Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-08-18
!" ETCHINGS."
IN WHICH THE INDEPENDENT
Attempts Portraying the Varied
Interests and Industries of
Martinsburg.

Until now no newspaper Of Mar
tinsburg has attempted the task of
making an elaborate resume of the
city and of its prominent interests.
The INDEPENDENT is prompted to
undertake the work, from the fact
that it believes that the informa'
tion gathered will be, not only Of
present but of future interest, serv-
ing to show that Martinsburg is not
a "dead- and alive" town, but, on
the contrary, en- rapport with the
spirit Of progressive enterprise.
We distinctly wish it to be under
stood that these "Etchings" do not
purport to be a history Of the city.
We take it that newspapers are
chroniclers Of current events, and
portrayers of men and things as they
are, and the writer has no DISPOSE
tion to run counter to this belief.
Necessarially we shall refer to the
past, but it will be for purposes of
contrast, and for the sake of making
a truthful exhibit of the present
we are making "Etchings," and
future historians must fill in the
lights and shades of the pictures
drawn.
Another word or two of explana.
ton. Neither the INDEPENDENT
nor it's "etcher" has an lax to grind
in this review; in other words, emo
friends to reward, no enemies to
punish; each individual interest
written of will be referred to in the
light of existing facts. Nor will any
order of arrangement or of prece-
dence be attempted. We shall write
of so many interests each week as the
space at our command will admit Of,
and further than that, no promise
will be made, save that we shall ex-
ert every effort to be fair and impair
tial. During the course of the series
attention will be paid to educational
and church matters, to secret socie-
ties, to the railway interests, to the
advantages that the city affords as a
manufacturing centre, to it's social
matters; we shall try to tell who our
manufacturers, bankers and mer-
chants are and what they are doing,
chow much they are worth or how
much they owe, we don't care to
know in brief, the "etchings' will
prove, as nearly as we can make
them, a reflex of Martinsburg and
its material interests. This preface
made, we turn to the pages
of our note book and there find
memoranda relative to
THE PEOPLES NATIONAL
BANK
OF Martinsburg, as a CONSERVATION of
the monied interests of the country,
is a fit subject for somewhat detailed
comment in this review. To the
courtesy of Mr.. j. B. Wilson, cash
Ter, who kindly hunted up for us the
old records, we are indebted for most
of the information here made public,
and we return thanks for the kind
ness shown.
The history of the bank is compar
atively brief and devoid of startling
incident. Early in 1878 several
prominent citizen of Martinsburg
and vicinity associated themselves
together and secured from the State
a charter for what was christened the
peoples Deposit Bank" The CAPT
! tai was merely nominal, only s12 900;
and before year had elapsed it
was very evident that, under the
then existing organization, only a
limited business could be done. Ac-
cordingly, the following year appli'
cation was made for a charter under
the National Banking system, and
in May, 1874, the Peoples National
Bank, of Martinsburg began husi-
ness, with paid in capital of $780,
600. The first board of directors
comprised the following named gen.
tlemen: Samuel Busey, A. 2. Shut,
e. S. Troxell, A. j. Thomas, Casper
Weaver, NJ. S. Grantham, H. A.
Frazer, G.. w. McKown and w. III.
Mong. Mr.. Busey was elected Pres
ident and j. b. Wilson, Cashier.
Some changes have occurred in the
Presidency. In January, 1876, Mr..
Busey was succeeded by Mr.. E. S.