Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-01-19
q STAUNTON BANKS.

look at banks. When a mar is doing a
fair business, and wants to use money for
business purposes. he thinks it a conve-
done his trading, and wants to be stayed
up; or when he has been kitesflying, and
the directors pull the string on him: or
when he tries to do fifty-thousand dollarf
worth of business on. a dollar and a half
of capital. he damns it. This being our
text, we proceed:
The first bank established at Staunton
was the
A BANK OF THE ALL OF vIR-
GINA AT sTAUNTON
which was established here in 184S, with
a capital of 500 900, with the following
officers: President, James Crawford,
Cashier and Teller Edwin M. Taylor,
Book-keeper and Notary, VIM. G. Esk-
ridge, Runner, William Carroll. Mr.. Robt.
S. Brooke succeeded Mr.. Crawford as
President and he was followed by Mr..
James Nelson who died during his incum-
bency and Capt. Kenton Harper was cleo
ted to fill the vacancy which position he
held until the bank closed about the year
1865. Its successor,
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF sTAUN-
TON,
was then chartered in 1866 with Fl. w.
Shelley az President, VIM. Allan as Cash
ier, and T. A. Bledsoe B~ook-keeper. Sub,
sequently Mr.. Thomas A. Bledsoe was
elected assistant cashier, and Mr.. A. f.
Kinney Teller. On the appointment OF
Mr.. Sheffey to the judgship of this Circuit
Hon. "A. H. 81. Stuart was elected presi-
lent and soon afterwards Col. Allan re-
signed his position to take charge of a
professorship at Washington and Lee Uni
versity, and Mr.. NJ. Harvey Efinger sue
ceeded him as Cashier. and the office of in
dividual book-keeper was filled by Mr.. A.
J.. Deakin. several years afterwards, after
which there were no changes until the
time Of the consolidation of this bank with
Educational Valley which occurred Jan.
26th, 1875.
THE NATIONAL ALLEY BANK
was incorporated in 1865, under the man
agenent of Gen. John Echols President,
Edwin M. Taylor Cashier, W. G. Eskridge
Teller, and Saml. c. Baskin Book-keep-
er. Several years afterwards Mr.. Taylor on
account of his failing health was forced to
resign his cashiership and Mr.. Eskridge
was promoted to the vacancy. The office
of teller being vacated by Mr.. E's promo
ton, Mr.. N. P. Cvtlett, the present effic>
lent Cashier of that thrifty young corpoe
ration the Augusta National Bank, was
elected to succeed him. Afterwards MI.
Baskin, who is now one of the competent
book keepers at the Augusta National
Bank, also resigned and Mr.. J. 3. Rollins
was elected individual book keeper in Tune
'69 and Mr.. c. S. Arnall, another popular
attache at the Augusta National was made
general book keeper. In the fall OF III
Mr.. Arnall resigned and and Mr.. Rollins
took his place and MI. D. G. MEG ufin,
now the genial teller of the Augusta Ma
tional took charge of Mr.. Rollins former
department.
During this time Mr.. r. M. Guy was adj
ded to the force at the National Valley
Bank as an assistant to MIR. McGuff1n, and
DIS C0ki6CLlllS ClClh " VIC OOhh LSoS
were the officers of this bank at the time
of its consolidation with the First Nation
al, which occurred, as we have stated, on
the 26th of January. 1875.
The new or consolidated bank went into
operation under the old name of the Ma
tional Valley Bank, commencing under the
most favorable auspices with the COM
bined strength and patronage of the Two
old banks, and under the wise guidance Of
a strong Board of Directors consisting
of our best and most trusted business men,
and with a corps of competent and ex-
per1enced officers equal to any in the land.
They were Gen. Jno. Echols, formerly of
Monroe county, West Va, President; MI.
M. Harvey Efinger, an old citizen of Rock
ingham, Cashier; Mr.. W. G. Eskridge, a
Staunton born man and now The oldest
bank officer in the city, Teller; Mr.. T. A.
Bledsoe, a native of Fluvanna, Genl Book
keeper; Mr.. J. E. Rollins, from Frederlcks-
buag, Discount Clerk, and Maj. A. +.
Kinney, of Staunton, and MI. N. 2. Cat
lett, a son of Fauquier, as Individual Book
keepers.
Mr.. Catlett declining the position ten
dered him, Mr.. R. M. Guy, OF an old Au-
gusta family, was elected in his stead, and
Mr.. Jno. G. Scott, from Montgomery, Ala
bama, was chosen to fill the place of run
ner and notary public. The business Of
this institution proving so extensive it was
found necessary to add to the already large
force. and On the 18TH of March MI. AZ
Kinney was elected receiving teller, and
Mr.. II. A. Walker was taken from the Of
fee of the C. IL O. r. R., and chosen to
fill the vacancy caused 10y the promotion of
Mai. Kinney. On account of the ill health
sx Mr.. Ef1nger, in the early part OF the
past year, the board determined to provide
an assistant cashier, and on the @t OF
last june Mr.. Bledsoe was elected, which
position be filed until the 18th OF the pres
ent month, when, MI. Efinger having res
signed, he was elected cashier.
The commencement Of the year 1877 finds
the National Valley Bank ia a most pros
perous condition, with a capitai Of $780,
900, a surplus of $3.50, 900, and the conf,
dence of the community and her sister
banks throughout the country.
1t is under the management OF eleven
directors, who have just been elected for
the current year, consisting of Messrs. Jno.
Echols. Pres't, B. W. Burke, 1. Witt. NJ
E. Miller, C. &. Mason, J. W. Abby, H.. j.
Lushbaugh, E. Echols, J. F. Efiinger, II.
M. Bell and 2. Fl. TrOut-ail prominent
business men Of this community, IN whose
hands the people are willing to confids the
interests of one of the principal financial
institutions in u midst.