, 1883-03-17
A REPRESENTATIVE MAN.
John F. Boycr-Biographical Sketch
Of one Of WailA Walla's Self.
made Bankers.

from Col Gilbert's History Of Walla WsIla ]
John F. BOyer, Of the firm OF Baker
and Boyer, bankers in Wslls Walla City
W. I is one Of the men whose success
in life and business has been mainly
achieved in the country where he nog
lives by the exercise of economy, industry
snd business integrity, guided Ti,h intel
ligen. financial ability. He Is now cap
italist twenty years ago he was poor
man and what he has, came gradually
through those wears as the result Of COZ
rect business calculations. and not by
chance OF a favorable tura II fortune ;
wheel. While an infant his parents NOV
ed TO the Ohio river, aid some twelve
years later to Jefferson Co, Indiana At
twenty years of age he left MS Indiana
home and became a clerk for mercan-
tile firm in Van Buren, Arkansas;
and in 1919 he crossed the
plains to California, where he
first engaged in mining, but changed to
the mercantile line and started u store in
Sonora Of that State. In 1882, leaving
hi, business in charge Of a partner, he re-
turned 10 Arkansas, but soon learned that
n fire had swept away most OF his Calltor-
MIA property, and he determined to re-
main in the States
in 1859 Mr.. Boyer with his family
again creased the plains to California,
where he established himself as n mer-
chant at Sonora and remained there until
1862. when he accepted an offer Of CO
partnership with DIR. u. S. Baker IN the
mercantile branch Of his Walla Waila
business. At the time Mr.. Boyer first
took charge IF the store ia the latter
place, and for years after, the miners
were in the habit Of Gepos.tIEg their geld
dust with the firm for safe keeping. They
would come with little and BIZ sacks of il
with the owners name attached, leave
their mountain accumulation for days, and
sometimes months, without scratch OF a
zen or witness Ia the world, except Mr.
Boyer, to prove that they had ever left
anything on deposit. No receipts were
given OF asked for, and, although this
practice was continued for years, and the
deposits often reached from $4,000 to
$40 900 ct a time, no trouble, misunder-
standing cr loss ever occurred. In 1870
the firm decided to close our their mer-
camille business and settle wIth their Gus
toners, maIy of whom had long standing
bills unpaid. In carrying this design IN
10 effect, large amounts of money Were
collected that it became necessary 10 make
use Of, and they commenced leaning 1t,
on long or short time, upon approved Sc
curity, and this new branch Of business
soon assumed large proportions The
idea WAS thus suggested to the partners
Of starting a bank, which was carried IN
to effect, and now the hInSing firm Of
Baker and Boyer is one Of the most reiia-
bic mouied institutions On the Pacific
coast. Not because of the extensive funds
invested. that only reaches sl50,O0O, 20
which should be added nearly Sl50, coo
surplus. but because the bank risks no
money upon uncertain outside specula-
tons, such ss forced a suspension Of the
Bank Of California with its millions of
capital
In conclusion We would say that MIR.
snd Mrs Boyer (and the same is equally
true of DR.. d 5. Bakor) have raised q
family Of children in a manner that re-
h.c;s credit upon them as persols possess
ing practical sense Each aud every one
of those children has been educated to
lonk upon LIE, not as the IDLE drones up
un the honey stored tor them by the
working bees in the hive, but as a period
blocked out Of time, in which they are to
accomplish something by their own acts
that will not be discreditahle to them
selves and the name they bear, To DR..
Baker, to J. I. Boyer, and men OF their
kind, Eastern Washington Territory ows
itspresent prosperity and future prospects