The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-05-05
Experiences in a British Banking
House.

AouoUn III u DflblSH DanklD
e House.
If We copy as follows from the Paris Co
}, tinenta Gazette:
Messrs. Barring Brothers & Co.'S bap]
ing house we finally ascertaiued is at N,
Bishop Gate, (within.) Arrived at N,
, = bishop Gate, you fnd that (wthin}
IN through passage to the rear of tb
building, and so we go in. There is n
evidence OF "palatial" character in tn
ordinary, contracted and common -plac
looking counting room, an area enclose
by desks facing outward, and utterly dc
VOID OF all those elegant conveniences on
sees in the splendid contingencies o.
Wall and State streets foolish frippery
may be)-but the desks look crowded an,
!. lnconvenient, the area for customers mea,
: and contracted for house of such wealth
, and we wondered at first if we had no
made some mistake. Here we were in .
plain and very ordinary counting room
like. that OF a New England country bank
surrounded on three sides by desks facin.
towards US behind high aud Transparent
screens, and six or eight clerks at then
writing in huge ledgers. After standing
some minutes in uncertainty. we made fo
the nearest clerk at one of the apertures in
the semi-crcle of desks.
"Is this the Messrs. Barings' counting
house?"
ayes, SIR"
u wish to draw some money"
"Bill, sir, or letter of credit ?"
Letter of credit" 1s.
"Opposite desk" and he pointed with
his quil-pen on the opposite side.
l accordingly crossed over and com.
menced fresh dialogue with another
clerk
desire to draw some money on this let
ter Of credit" (handing it'll
eyes, SIR (taking it-looks at the let
ter, reads it carefully, then looks at me
searchingly care you Mr.. men,
toned here?" %
81 am, sir" decidedly
GLOW much money do you want ?"
twenty-five pounds"
(Clerk goes to big ledger, turns it over
| till he finds certain page--looks at the
page, compares it with the letter, turns to
another clerk who is writing with his back
to HIN, hands him the letter, says some
| thing in a low tone to him. Second clerk
takes letter and goes into an inner apart
ment, and the first commences wai:inc- IN
new conner, and commence wa;t;ns Do Ia
velopments.) . ~
IL ""ou. ave minutes clerk number two
/ returned with something for me to sign,
which l did, and he left again. After
waiting, perhaps, five minutes more, ven
tured to inquire ifmy letter of credit was
ready. Clerk number one said lit would
BE- here "dreckly," and 80 it was, for clerk
number two returned with it in its envel-
ope, and in his hand check which he
handed me, saying ~
$50, Lombard street." t-,i-t
"Sir?" f8Ef.E
$50, Lombard street."
"Ob, am to get the money at 80 Lom-
bard street, am ?"
Eyes, better hurry; it's near bank clos.
ing" ~
"But where is Lombard street,"
{ AghaSt at my ignorance across
dreckly you go out, turn first to left, then
take -, street on right, and its first
street on left"
l started; but when nearly ont, remem-
bered that had not inquired for letters
and papers from home, that had given in
structions should be sent there to await nv
arrival from Scotland and the North, and
accordingly, / returned and inquired of
clerk number two:
"Any letters for me?"
"Ah beg yer pardon"
ANY letters for me?"
you au your letter in your and SIR"
"No; mean any letters from home
from America to my address"
"The other side, sir" pointing across the
area.
repaired to the "other side" gave my
address, and had the satisfaction of receiv-
ing several epistles from the loved ones at
home, which the clerk checked off his men,
oranda as delivered, and sailed out, my
first day in London, TO turl to the left and
right and find Lombard street. Three.
pence and ticket porter enabled me to do
this speedily, and thus ended our first ex-
perience ct Barring Bros & Co.'S.
There may perhaps be nothing to COM
plain of in all this as business tranaction
but that it was regularly performed; but
bankers on the Continent, he begins to
ask himself the question if the Earrings
ought not, taking into consideration the
dWOuuG VI HuUuoy IHcy HoS6 uiuuc dtlu are
making out Of their American business and
the American people, to show little less
parsitiony and more liberality and courtesy
to them; and provide some convenience
and accommodation for that class of Gus
toners, and make some effort to put the |
raw tourist. whose one or two thousand
pounds they have condescended to receive
at his ease when he visits their establish
ment. gsf
ALI this may have been changed since I
was in London, more than year ago, but |
the style Of transactions like this i have
described was then general topic of con-
among Americans, and seemed to
have been similar in each ones experience.
In Paris how different is the reception.
Upon presenting your letter. member of
the house, a junior partner, probably, steps
forward, greets you cordially, makes pleas
ant injuries with regard to your passage
over, invites you to register your name
and address, ushers you into large room
where the leading American journals are on
file, and there are conveniences for letter
writing, conversation, etc. Heinvites you
to make this your headquarters; can he do
fer you-you want some money
the cashier Of the house .cashes your draft
at once, and you are not sent out in the