The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-01-04
a very large sum for insurance and
transportation"
r "That is nv lookout, SIR"

q very large sum for insurance and
transportation"
"That is my lookout, SIR"
ooh, very well. l beg your pardon.
Give him the specie, Mr.. Cashier"
Smilingly the polite cashier re-
ceived Mr. Clark's pile Of notes, counts
them, announces the amount correct,
and returning to the bank room calls
one, or two clerks to the vaults, and
attacks the specie kegs. And now
they roll out, the memoran1f bun, clerk
calling out in clear voice. "Five
thousand" "Ten thousand" off
teen Thousand" "Twenty thousand" :"
Twenty five thousand" and yet
steadily the kegs rolled out, and the
clerk called aloud the accumulating
specie. 5=.
| At first Mr.. Clark. broker from New
York, admired the cool and easy way
in which the president played his
"bluf," for in his heart Mr.. Clark
was sure it was sheer bluff. There
could not be fifteen Thousand dollars
of specie in that bank, by any posi-
|bility. And so, when the president,
after his directions to the cashier,
commenced social chat on general
topics, Mr.. Clark responded. No
sign was made by either which indi-
Gated the real thoughts of each.
Clark was sure he had Mr.. Presi-
dent foul, and Mr.. President knew
Mr.. Clark was hopelessly his victim.
Twenty-Five thousand!" called
| tho nn,.o :, ln,v, n1n,1-
Mr.. Clark talked, but he was
greatly surprised inwardly.
Forty-five thousand"
Mr.. Clark's talk was not so easy.
He was little-or, rather IL good
deal disturbed. Perhaps those kegs
did not hold specie. He don't be-
1ieve they did. 1t was a ruse of some
kind. But there was all astonishing
air of matter of-fact business in the
way those kegs rolled out, and in
the ominous voice that announced
"Sixty five thousand" And it was
provoking to see the sweet serenity
which sat upon the face of the chatty
president. He paid no more attention
to those kegs than as if they had been
paving stones.
"Seventy-fve thousand !n-''eighty
thousand !"-" eighty-five thousand !"
and the stream of crushing kegs
was still rolling out. Clark, broker
from New York, could hold in no
| longer. Those kegs might not con-
| tain specie; but then they might
and he wanted to break the bank
not specie. And the kegs looked and
rolled and behaved just as though
they were honest kegs.
| " Ninety-five thousand !n-and an
other keg in sight and coming.
Mr.. President nc Clark broke in
upon that officials opinion Of the
probable cotton crop" on the whole,
don't know but that might as we'll
take draft on New York;
The gleam in the presidents eye
told Mr.. Broker Clark that he was a
victim beyond peradyenture.
Not now, Mr.. Clark. / offered
You drafts and you declined them.
Tile fact is, l am very much obliged
to you for taking so much time and
spending SO much money as you must
have done to bring all these notes
down here for specie. 1t is just what
l wanted, and you have come just in
the nick of time to pay for the risk
and insurance of getting that specie
to New York, for just where you will
take it is just where l want it. You
would have specie, and | want the
notes. The bank is greatly obliged
to you, Mr.. Clark, and will be to you,
or any of your friends hereafter, when
you feel inclined to help us in the
same way"
"One hundred and twenty five
thousand dollars" said the voice.
And SO CLARK, the New York broker,
so brave an hour before, now went ali
to pieces. He just begged for terms,
and the president, retaining only as
Clark just as much in drafts as he
pleased, sent that defeated financier
off with his heavy kegs and scarcely
less heavy heart.
It is believed that no further efforts
were made to break the United States
Bank in like manner after the return
Of Clark from Savannah, and that he
never boasted over that trip, even to
his employers.