Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-25
eassesuxBs IN PENNIES.
s~s,uas ,xsshs where the feef
Their Dime. for Rainy DAY.
fPhiladelphia Prcss.

I6ptF O.ufrs fof y ss~'"'
fPhiIadeIphia Press.J
Amonr the, interesting places o. the
civ, especially on Monday or Isa,s-
day afternoon, are the offices o. tue
sasinrs institutions. There may DC
seen Hooking by hundreds the inoss.r,-
ous moor Of Philadelphia, the hard
working mechanic, the eoacnman' sae
bools-kseper, .aad the teacher ~'h
palyd ibrnw and STOPPING shouiaefs'
The neat lhousenaid, the seamsTess:
shivorinr in a little old red shawl, ara
the washerwomaD. with hands shrunken
by oonstast contact with soap ahn
water all with their little savings,
which they are geirg to put away Tor 6
rainy day, sr, possibly, for the use ''s
child or two when the good parent a.
gone.
The institxtions.a allow but a certain
small amount to be deposited an year
that the depositors may be limited 70
poor people WHO have ne other means al
of inyesosng their htile capita. The
amount now on deposit by these poor
people in ahe fsur institutions III TINS
kind is otee e36. O0Q,00o.
The largest institution in town'is the
lpbiladelphis Saving-Fund Society, at
Seventh and Walnut streets. IL was
established in Islfe, andAas now io2,-
600 depositors, to whom are due kom
the Society over s24,O00,OOO. ihis
makes an average Of s235 for each
member, the limit Of deposits for each
year being fixed at $500. OF the iOs,-
000depositors 3l.799 are drawing ih-
terest on sums not exceeding $50.
Among the male depositOrE IN 1854
mechanics. artisans, and weavers are IN
greatest number, 4,97S. and housekeep-
ers andnurses, of whom there are 4,545,
are in the majority among the females.
There are rather more women than men
among the depositors. BY law made
in 1872 az moneys unealled for, and
whose depasitors have not been heard
from for thirty years, are PAID orer
TO the State treasurer, and 1T Is es-
timated that $50, 900 have been so paid
over since the founding Of the Society
The business has grown so large that
the building at 104 Walnut street has
been purchased to give more desk anc
oflice-room.
The Western-Saving Fund Society,
at Tenth and Walnut streets. is modelled
after its older brother further down the
street, and was established in 1917. 1t
has as yet but 1900 depositors, with
IS. Gl5, 900 of deposits. The limit of
yearly deposit is here little larger, be-
ing $500. Interest is paid at .tbe usual
rate of per cent. At present there
would be in the vaults, if the Frin-
,ipal alone were all withdraw,
s2,373,000, an evidence Of the adj
vantage gained by depositors who
let their money lie and accumulate.
The managers of both Of these societies
are elected by the Board of Judges,
who. together with the auditoIs of ac-
keep a supervision OF all ac-
counts for the benefit Of the public.
There is a bill now pending providing
for the appointment of a manager for
every 100000 deposited. This, one
Of the officials of the Philadelphia said,
would provide for them more managers
than could possibly be accommodated,
and would form an altogether unwicldy
body.
The Beneficial Saving-Fund Society,
at Twelfth and Chestnut streets, is
commonly called Catholic institution,
probably because most Of its officers
are Of that religion. Thousands Of
Irish Catholic servant-girls throughout
the city repose their trust in those Off
Gals and deposit with them their mea-
gre earnings. They, together with
many others, 5000 or more in number,
have done this to the amount Of So, 1867
563.9G. The building next door has
lately been purchased, and will soon
give increased facilities for business.
The Saving-Fund Society of German
town is the fourth Of these excellent
societies, and holds LOGO, 900 for the
future use of about 5000 or 1000 de-
positors.
Very curious and sometimes romantic
stories are told Of depOsitors who have
disappeared and never turAed up, or
have reappeared in peculiar and mystic
rious ways. Two years after the West
ern Saying-Fund Society was started,
in lS49, a mason made deposit which
was increased until in 1857, after an
addition of $4,000 they had no limit
them, there were "a, 900 due him. He
was not seen until 1868, when the pre-
sent treasurer, William b. Rogers, was
approached one morning by a very
seedy-looking fellow with wornout
clothes, who, in rather dramatic man
ner, declared himself to be the
above said mechanic, and pro-
duced his handbook. His ac-
count was found to be the largest
in the bank, about $4,000. But, to
Mr.. Rogers's surprise, he did not want
to withdraw anything, but to make an
other deposit. lie had been plying his
trade about the country, living on
almost nothing and laying up some
thing in nearly every place. He dis
appeared soon after and was not heard
from until 1874, when he wrote from
yellow-fever stricken Memphis. The
next information received was in 1884,
when news came that he had died in the
South. His deposit then amounted to
Sl4,500, and was paid over to his rela-
tives, who live in Philadelphia.
~ would rather you would not write
much about us" said William Purves,
the treasurer of the Philadelphia Saving.
Fund Society, to Press reporter yes
terday. 1--WE don't want any more
business; 100000 depositors are about
all that we can attend to until we get
increased accommodation. The Society
is organized simply for the poor people
who are content with our security anC
the interest that we pay. OF course
we cannot refuse any depositor, but W.
want it understood that the Society il
organized for the benefit Of the poor.