The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-10
1.-The coNeRessMeN,s BANK.
Financial Institution of Which tho
Sergeant at-Arnls Is President.


sergeant-at-Arnls Is President.
lHIMashmg4on A,r Cleveland I.elder
Tie bank Of thN canitol where the
II ambers of congress receive thsir sala-
rios is an interesting place, and l
spent an hour in it recently watch
ing the members come in with
checks and 70 away with handfulls
of fresh, new green acks. Members Of
congress are ways paid in new money,
which is brought here fresh from the
printing presses, and none O. which has
ever been used. The sergeant at arms
is the president Of this hank, 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 Carlisles private room, and its
appearan % is much like that of an
or iinary banking room. 1t is q long,
halI-like room with high vaulted cell
ing and wall kalSominod in light pink.
AS the door opens you step into a car
peted space like that in front of o mar
row bank, and at your 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 arc racks
holding checks in blank directing the
sergeant alarms, United States house
of representatives, 10 pay to bearer -
dollars and charge to the account Of
-- congressman. Back Of the counter
is tho bank safe, which usually holds
from $50, 900 to $75, 900 in greenbacks,
and which pays out from $4,000 to
! $ll 900 every day. During the year it
contains about ~, 900, 900, and many Of
the members use it as n place Of deposit.
Nashburne, of Minnesota, used to have
at times as much as 5000 in that
safe. Now that so many of tho Wash
ington banks are failing, congressman
prefer to leave their money here and
check on the sergeant alarms, to risk.
ing it in them.
This bank of the capitol does n regu-
lar banking business as far as the mem-
bers are concerned. 1t deals with no
Others. A congressman can check on it
and it will cash his drafts and receive
his deposits. His salary is duo him in
monthly payments and he cannot oyor-
draw. Every month $4l6.85 is put to
his credit here, and this is pretty rapidly
checked out. Some members check
their money out us fast as it comes in.
Others take it in IS bills and q bill at
time. Some draw but little, and in
stances have been of congressman tax
ing nothing until the close of the year.
j None so far have refused to tako their
salaries, If congressman. dies 3
salary stops at his death, but it is now
the custom Of congress to vote his
/ widow year S extra pay. so.s l3
AS to mileage each congressman gets
40 cents n mile each session for the dis
Z tance from his homo to the capital, and
this pay ranges all the way from $3 SO
10 $1,000, according to the distance.
Mr.. Curry, the territorial delegate from
arizona, gets 81 800 year mileage in
addition to his salary. When it is re.
membered that this is enough to pay one
passage around the world, and that you
can 90 from New York to San Francisco
or less than one eighth of it, it seems 4
good deal. Congressman are also al
lowed $125 year for stationery. The
Sorgeant-at arms bank also attends tc
fnis. Most of the members dc
not use all of this, and they
are entitled to draw out the remainder
This bank must keep their accounts o.
this as Of other things. 1t does SO caro-
fully, aud has a complete set of books
which must be balanced every mornin.
ournal, ledger, and cash book. II
:cnt is wrong the whole must be gont
over with, and good business men ar(
acclcd for the WORK The money use
5 brought up daily from the treasury II
\ bag, $40, 900 at a time, A policemat
accompanies this messenger, and tht
,ink is SO carefully guarded that as fal
rs the present clerks remember they have
nevor heard Of burglary being at
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