Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-09-21


Depositors.
At the beginning of the year Of grace
1888 there were fifteen savings banks in
Boston, having in charge about $93, ,000,-
600 belonging to nearly go, 900 depositors.
Since the first of the year two more saw
ings banks have been established in the
city, so that these figures are under
rather than over tho facts at the present
moment. It may truly be said that in no
city In the country, or, for that matter,
in the world, are savings banks moro
conservatiyely. honorably and safely con-
Quoted than in Boston. These local banks
have, as a rule. had public confidence, and
their reputation leaves nothing to be de-
sired. An officer in one of the savings
banks informs the writer that the major
portion of the depositors arc women.
When asked why this Is so he gave it as
his opinion that the women are not so
much given to making Investments" as
the men. They prefer to put their money
in q reputable institution where they
know 1t will be safe" and where it viii
draw certain interest.
Post yourself In q convenient corner at
one of the leading savings banks on a
busy day and watch the crowd. AS an
opportunity to study humanity this could
hardly be excelled. At the noon hour the
deposisors como by dozens. some to leave
money and some to take it. Those who
leave the money seem to have the best of
1t, If one may judge by their faces. A
man always draws on his deposit with an
air of regret, or, ut any rate, there are
few cases in which this will not hold
true. At the head of the line there Is q
little old woman who Is not at all at her
ease. The line behind presses upon her,
and she does not relish being hurried,
although it Is evident that she will be
nothing loath to leave the place once she
has completed her transaction. She has
come, it appears. with an order from her
son, who has an account here and who is
at home i'll, and she wants $40. But the
order is not properly filed up. and the
teller tries to explain the error and inform
her with as much courtesy and pains as
time will permit. that she must go home
and have the mistake rectifed before she
can have the money. This she does not
understand, and you can plainly see that
she c:iscrtaiGs her ''suspicions" of the
bank .lt's her Jim's money, an she's q
right ia il when he tells her to come and
get il, and she half threatens to 'thave
tho lsw on the place" if the cashier will
not ss.ad and deliver.
Rinc is being wasted, and the crowd
becomes impatient, and, finally, some one
IN the line assures the old lady that the
matter viii be "sll right" If she will
follow the advice of the cashier So off
she goes, mumbling.. Then comes q man
of about 80 or 35. looking quite prosper
Gus, and holding bank book in which q
number Of bills are sRugly reposing.
''You can't deposit any more money,
sir, your account is full" says the re-
ceiver.
''No more money! Why, what do you
mean by that? Thought banks would
take as much money as you'd give 'em."
1--WE arc not permitted to allow any one
count has already reached that amount,
find"
.'Must draw 1t out then?"
"0h, no; you can allow it to remain un-
til, with interest, it accumulates to the
extent of 81 ,600 After that time, al
though you may let the money remain
here, it will draw no more interest"
Queer business, that" cxelaims the
prosperous man, who thereupon takes
himself off
This may seem queer business" to the
person who knows nothing of savings
banks, yet it may be explained by the
fact that savings banks were not intended
for well to do people, but for folk of hum
bic means OF course, if you are fortu-
nate enough to have 81 900 in one bank,
you can go to another bank and open an
account, but If the officials have any rea-
SON to suspect that you are man of
means they may question you very close
ly, and, if they are not satisfied with your
replies, they are at liberty to reject your
financial Offering altogether.
Here comes a mother asking if she will
be permitted to deposit money in her
childs name, although the child is only
two or three months old. She finds that
she can do so, and she is delighted.
There are a great many calls at the saw
ings banks for purposes of this sort. Pa
rents, also, frequently deposit small sums
on the anniversaries of their children's
birth, and they allow the money to re-
main In the bank and accumulate until
the children como of age" Executors
often usc these banks to deposit the
funds of an estate during the two years
the law allows them for settling up af-
fairs Religious and charitable organiza-
tions arc exempt from the 81 900 restric-
tion. The average rate Of interest paid
by the Massachusetts, savings banks last
year was 4.00 per cent.
Two lines Of people come streaming into
the bank, one line going TO the receiving
teller and the other line to the paving
teller. Men, women, boys aud girls make
up the crowd. Sometimes, especially on
Saturdays. whole family win troop into
the place while dad" draws something
for the marketing. or for clothing the
young ones; or perhaps there i q family
celebration Of SOHO kind on foot. and