St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-01-09
The Missing Bonds.

strength from the assertion that it is
founded ON fact. All | have to say III
/ regard to what follows is that. as to the
MAIN events of my story. what | write
/ iS absolutely and unrTuivocally truc.
alId that 1t 1t was necessary | could
/ plaC" my finger to-day an some of the
/ principal actors.
/ Some five NeaIS ago two or three good
/ places were wanted i'll TempletOn for
certain quite respectable old gentlemen.
! lhcy were 10y 40 means supcrannnatcd
men, nor had they gone beyond THEN
! period of usefulness. These old gentle
men. who were perfectly Suave. honest.
and correct. had heen unlucky in life.
but were fortunate enough to have
Younger friends whom they tthc old
@cntlcmcu) had helped at the outset of
their careers. Clerks had got to be
men of wealth and position, while the
old heads of the firms who had first EN-
played them had gone down i'll the
world.
y savings bank, the Fountain. with
an ample capital furnished by The
y0uugrr men. WAS toundcd. not So much
! for the accommodation of the thrifty
/ poor ~ for the personal advantage of
the tw" cmincutl! honest. quiet and re
! >pcctahlc old gentlemen. who, drawing
/ " modest = .JtiD To ~ .-uO Il Nc,Ir. could
manage matters quite satisfactorily for
the Fountain savings Bank, the stock
/ holders. the dcpu>itnrS and themselves.
( .AS economy was Il paramount consider
/ alton. no extra clerks We're To hr hired.
/ The Two old gentlemen were To act Us
/ cashiers. ,rcISurcrs, hnokleepers. en-
/ Try clerks and general accountants.
/ Matters went on quite pleasantly.
/ Occasional dcpo>it> came III. which were
/ increased. and the old gentlemen cult
>atiug the ucighborhood. warmed NJ
I with tl,r work. and con>cicntinuSll did
! then duty when they advocated thrift
/ aud economy. In fact. the results wcIe
quite satisfactory. and the old gentle
mon. for Il certain time. we're never
happier in their lives than when man
agm. the Fountain.
One day there lnungcd in quiet
l""kiug man. certainly Il mechanic. and
of the better class too. Tine man
clothes were decent, Il triilc worn. and
hr had on Hculorcd shirt. There might
have been Just curl of wood shaving
mixed with his hair. and from the hrin
al his hat. ;l> hc took il OH. there fell a
littlr shower nt ~aWdu>t. In fact hc
>lnclt "t yellow pine. and was To all i'll
tents a!id puIp">"s Il carpenter.
.'IIr Wa~ NOT i rich man.. he said
'.oull able /" save scrip here and
there. Careful wife. Nothing like
that. hul a craving family. Good hos,
and all thai. and TIN Wages. What III,
boss paid llm. "u pinch. might kceI
them all. hut WIS doing Il fair str"k,
Of mi.ht work. Wasn't Il >precr. T"nh
hi~ dliml, sometimes. when he wanted
Ia. hut mot hihituIl. The gentlemen il
thc bank knew that Il little never did
any harm. lr~: hc Thought they wcI,
sensible. Well. passing along hc Went
hN the FuuutAilI Savings every hl"~~r,
dJA Thought Il, would drop in. Wa
il only >iN r,l cent. they gave hat
wasn't enough. Wasn't Il business man
murh. LuI had hcaId thai money VA:
worth H. much H. than 10y the Siugl,
mnuth over IN New York. What di,
they do with their money Well. bon,
aud mortgage WIS safe. " "uld they
let him have u statement : Didn't cX
pcct he would understand much. I'm
the old Wumau and the boss would. an,
he would r;,uy it home. Liked tn,
ln"l, "f the Fountain. Was Il plain
man him~rlt and though h" would h,
glad enough himself l." build the inside,
at some ot those savings hauk>. viii
their r"~cv""d m"ldiug> and hcaling>
and thai >"ll "t thing. didn't hcliryr i
helped Il concern much. Would do to
Il hotel "I Il BARRIER shop. hut hc went IL
io. what Va> plain. he did. and h'
W"uid lid them GOOD m"luimg. and II,
might ui might not call again.
.I Y week att,IWHId lac did call. accom-
panied hl Il friend. and the Nv" "l,
gentlemen felt >ulr "t opening 4 new
account.
IL lie boss. He hrlicvc~ in sly
iug> banks. and he and the old woman
SAYS they think l"u are safe the,
do. said the carpenter
"lIIy ,uu hadn't ,h"ught of it before
4 ll">ra. said the boss. though aim't
hii better oil nor you. What have 90
j. some mighty SONY houses had It
take 'cn iui Il mechanics lean. Han:
me. if volhmrn amt better of nov
than the hu>~cS. If this here Hose;
does make u deposit OF 81. and Il fellow
wanted just Il little mortgage on Il tai
house inst mortgage mind you-Nul
N'tll'lii i!liil'l 'l'lleluI ui'ln N'lll'
YOU OF course know that's Il matte
the directors usually look To. Hose.
Won haint got Il circular. have Won
Left it ut home Well. then. let IN,
have another. Hosea. put your nrone,
III at once, and that's my advice" an,
. having given his views. asking for Il cir
cular. the boss ceased speaking.
The Jnurn"Eman carpenter hauled on
slowly. one. two. five. ten. fifteen
: twenty. thirty d"llat>-moSt of il ON,
. dollar bills, and Il great deal of il il
fractional currency and some five cen
pieces. Some of the small bills fell ol
E the floor. Now the ohliging cashic
made it ScVrnty-tiVo cents too little
aud now it WIS fifty cents too much
la the meantime the other old employ
was looking up :: circular. He wante'
il fresh one. with Il pea green cover, fO
lIosca'> boss. At last the count WA
2 made correct, Il pass book was brought
4. and the big book for signatures wa
graccd with lloSeas signature afic
quite an amount of Labor and blot
= | he circular of the Fountain Saving
l Bank, with the pca-grecn cover. wa
/, then politely handed to HOsea's boss
/ and they left. as did at the same time
certain tin box, containing cXactl
! twenty thousand dollars III nitcd State
I bonds. the property of the beforemen
/ toned Fountain Savings Bank of Ten
!, pletnm.
How it was DONE no one ever knew
and no one will ever pretend to know
I All the old gentlemen knew about
e WAS that when the days labors wer
4 over. some five hours afterward. whc
they went t" lock up the safe. the hlac
: lacquer box WAS gone,