Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-09-16


alarmed. About that hour severxa checks
for SjDDGUy or $4,000, or similar
amounts. came 10 be cashed from deposi-
tors MOI usually DISTURBED by rufsprs Of
financial trouble All these were PAID
without Irtsrmur but flsey Kept on m
creasiag. The scattering drops became =
quiet pasicf. and age pafter became ahsssy
sisogeg. By fwo o'clock the steady With
drawsl OF funds had quickened info .
q run which attracted attention and drew
a crowd OF spcctsscrs about the dnsFs. The
news IAN along the street like prairie
fire. causing the greatest cominoslon
among brokers and operators. who rubbed
toward the center Of interest, some with
bank ia their hands, others simply
inspired with q desire 10 Join in the ex.
citensnt A the news sprtsd 81 tDe
adjoiying streets. and into the quarter 81
the city devoted 10 heavy business,
II aroused everywhere the same attention.
Etores and workshops were eznps4ed
Of their occupants. either 10 see The excSie-
ment ~ to enable Withdrawal 81 deposits
before the hour for closing the hank.
which was rOw al hxnd. The people fans
led iyy curiosity OF interest STRAINED from
all quarter toward the corner ~ California
and sansorne streets, filing TIE spare 10
that locality for square in every difeT-
ton. Al haifpasf tao the excitemsnt cul.
minated IN a seene Of extraordinary inter.
ess. which eould he taken In 81 glance
from an eleYased position. The streets
w.se ihrongcd as FAR ~ the eye could
reach, TIE crowd being quiet In certain
places. in others alive with motion. The
stsps a ali banks and Offices we're packed
with spectators A pale face WIS seen ~
every panc Of every window, Wiid men
were rushing In al directions. pApers tut
tering in their kands, and smoag thesn the
inevitable bank book. Pale women, with
disorslered hSir end dresses, began 10 sp-
pear. giving the scene little variety Of
color, and striving vsinly % reach the mar.
row entrance al The door 81 the Bank OF
Csiiforns, besiegezi with crowding, ssrTig.
Cling. ol1strepegous. whitefsced men.
The scene at the bankdoor wss 80 Wild,
eager. confused and iumuifuous that IL
can be bat impevfectiy described. Po-
lice4ylen, la uniforms and without, were
scattered about In all assiiable places 10
keep The crowd la the best order possible
under she circumstance. The great iron
door was closed, and through the little
narrow door 10 the center, like the en-.
trance 10 a prison cell. the panic-siTicken
Dispositions crowded, pressing their vay
between SERTED ranks Of ragged, moneyless
spectators. 70 whom the failure Of all the
banks In the world would nos have been
matter Of The slightest consequence. An
effort was made 20 keep out those having
no business inside. but II Was only par.
tally successful. Those who came for
derosits we're largely brokers clerks and
The Representatives 81 business men In The
lower paft Of the city
The scene inside the bank was even
more Intensely exciting than that outside.
A crowd lined the counters from end 10
end, ncrvousiy showing checks under The
noses " iellers, Sb0 glanced at them and,
as their only answer, showed over 10 the
excited men who brought them little piles
Of gold or great piles end boxes Of silver.
Every teller had white, scared look, and
the book keepers and the faces Of clerks,
seer - fhc distant desks, looked ghastiy ~
snow drifts In the moonlight Now and
thea n hank trustee was seen fitting about
10 a chastity way, disappearing IN the al.
reetion II the rooms belonging " the
officers. The old Chinese clerk, VIII
must have heen contemporary with Con.
fuciuS est N high stool, gazing wisely
through his sr.ectaclcs, which are large
~ wetcherystali the halfcrazed crowd
pressing forward for their money.
Great piles Of gold and silver coin
elIstened On shelves Just beyond the reach
Of those 80 socIfcrously demanding H. The
clipk ~ coin fairly drowned the din that
caiHa from the tiiIOnged street through the
narrow entrance The crowd increased
rapidly from two O'Clock until balfpasi
two. when there was scarcely room for
them "a The counters. Then the manage
meni decided 20 stop payment, and - tel.
egraphf1 10 their Eastern correspondents.
Al z rs the little door swung 10 ia the
faces og several anxious depOsiiors An
effort was made from without 10 push II
open, bat the policemen with strong arms
showed II 10 and drew the heayy iron bolts,
forDidiing further ingrees. Then the
crowd began beating a fierce tattoo To
which the telieTa and clerks who stood still
In their places listened with faint smile
of satisfaction and deepdrawn sigh OF
relief but the mission Of the great Bank
Of California was ended.
After the bank bad closed lis doors q
woman, having evidently crossed the Ru.
bicon, but CHASTITY with paint and rouge,
yalniy endeayored a. climb into the bank
through q closed window, declaring she
would have her money, every cent OF II,
and II her John wasn't out TO Sister Abb.
gals, in Amador, he'd see that her hard
earned savings wasn't stolen, you bet your
life he would. Only dcsistiDg after lind.
ing that entrance was entirely out Of the
question, the frantic woman departed,
w-inging her hands and protesting amid
torrents Of tears that never again, no,
neyeri would she put her money In strange
folks hands 10 keep for her ~ long M
there was spade 10 dig hole In the
round with to bury IL. Tberei And so
the pcriurhcd female departed and was
Lsst 10 view from California street
While the run was ut lis height an old
Californian, having the highest faith In
the Bank OF California, struggled vainly
for entrance, declaring that he had $40, 900
which lie would deposit II the crowd
would open It's ranks aud allow him al.
mission But the ihrong, drunk with ex.
element and alarm, paid no attention 10
the protesting individual, who struggled
and shouted iaitil he was exhausted and
spcechlcss. whom he strobe away breathing
husky anaiheiuas upon the "plaguy COW.
ards who though the bank was going TO
bustl'--!Saa h aaeisco Chronicle, drJ. ~.
Boots and Shoes.
The choice of boots and shoes Is one OF