The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-12-06
Lost Bank Books.

A rosy-eheeked young woman, whose
eyes were red from crying, went into
an east side savings bank yesterday,
and, between her sobs, saidto the clerk:
"Sure, I've los J it. l don't know
what to do"
ssYour bank b, ok, ehp What's the
NUMBER"
81 don't know, SIR"
"When did yen make your first de-
posit?''
"On the 25ih of February. My
month was up sn the 24th, and came
down the next LAY and put in 81"
"What's your name?"
"Mary O'Brien, SIR"
A giant ledger was swung around on
a revolving stand. There was great
Huttering of its big leaves, and the
clerk ran his finger down long column
Of names.
mo. 9,7S2," he said. Snow tell me-
the names of your mother and father,
where you were born, and your occupa-
.ion."
The girl did so, and the clerk, after
taking the number, told her to come
back in week.
"What are you going to do now?" the
reporter inquired.
Advertise for the bank book" said
the clerk. 'sIf it doesn't turn up at the
end of week we will give the girl
new one. The chances are aboht even
of the old one being returned. 1t may
be rumpled up and blew around the
street unit picked up by some rag
son who made read the advertisement of
Sc SC IF o,-fI HI 70
for nobody can draw the money, as we
know that the book has been LOST
"Why did you ask the young woman
the namt,s of her parents and where she
was borTi?h
''Just to see if she was really the
owner OF the lost bank book. When a
person opens an account with the bank,
he writes his name in that big book
certain questions, and note the replies.
This is done as a means of identified
ton. Ii the young woman who was
questions / asked her / would have
known that the book was not hers"
'tA1e many bank books lost?'
''We don't average more than $50 to
200 year. Some banks lose fewer
booEft Where the depositors are
mainly servant girls and young clerks
and yForkingmen, such as we have here,
there are more lost. 1t is amusing to
notice the way the loss affects different
| people. Some come in looking as if
| their best friends had died; some seem
frightened, and many are defiant, think
ing that they have committed crime,
| and have got to brazen it out"
'Does the same person ever lose
| nc re than one bank book?"
"Yes, once knew laboring man
| wtp lost three bank books in a year.
| IIG used to come in every Monday be-
tseen II and o'clock and deposit So.
| He carried his bank book in his trousers
pocket doubled in the center. He al
why's kept the number, so it WASH very
difficult to give him new book. We
ever advertised any of his books, be.
cause it was pretty certain that no one
would ever pick them up"
'.Do the people that find bank books
Fer try TO draw the montya',
"Once in a while, though I do moi
remember of any one having done Sc
lately. You see there are numerous
safeguards to prevent the wrong per
son getting the money. Every depos
tor is warned to report to the bank a:
soon as he loses his book, and list Of
lost books is kept handy for reference
Some of the attempts are amusing,
One day colored man came in with 8
bank book and wanted to close the az
count. He was asked to sign hi:
name. Unfortunately for himself ht
could not write, and was detected. HI
then admitted that ne had found th'
bank book. One day two men came il
together, and one OF them deposited
$3.50. He could not write, made hi
mark on the signature book and an
swered all the usual questions. 1t af
terward appeared that this person we
the man who had accompanied the de
positor and had stolen the bank book.
| IN. p San.