Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-03-12
The Congressional Bank.
HOW MEMBERS RECEIVE THEIR SALARIES.
A SAFE WHICH PAYS oUT $4,000 DAILY.



The bank in the Capitol where the members
Of Congress receive their salaries is an inter
esting place, and spent an hour in il watch
ing the members come in with checks and 90
away with handsful of fresh new greenbacks.
Members of Congress are always paid In new
money, which is brought here fresh from the
printing presses, and none Of which has ever
been used. The sergeant-at-arms is the presi-
dent of this bank. and he has entire charge Of
all money payments to Congressman. 1t Is
located in the north side Of the House wing,
just next to Speaker Carisle's private room,
and its appearance is much like that Of an or
dinary banking room. II is a long, hall-like
room, with high vauted ceiling and walls
kalsomined in a light pink. As the door opens
you step into carpeted space like that In
front of narrow bank, and at the right Is the
counter with its high wire network and its
little dog-hole spaces through which The teller
and the cashier do their business. On the left
of this opposite the counter are desk shelves
fastened up against the wall. on which are
racks holding checks In blank directing the
sergeant-at-arms, United States House OF Rep
resentatiyes, TO pay to bearer-dollars and
charge to the account Of, Congressman.
Back of the counter il the bank safe, which
usually holds from $4,000 to $4,000 in
grecubacks aud which pays out from $4,000 to
sIl .Ooo every day. During the year 1t contains
about s3.0o0 900 and many OF the members
use it a place Of deposit Washburne. Of
Minnesota. used to have at times as much as
s50. 600 in that safe. Now that 80 many of the
Washington banks are falling. Congressman
prefer TO leave their money here and check on
the Sorgcant-at-arms.
This bank Of the Capitol does regular
banking business AS far aS the members are
concerned II deals with no othcrs. \ Con-
grcssmcn can check on 1t and 1t will cash his
drafts and receive his deposits. Iii. salary Is
due him in monthly payments and he cannot
oyrrdraw. Every month sil6.66 j. put to his
credit here, and th, |, pretty rapidly checked.
Some members check their money out a. fast
A. It comes in. Others take il in five dollar
bills, and a bill At a time Some draw but a
little and instances have been known Of Con-
gressmen taking nothing until the close of the
year. None far have refused 70 take their
salaries. II a Congressman dies his salary
>top> at hi death. but it is now the custom Of
Congress to vote hi> widow wears extra pay
A. TO mileage, each Congressman gets forty
cents mile each ~,ou for the distance from
hi. home 10 the Capitol, and this pay ranges all
the way from $3.50 to ~ 900 according to the
distance. Mr. curry, the territorial delegate
from Arizona, got, $500 q year mileage in
addition to hi- salary. When il i remem-
brrrd that it I, enough TO pay one passage
around The world, ami that you can 90 from
New York 10 san Francisco for les than one
eighth of it, II seems i good deal,
Congre--men are also allowed Sl2j year
for stationery. The sergcant-at-arm>', bank al
80 attends to thi- Mos, Of the members do
not Use all Of this and they are entitled to
draw out the balance. This bank must keep
their accounts of thi- and other things. 1t
does carefully and ha- complete set Of
books which must De- balanced every morning
journal. ledger and ca-h-book. lf a cent is
wrong the whole must be gone over with, and
good business men are needed for the work.
Tn" money u.,d i brought up daily from the
treasury in bag, ton thousand dollars ut u
time. \ policeman accompanies this messcn-
ger, and the bank j. - carefully guarded that,
a far n the present clerk, remember. they
have never heard u burglary being at
tempted.