Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-01-23

~ i LIN EANs
Stone & Ferris have taken in the history
"f Devils Lake. the following interview
with them published in the Pioneer
Press Of Tuesday will create considerable
surprise:
Col. Ferris said: Tho bank vas or.
ylnized and incorporated unier the ter
ritorial laws in tho summer Of 1883 with
capital stock Of 32j,OO0. was elected
president. and held office until I sold out
AL my stock In October. 1884. Sinte that
date have had no connection whstever
with tho bank. My connection as presi-
dent WIS moro Ola nominal atflaf than
.nvthinc else. In the summer df 1884 o.
3. Corsett was absent for three months.
during which ti,ne I acted In bis place.
With this exception I never had any
thing to do with the affairs Of the bank"
IL. u. Stone said: ''At the time tho
bank was instituted was elected vice.
president. never took ony active pAst
as such officer nor had anything 70 do
with the affairs of the bank. and whom my
term OF office expired In the summer Of
lsSi l was not fe-elected. Town 500 of
stock III tho bank, and that is an tho
financial interest ever had In 1t. I bor.
rowed $4,000 of Andrew Crawford, OF
Chicago, and secured him with mort
{age on INV Devils Lake property. II
was a plain business transaction about
which thoro is no secret"
SHOULD HAVE SOLD OUT.
Quite number Of tho business men OF
Devils Lake arc unaware Of the fact that
the managers of the First National bank
offered to purchase the Bank Of Devils
Lake last summon. prior to the opening
Of tho former. The INrER-OoEAN obtains
tho following statement on this subject
from a. o. Whipplo, vice-president of
tho First Nationals: Mr.. Whipple states
that ho made three trips to st. Paul aud
saltwater Oh this business. Ho did not
seo Stono tho first time he went down.
Tho second timo (in juno he met Stons'
who said tho bank would take $1,000 for
tho building, lot, fixtures and tho Wine.
man lot and building adjoining. Stone
furthor stated that that was all the bank
had to SOIL Whipple reminded Stone
that the property was In Forris'
name. and Stone replied that It
virtually belonged TO tho bank. He
also said ho was anxious to sell,
but couldn't make a positive trade;
that he had reputation In Dakota Of
"sclling out fellows" that Whipple must
SEQ Ferr:s and CorSott who hal interssts.
Whipplo gives stones language ss fol.
lows: II viii! mako you better figures
on the property. Wo want bonus ON
our business; VIC will sell tho property
for what 1t Is really worth. Idon't know
how we stand. To make transfer Of
tho bank business 1t may be necessary
for you to take my note"
II was necessary that Cashier Corsett
should be prosont II a sale was concluded,
so he was wirod to come down. After
Corsetts arrival Whipplo was referred
to him by Stone. Corsett informed Whip
something and II a trade was male the
purchaser must carry him, or assume the
debt. Whipple, after comforting with bis
associates, gave up the idea Of trading,
and Devils Lake had a third bank. Ths
Is tho story as We get 1t from Mr.. Whip
plo.
IN NO HOO.
During the excitement over the great
tire in 1884, when half the people had no
place to lay their heads, Col. Ferris,
president of tho busted bank, told friend
to take temporary lodgings in ono Of his
buildings. He emphasized his generos-
ity by saying: "I'm no hog, there isn't
Il bristlo on me-" The colonel can now
give substantial emphasis 10 his remark
of 1884 by paying his depositors and con-
vincing everybody that he is not aswiue.
STREET TALK.
Some OF the stories told upon the streets
were very interesting and would indicate
that some people didn't really know how.
rich they were, until thoy fround them.
selves pennilcss. Mos. ofthe depositers.
however, had no trouble in figuring up
their accounts. Ono street rumor that
does great injustice to District Attorney
Morgan and Attorney Noyes, OF Grand
Forks, was 10 the effect that they had
gone to Fargo Wednesday on the same
train with Corset for the purpose of 70.
curing the appointment OF a receiver fer
tho bank. Tho facts are these: Mr.. Soyes
camo here Monday In the interest Of
creditor Of the bank. He was not In ths
employ Of either Corsett or the bank. Mr..
Morgan's business was at Lakota, whore
ho went to attend the Heichert failure
case. He got of at that place, transacted
his business and returned In the alter.
noon.
Temperance.