no
mistake; but so long as the Bank was
at work it was pretty much like count
ing flock of sheep in fall day, when
they are Just let into a new stubble-
for it was all the while crossing and
mixing, and the only way was to lock
up all the Banks, and ms fast as you
count EN-, black their noses.
"Now," says one day to Squire
Biddle, 'I'll just take look at your
mummy bags, for they tell the Gneral
you han't got stuff enuf in the Bank to
make him pair of spectacles, none of
your rags" says !, but the real grit; !"
and with that he called two or three
chaps in Quaker coats and they open
ed large place about as big as the
"east room;" and such a sight | never
see-boxes, bags and kags, all full, and
should say nigh upon hundred cord.
SAYS |, esquire Blddle, what on earth
is all ,hisl for | am stump'd"-"O,'
saws he, "Maior, that's our Safety
Fund" "How you talk" saysI.
"Now," says !, sis that all gen
wine?" "Every dollar OF it" says he
evil you count it, Maori" says he
+ "Not today" says l; "but as the Gin
f eral wants me to be particular, III jus