The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-04-25
THE DAILY BULLETIN.
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.
What Yankee Correspondent Found in
Conversation With the Chief
, Accountant. Cam


The first person that met on enter
ing the Bank of England was yenera-
bile porter in quaint uniform, which
dates back, | think, hundred years or
more; IL left n green end buff impress
sion on me, but can not accurately
describe its details. The porter led me
TO room where the executive officer OF
the bank was to be found. The officer,
Mr.. Gray, Is entitled 'chief account
ant" and his position corresponds very
much to that of cashier Of one OF our
banks. Mr., Gray, who sat at his desk
surrounded BY corps OF busy clerks,
and who is q 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 ut glance ex-
planned to me. The capital of the bank
Is Gl4,500.000 its circulation in the
hands of the public about f25, 900, 600;
its deposits, on no portion of which is
interest paid, average in these days
about f32.000,000. With its customers
il has two kinds of account, deposit and
discount. was told that in order to
get discount at this bank it was abso-
lntcly necessary TO have deposit ac-
count. but it can hardly bepossible that
a banking institution with such an
enormous working capital, amount
ing to nearly 1920, 900. 900, is ever
obliged to buy paper in the open market
in order to keep up loans. The bank
discounts no bill having over three
months to run; the smallest city bill
which it discounts is fl00; smallest
country bill 500 1t circnlates no
smaller note than Is, but this seems to
be the only limit to denominations; in a
frame in the building is a Cancelled note
# the Bank of England for fl00, 600.
900 and. il | remember rightly, the
bank poet Rogers had hanging in his
library Cancelled note Of the same in
stitution for 100000.
have heard that note for 10000
once had a singular history. 1t was
paid out to one OF the directors 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 a proper receipt
and guarantee Many years after the
original note was presented for pay.
ment; the bank endeavored TO dlsown it,
but could not. for it was genuine and in
the hands OF an innocent person, and
the bank had to pay it. It's history was
then looked into, and il was a6ccrained
that, instead Of being burned it had
been carried up the chimney by q draft,
aud had found safe Judgment in some
granny ia i45 hue Here it had re-
NAMED until alterations in the house
neccssitated the removal Of the chimney;
then il WAS discovered by workman,
who regarded it as legitimate find,
and who presented it for payment
RICH, here may as we'll relate an
other story of tho bank of which there
are many, both in print and as legends.
but OF which | will let these two serve
as specimens. A sewer workman,
while poking around under ground
found that by raising q hagstone he
could penetrate into the bullion-room OF
the bank. Amazed at the discovery. he
pondercd over il. and finally concluded
that he would utilize it to his pccuniary
benefit without stealing, lie therefore
wrote to the directors, asking what re-
ward he would receive II he should meet
them at any appointed hourof the night
in the bulion-room. and thus reveal u
them a mode Of ingress Of which they
were entirely ignorant. They named
sum which would make him iude.
pendent for life, and to their over
whelming surprise he kept his promise
by popping up through the sewer, fol
which lie received 10000 or so. This
is supposed TO have happened long ago
Cor. boston J0WEnL