Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-03-12
Ranks.


citizens, travelers,a railroad conductor,
and prying newspaper reporter were
seated about the stove in the Office of
Lancaster hotel. Various and sundry
matters were brought up and disposed
of, when in the course of business the
subject of banks came up for considera-
ton. A prominent druggist of the city,
famous for his argumentative powers
and aptness of illustration got the floor
and gave his views on the subject at some
length. He held that in many cases,
banks were established with the ulti-
mate object in view of ''shoveling up
the funds into pillow-case and skip
ping out" In support of this state
ment he cited an instance where poor
but enterprising young man, out of a
job, rented 4 suitable banking Office,
and exhausted his entire capital in the
purchase of safe, Brussels carpet
and window lettered Bank" That
was all he had when ne opened for
business, except mild blue eye, a
smile that he had cultivated with great
care, and gall like an OK. Deposits
poured in upon him. Merchants
placed their fundssMith him for safe
keeping, and farmers, when in town
disposing of their hogs or wool or grain,
noticed the lettering on the window,
Bank" and left the proceeds in the
young mans adamtine safe. guarded
by his adamantine cheek. Everybody
felt friendly towards the banker and
cultivated his acquaintance. Old citi-
zens were glad so much additional
capital had been brought into the COM
munity, and they deposited considera-
BILE sums with him, in some instances
the accumulations of lifetime only
taking certificate, when, had private
party wished to borrow the samoa
citizen of sound financial basis, whom
they had known for years-they would
have required the endorsement of half
the substantial men Of the country. BY
and by the arLuous duties and close
confinement to business began to tell
on the young mans constitution, and
he felt that trip would do him good
He went TO Canada, giving out that the
depositors would be paid in full. And
so they were. They were paid in full
for being so fresh, but they never got
cent of their money. There have been
too many such cases as this, and the
bill now before the legislature requir-
ing the closest investigation of all
private banks, by state officials, ought
to pass. There is certain charm
about the word Bank" and the name
banker" that makes the high toned
criminal prefer 1t to picking pockets,
highway robbery, or forcing open a
safe with a crcwbar and can of
powder. The honest, solid bankers of
the country ought to take some meas
ures to purge their business of all
frauds, or people will soon refuse to
trust any of them and keep their money
in a stocking under the bed. The
facilities offered to any one desiring to
open private bank are at present
within the reach of all. and hardly a
person is too poor to open bank with
a paid up capital Of one figure and six
or seven ciphers. A splendid safe is
now manufactured out of pine, painted
to resemble chilled steel, and sold at
seven dollars; good Brussels carpet
can be bought on the 'installment plan
by making tirst-payment of s.; and
the painter who letters the windows can
be stood off from asking for his pay by
the lofty manner of the rich bankers.
Thus, for $l2 man of energy and
determination can become a leading
citizen of a community, with untold
wealth at his command, courtei by
everybody and looked up to--until
such time as the charms of a foreign
country WOO him from his field of use
fulness. Then, if he is sharp enough
| to miss the detectives, all he has TO
| look out for is the next world.