Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-16
A Bank of England story.

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 The first person met on entering the Bank of England was 8 venerable porter in quaint uniform, which dates back, I think, a hundred years or more it left green and buff impression on me, but cannot accurate ly describe it's details. The porter led me to 8 room where the executive officer of the bank was to be found. This officer, MT. Gray, is entitled ''Chief Accountant" and his position corresponds very much to that of cashier of our banks. MT. Gray, who sat at his desk surrounded by a corps of busy clerks, and who is gentleman of the most courteous and unassuming manners, gave me cordial welcome, and under his guidance
 visited every department of the bank, and
 had everything which did not understand at glance explained to me. The capital of the bank is fourteen and one-half millions sterling; it's circulation in the hands of the public about twenty-five millions sterling !; Its deposits, on no portion of which is inter- est paid, average in these days about thirty tive millions sterling. With it's customers it has two kinds of account, deposit and dis count. was told that in order to get dis count at this bank it was absolutely necessary to have deposit account, but it can hardly be possible that banking institution with such an enormous working capital, amount ing to nearly $29O, ,OO0, 1000. is ever obliged to buy paper in the open market in order to keep up loans. The bank discounts no bill uht1DS ONoE GuGee IQOuGuS GO run the BIQAI1- est city bill which it discounts is one hundred pounds; smallest country bill, twenty pounds. It circulates no smaller note than five pounds,
 but this seems to be the only limit to denom- nations in frame in the building is can celled note of the Bank of England for mil lion pounds sterling, and, if remember rightly, the banker poet Rogers had hanging ln his library cancelled note of the same in- stitution for e3O,O
 I have heard that note for e10, 1000 once had singular history. It was paid out to one of the direc tors of the bank, who soon after lost it under such circumstances that he was satisfied, and succeeded in satisfying the
 bank, that it had fallen into his fireplace and been destroyed. He was given new note, for which he returned 8 proper receipt and guarantee. Many years after the original note was presented for payment; the bank endeavored to disown it, but could not, for it was genuine and in ths hands of an innocent person, and the bank had to pay it. It's his- tory was then looked into, and it was aScer- tained that, instead of being burned, it had been carried up the chimney by draught
 and had found 8 safe lodgment in some cran ny in the Hue. Here it had remained until alterations in the house necessitated the re- moval of the chimney then it was discov- cred by a workman, who regarded it as 8 legitimate find, and who presented it for pay ment. Right here may as well relate anoth- CT story of the bank, of which there are many, both in print and in legends. but of which will let these two serve as specimens. A sewer workman, while poking around un- der ground, found that by raising fagstone he could penetrate into the bullion room of the bank. Amazed at the discovery, he pen dered over it, and finally concluded that he would utilize it to his pecuniary benefit with. out stealing. He therefore wrote to the di- rectors, asking what reward he would receive if he should meet them at any appointed heur of the night in the bullion room, and thus reveal to them mode of ingress of which they were entirely ignorant. They named 8 sum which would make him independent for life, and to their overwhelming surprise he kept his promise by popping up through the sewer, for which he received ten thousand pounds or so. This is supposed to have happened long ago.