Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-12-29
THE BANKER.
MAN whe Lived - = Little WorDd
PeeullnrlY hls own

While on trip down the Santa +,
road the other day our correspondent
ehanced to stop In Cottonwood Falls
He canvassed the town, and conclud
Cd he had seen about every person o
8ny importance who resides i'm tha
quiet little village, when he happened
70 notice tall, stern, dark, raw-bonel
boxing individual standing behind {
large iron safe in a small frame build
ing. The correspondent stepped il
aald presented his card, when the fol
lowing conversation occurred:
CORE spondent. Might ask youl
nAmc sir2
ESwayze. MY namcis Nj. Swayze
I'm q banker. I've got the only bank
in Chase comfy. came TO this coun.
/ ty with $1,000 and I wouldn't sell on,
for 10000.
| correspondent. Mr.. Swayzc. | call
Cd TO see you for the purpose of ask.
! ing you To subscribe for our paper.
| Swayzo. | tell You what II Is. my
| friend, rum o bank. | lend my
nloncy for from two to five per cent
/ could lend moro if had it, don't
bother myself with newspapers. When
| get done business for tho day. | 20
homo to my wife and children. and
havN q general romp around. ! don't
fool my time away on newspapers.
ltsdon't make any difference TO me
| whctllcr gold's worth $l.B0 or $l.75.
I've got money 10 lend at from two to
five per cent. per month.
Our correspondent put his hat on
and started out, remarking as he did
so: "Mr. Swayze. even If YOU were
IN tho habit of reading newspapers,
your rates Of interest are so small that
yoti couldn't afford TO buy ynup own
papers; YOU would bc compelled to
borrow them from your ncighbors."
sThis ended the interview for the
time being. but our correspondent
Glanced to meet Swayzc on the cars
en- Toute from Cottonwood Falls to
Emp0ria, and reopened the converse
ton by asking him if he was any re-
lafi0n tn Swayze ofihe Topeka BLADE.
swayzc. No; only through Adam.
But Sam Wood tells mo he's raitler.
I'm banker and he's a newspaper
man.
Correspondent. As you don't read
the newspapers, | infer that you know
nothing whatever, Of the current
events OF the day,
Swayze. No;as | said before. I'm
q banker, don't bother myself about
newspapers.
Correspondent. Mr.. Swayze. sup
pose You have heard of the death of
Andy Johnson.
Swayze. There was family by
the name of Johnson settled la the
sopfh part of this county last spring.
but I don't know whether his name
was Andy or not. { never loaned
him any money
Correspondent refer to EXPIRES
ident Johnson.
Swayzc. Oh, yes! you mean that
man that was shot q few years back /:
| heard Sam Wood speak about that.
Well you see, I'm banker: never
let such things bother me.
Oar correspondent didn't think il
necessary TO inform him that he prob
ably referred 10 Mr.. Lincoln and
aftera short time asked him II his
expenses were not very light.
Swayze, Well, my business cx-
penses aim't anything. do my own
business. But my family expenses are
heavy. spend all can ON my table.
| buy everything that can get to
eat. S
Correspondent. Your family ex-
penses must be very heavy.
swayze. Yes, they are. Let me
see-they must be as much rs $500 or
$50 year. oh. I'm a good liver.
always would have something good
to eat.
After informing our correspondent
OF numerous eases in which he had
percented farmers ont Of their homes.
he remarked that Sam Wood owed
him as much as $4,000, aud added.
lpattinE our correspondent on the
shoulder-"you het, my friend. I've
got id good collateral. sam Wood:
pretty smart, but he cant gel ahead
of me I'm banker"
| On arriving at Emporia we asked
! Mr.. Swayzc which was the best bote
! in the city. lie replied that hotel
keepers couldn't get any exiortionate
prices out of him he always went u
a grocery when away from home. and
| got some cheese and crackers.
The above conversation actual,
occurred between a travelling CORES
pondcnt Of this paper and y. j
! Sway2e, "banker," of CoitnnM oot
Falls. Kansas. Il Is unnecessary Il
add that Swayze Is a fair representa-
tive Of that class Of men who dom
read new L.earen,roa'
! Times.