The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-08-15
A BANKS BIRTHDAY.
Anniversary of the Founding of
Bishop & Co.'s Bank.

1t will be thirty years on Friday next,
the 18th of August, since the foundation
of Messrs. Bishop & Co.'S banking bust
ness. The original firm consisted of Mr..
@. R. Bishop, the present head of the
house, and Mr.. w. A. Aldrich. The
latter withdrew in 1866 on the failure of
Messrs. Chas. w. Brooks & Co., and he
is now director and large stakeholder
of the San Francisco Savings & Loan
Society. Upon Mr.. Aldrich's retirement
Mr.. w. G. Ralston-later the Inflated
President of the Bank of California
took the formers interest. Mr.. Bishop
some time afterward bought Mr.. RalstOn
out, continuing sole partner until May
LIST, 1875, when Mr.. j. II. Patty was adj
mitted, he having been an employee Of
the bank from 1859, or when it was
year old. Mr.. S. M. Damon was admit
ted on Sept LIST, 1881, forming with
Messrs. Bishop and Patty the firm up to
the present date.
Bishop & Co.'s Bank has been closely
identified with the commercial and in
dustrial progress of these islands. Their
operations began with the encourage
ment of the whaling business, the lead
ing industry Of the Kingdom in those
early wears of it's civilization. When the
sugar industry was in it's inception, as
we'll as when largely developed, Messrs.
Bishop & Co. again and again proved its
strong and willing right arm. Once they
borrowed 100000 at the abnormally
high rate, for such large deal, OF one per
cent. per month from San francisco
syndicate, which amount was devoted TO
tiding the planting interests over peril
GUS crisis. The bank made absolutely
nothing for itself out of this transaction,
but had the satisfaction of saving the
country by preserving it's mainstay from
falling.
Hon. G. R. Bishop has in all these
wears amassed a large fortune, besides
achieving unblemished honors as pub,
lie man in the Legislature, Cabinet and
Priyy Council. He has been a liberal
benefactor of education, notably in pre-
senting Oahu College with the Bishop
Hall Of Science, besides $4,000 dona-
ton to the college previously, and other
benefactions since; also in bestOWlng a
primary school building upon the Ka-
mehameha Schools, founded UNI
der the will of his lamented
spouse, the Princess Bernlce IA
uahi Bishop. He is one of the senior
Trustees OF the queen Hospital ''hc'
after an interval of several years, IS
again a member of the Board OF Educa-
ton as its President.
When the bank started 1T occupied a
mere corner of the office now held by
Mr.. A. J. Cartwright, in the brick build,
ing erected about 1855 on the corner OF
Queen and Kaahumanu streets. The
handsome building now owned and used
by the bank, on the corner OF Merchant
and Kaahumanu streets, was erected
and occupied in 1877. During the hrst
year Mr.. bishop kept the books himself,
and the banking hours during the ten
ancy Of the old quarters were from to
O'Clock Mr.. Patty on entering the en-
ploy took charge of the books, beng
succeeded in that duty by Mr.: Stlllman.
From that modest beginning the lnst!tu-
ton has grown until the house requires
sthe services of nine clerks, namely
Messrs F. w. Macfarlane, IL. M. Still
man, G. J. Deering, j. M. Dowsett, J.
H. Fisher, G.. Hustace, jr.. G. Nett, D.
Oliver Carter, jr., and @. A. Gelatte.
The thirtieth anniversary of such an inn
portant establishment as Bishop q Go. s
Bank deserves to be made red-letter
daV in this YEARS Hawaiian calendar,