Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-12-31
BANKS AND BANKING.

internal machinery Of bank is scarcely uu-
derstood Ly many Of the dealers who, by daily
transactions in the shape Of deposits, checks,
loans, or drafts, give il its vitality. Here is a
book which opens and elucidates the SUBJECT,
detailing, specifying and explaining the daily
incidents and accidents Of the business The
numerous attempts at fraud, forgery, or pecu-
lation, the means and vigilance employed to
thwart them, the misrepresentation resorted
to by o certain class of borrowers, the process
Of kiting or raising the wind, the wstchfulness
Of the teIlers and officers, the faithfulness of
the humble attaches, the scenes in the Direc-
tors Room on discount day, and In the bank
parlOr, all furnish matter for elaborate and
lively illustration.
DIsCOUSTISG-BEsIND TEE SCENES
The cashier reads Offering number two, by
Bailey Rush. This firm are in high credit
with the bank, and their paper is Of the first
class Mote of Sears Il Co three mon,b. 20
run, eighteen hundred dollars; and one of G
jackson, sixty days to run, for four thousand
five hundred dollars"
''Gentlemen," says the President, eff no OBJ
lection IS made, will mark the notes Of Bailey
Rush accepted. 1t is done. Let us have
the next in order, Mr.. Cashier"
Joseph Chambers Offers a draft of Green &
Davis, OF San Francisco, on Thrush 4 Co. of
New York, aud accepted-at seventy-fve days,
for Eve thousand dollars"
Ii is, perhaps, the first time that the paper
Of Thrush 4 Co. has been offered for discount
in the bank. The President is entirely unac-
quainted with it, lie asks for information.
NJ. Breckenridge knows something about
them: They began business, year ago, with
thirty thousand dollars capital-are said to
have done profitable trade in the produce
hne-had shipped heavily to California. The
Co. was young man who came out of Bacon's
the big packers on West street. Guess he
hadn't much mOney-say, FIVE thousand dol
Iara- h,kr- A.
ist; put in twenty five thousand dollars hard
sash-about all he had"
What age is be2''
Thirty-ive or forty"
"Man Of family ?''
"Ohyes. I've know him these twelys wears.
Got half a dozen children. You must know him
Mr.. GrOull, He married Stubbles' dauub.er
wine merchant, there at your corner. Guess
be ran away with her, and made the old man
mad But they re all reconciled long ago. and
now he's Stubbles principal adviser in them
new stores he's building in Murray street"
I" Is that the mani"
That's the man, sir"
ter?"
The President warns gentlemen that they
had better not wander too far from the subject
The matter before the Board is, whether Mr..
Thrushs note is good enough to be discounted.
lou said he was in the California busi-
nessl Mf. Dreckenrldge
les, sir Made some very successful ship
ments there last spring"
I've got mighty little confidence in Cali
fOrnla said Mr.. Groull, "mighty little-"
Its good way of, that's a fact" adds
Mr.; Breckenridge. "I'd rather do business
with people that trade near byn
MI Groull speaks again. 'Wouldn't touch
II with ten foot pole. Bad line. Let it slide,
Mr.. President. We can do better with our
money
Some OF the directors have been listening in
Inherently to this rambling conversation, but
the majority are otherwise engaged One has
seized on morning paper, and ali his thoughts
are ensrossed by the latest news from Europa.
Another has Just taken a fit to examine ihe
Statement Book, and several are talking on
tnelr real estate prospects. Messrs Brecken-
Lisge and Groull made themselves heard above
the suppressed confusion Of her voices. The
PRESIDENT has tapped with his pencil, but failed
10 restore order. To person outside Of the
door 1t would seem as if the members were en-
gagged IN general wrangle Meanwhile, Mr..
MARKS, with lively perception of the ludi-
erous, and skill enough TO prove that be is
not now practising for the frst time has
sketehed sundry odd figures on the blank
page Of " tickler," and finishes by a carl
eAtuIe Of the two gentlemen above named
which he shows to his neighber, and he to the
next' and then follows an explosion Of laugh
ter, which breaks up all other distract ctions of
The Board, and finally gives the President q
chance to bs heard
Come, gentlemen, come, come, we shall
never get through our work at this rate,
-
'Shultz & Cooper offer three notes-Jacob
Liston, forty-6ye days, six hundred dollar;
and two notes Of Cobb 4 Walker, each one hun
dred and fifty, at two and three months.''
Director Groull wants to know ''where's the
use of taking up time with that class Of Gus
toners They apply every Offering day, a nd
Keep no balance Of account. Let EN- slide
~, Has their account improved any Of late,
"NOt much, sir. They keep a balance of
one or two hundred dollars, and have a thou
sand under discount"
Letter r. Let's have the next
Hold on, Mr.. President Not too fast.
These small men are Of use TO US. They ought
not 70 be discarded too abruptly. Thew really
want the money. Give 'em that little note Of
nI hundred dollars. 1t will do them more
good than twenty five thousand does to Merr-
mack Slater" 1"
An agreeable psrsonal acquaintance between
the dealer and the director is the ground of
thls favor. The note is discounted at the re-
ques. Of Mr.. Miller, none Of his associates
aeemlng II worth while to press an opposition
In such trifing case. But this class of ap-
Pheants receive no consideration when there is
pressure OF more deserving customers.
TROUBLES OF CAsHIER-A TIGHT DAY"
Eight or ten anxious customers await the
cashiers release from Mr.. Tarbox Among
them are some OF his best personal friends
They will not be put of by bis first assurance
that the bank has no money to loan. Each one
considers bis case entitled to special attention
above al others.
Good morning, Mr.. Cashier
Good morning, Mr.. A"
l an very much surprised to find that my
paper s not discounted, sir"
Ah, my friend, L am sorry, but you say
tnat others are in the same predicament,
les, sir but that gives me no comfort. l
nave my notes TO pay"
The Board did their best, Mr.. A. Our re-
eeiPts happen TO be very small just now, and
We have been sadly beaten at the Clearing
House Tor three mornings in succession
Mr- Cashier, this paper is /. You have
notnlny better on your books. The amount is
not large and the time is short +"
Ii Is impossible, sir, for the bank TO dis
count 1t We are obliged to turn away every