Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-25
ROMANCE OF BANKING.
TIE POETIC SIDE OF A PRosAIC
BUSINESS.
Some Interesting Anecdotes and Sketches
About Famous Banks and
Bankers.

Some Interesting Anecdotes and Sketches
About Famous Banks and
Bankers
The notion that there is no romance in
banking is dispelled by an article in the
current number of London Society, which
groups some familiar and unfamiliar facts
illustrating the poetic side of an ordinarily
prosaic business. We present for RECORD
UNION readers a number of extracts
At the latter end of the year 1925, and
during the panic, clerk was dispatched
from a house in Lombard street with
go GOO in notes, for the relief of country
banker in Norfolk. The clerk travelled by
the mail coach. with the notes done up in
blue bag. Ca leaving London he was
pleased to find himself alone in the coach
with such valuable parcel At STRAIT
ford two men muffled i'll greatcoats got in,
and Immediately began making remarks
aloud, and whispering to each other about
the parcel. TIE clerk, who was beginning
to get very nervous, began to whistle, and
pretended to be very merry. You seem
very merry" said ore of the men !;
'' but surely you can put your par
eel on the seat. 1t must be very val
liable, or you would not hug it in the way
YOU do" On his refusal to do this their
manner instantly changed, and the clerk
began to think they knew the contents of
the parcel he was carrying, and meant to
murder him and run off with it. He was
confirmed in his suspicion when he heard
one of them say, "Not yet wait till we
get out of Baintree." On arriving at that
place he got out of the coach, for ne felt
that he could go no further in such CON-
pany, and insisted upon being shown to the
house OF the banker, who was In bed. Di-
rectly he saw him he threw the parcel at
his feet, exclaiming, "Thank God it is
safe " and Immediately tainted. 1t was
afterward ascertained that the men, who
were unknown in that part of the country,
got out of the coach about three miles from
Baintree, not stopping at a village or even
house. On alghting they swore dread
fully at the guard, and walked away. 1t
was then about o'clock in the morning
The we'll known story of 1.-The Box of
Spanish Juice" may also be given A
Liverpool banker VINO was in the habit OF
collecting defaced notes, used to send them
up to London every fortnight IN box. He
usually collected about 81. 600 week, SO
that the box generally contained about
1000. This method of sending the notes
to town was adopted TO save postage also,
to deceive any thieves who might be on the
lookout for plumber, the banker wrote on it
in legible letters, "Spanish Juice" twas
always directed to chemist in Plough
Court, Lombard street, who regularly,
every morning after its arrival, handed 1t
over to the bankers clerk, who invariably
called for it. But one Monday morning it
arrived the same as usual, to all appear
ances, but, on being opened, was found TO
contain nothing but shavings. At some
stage of its journey the box must have
been opened and the notes extracted. On
inquiry it was found that the box arrived
safely at the inn, and was placed with
other packages, which had come by the
same conveyance, in a room ostensibly
guarded by a Waterman. 1t is supposed
that, during the absence of this function
airy, the thief or thieves committed the
robbery. This was afterward found TO be
true, although it was stated that the watch
man had connived at it.
The firm OF Jones, Lloyd & Co. has
very romantic history. This bank is now
analgamated with the London and West
minister. 1t may be said to have COM
menced IN love affair between a young
Dissenting minister of Manchester and the
daughter of a leading member Of MS con.
gregation. James Lloyd preached so elo-
quently in his Welsh chapel that Mary
Jones fell in love with him. Her father
was great man at the Welsh chapel, being
both banker and manufacturer. On one
occasion he, or some other merchant, was
SO pleased with the young preacher, that
he presented him with f5 note and the
minister in thanking him, said he would
be happy to pray for him on the same
terms every Sunday morning. The youn.
people, fearing that the fathers consen'
could not be secured, were secretly mar
ried. The father.in. law was reconciled to
them but he thought that he could do
better thing for his new son-in. law than let
him continue in the preaching business.
Nonconformist ministers have great adj
vantage over the Anglican clergy, in that
they may 90 into trade or business, or sit
in Parliament if elected. Mr.. Lloyd be-
came his father-in-law's partner, and went
to London to open metropolitan branch
of the business. He proved to be the
very man for the banker minently
sagacious, clear-headed and honorable.
The Manchester firm regularly drew on
the London firm and for some years
" Jones upon Jones" was well known
phrase. For many years he
was the head of the business, which was
transferred in 1864 to the most wealthy
bank in the country, the London and West
minister, that led the way in those joint
stock enterprises which Sir Robert Peel
declared formed one of the greatest discov-
cries of modern times. In 1874 Lewis
Lloyd had purchased the Overstone Park,
four miles east of Northampton thou
sand or fifteen hundred acres-where he
resided until 1855 He bequeathed three
millions of money, the result of banking
and of successful speculations in Govern.
ment stocks, He left an only son, Samuel
Jones Lloyd, who was, two years afterward,
made Lord Oyerstone. This nobleman is
the greatest living authority upon the sub
ject of banking. An interesting letter
from the present Lord 0yerstone, written
soon after his accession to the business, has
found its way into print. He gave the
clerks in his establishment present of
pounds. Very often the faithful
servants Of bank have kind of feudal
loyalty to their chief. The bankers, in
deed, have done good service in discredit-
ing the miserable idea of their clerks being
so many hands" They have shown ex-
amples of that kind of cooperation, where
the chiefs and dependents work harmoni.
ously together, often meeting in neighborly
fashion at the great mans house !; and the
instances are not rare in which the faithful
servant, who recalls Eliezer Of Damascus,
has been admitted as partner into some
share of the business which has largely
under his care.
The house of Coutts & Co. has very in
seresting history. A very great banking
nsiress is the Baroness Burdett Coutts,
whose recent marriage with Mr.. Ashmead
Coutts Bartlett excited go much attention