Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-02-24
stranger-Is this the Clinton Bank ?

Stranger-Is this the Clinton BanL1
Cierk-This is the Clinton Bank.
S-What kind ofbusiness do you do here1
Give do businsss-that is-wha kind Of business do
mean?
S-Do you issue bills?
C-We-ah-that is-why-the Cashier will tell you.
S-Do you take good bills?
C-(With enphasis) Oh yes1 we take good bills.
S-What do you do with them7
C-Oh-why--we-that is-we keep them-but the cashier
will tell you.
S-(to the cashier.) Have you issued any bills J
Cashier-We've not issued a dollar yet
S-Do you mean tot
Cash-Oh-why-we can't say
S-What business r you doing?
C-Nhat object have you in enquring7
S-For information.
CdshWeye information give present; perhaps
may and perhaps may not.
Strgr-(morazing And perhaps you may burst up, and
perhaps not Good morning. gentleman
And here we leave the Clinton Bank for to-day
Ofthis institution, Mr. Levi Dodge for short time,
was acting or temporary cashier; but he not having
the best possible opiuon of its substantially, gave
up the ship, and Joined the Hudson River Banking
Company last summer This bank hired large
room at rs Courlandt street, fitted up the same with
long mahogany counter, four desks, very large
iron safe, file of new ledgers, four blotters, three
chairs and two stools. The managers OF this bank
somehow could not manage to get any money into IT.;
books and desks were all very well in their way,
but they could not buy a dinner; and nothing looks
so gloomy iron safe with nothing inside OF It,
Some of the active and enerprisng spirits who pro-
jected it, brought forward patent rights in machines
that would require fortune to set them in motion, the
good will of a new mode of making camphine out OF
cold water, all the profits of plan for perpetual mo-
tion, water privileges in the frozen regions, and all
the benefits resulting from a new mode OF grinding
by steam. They persuaded Judge Edwards to &C
cept the presidency of the bank but he too cum
ming to stay accepted; they then made Phelps, an
engraver, presidents but he couldn't grind good
dinner out of the whole stock they decided that his
financial talents not worth cent, and so dis
mis- sed him ceremonie.
Finally, the financial wheels of this patent steam
banking machine stood still for want of sustenance,
and the whole concern was sold out to the North
River Banking Company. The desks, punch pole,
books broken windows, broken reputation, iron
shutters, empty safe, cashier and all, sold for
between $4,000 and $4,000, in some kind of money,
to be paid sometime between the day of sale and
the day of judgment.
OF this bank the aforesaid Mr.. Dodge lis cashier,
and Mr. -Schermerhorn is PRESIDENT and according to
the statements of the former, they have sent out
$500, 600 in post notes, to the west and south, to
buy produce, which is to be sent here for sale.
mus much, then, LOT three or the Free Banking
Beautes'-the Clinton, the Hudson River and the
North River Banking Companies; only one of which,
however, has been able to get any bills. There
remain three others; the Great Western Bank, the
Tenth Ward Bank, and the City Trust Company
After Phelps, the boss, journeyman engraver,
cut by the Hudson River Banking Company, he rest
ed his for short time. But he was man of
far too extensive financial abilities to remain idle
long He had great requisite for free bank he
could engrave bank note plates, print them and fill
them up. He fell in with another gentleman ofgreat
financial talents named James Burroughs, and with
the assistance of some others, they hired room in
that house of curious notoriety, No. 202 Broadway
in which all of queer characters under the
have occasionally resided Their bank is the front
the second floor, over hatter's shop En-
tering the long, newly painted passage, you see
small piece of paper labelled thus