Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-06-19
HE WAS EQUAL TO THE EMERGENCY

ND Who bQUAh ~ 1nh hlhhuhNO1t
Mark Curran, Of Cheyenne, in tho Globe-Dem-
ocrat.
We've got bank clerk up i'm our
neck o. woods who some day will give
Jay Gould cards and spades in the
game Of flnanciering and beat him to a
standstill. He's only 10 years old, but
is a hummer. Two or three months
ago, while the President of the bank
was away, the cashier was taken sick,
and in few hours was in a delirious
state. Theyoung Napoleon" was left
in sole charge of the bank. Some evil
disposed person started the story one
afternoon that the institution was ina
bad way, and intimated that the Presi-
dent had skipped the country and that
the cashiers illness was only "bluff.n
Before night it was evident there
would be u run on the institution the
nextmorning The young clerk knew
there was scarcely money enough to
last an hour. He had no one to advise
him, but he acted promptly. He call
ed on the leading hardware merchant
and held brief conference. Then
this young Napoleon went home,
lwhere he found a committee from the
depositors awaiting him. He did not
wait for them to speak, but made this
bluff: 81 refuse to discuss business
with you. There will be $4,000 in
gold here In the morning and there is
Hike amount in the safe. You may
draw out every dollar you have de-
posted and wen be glad to get rid Of
your small accounts" Then he turn
ed on his heel and left the committee.
Bright and early there assembled at
the bank the creditors. Just before
time for opening the doors an express
wagon was driven up in which were
seated two heavily armed men, one of
them the watchman Of the bank. A
pathway through the crowd was made
and the watchman began carrying
into the bank canvas bags containing
gold coin, as indicated by the promi-
nent marks. Some of the bags wore
marked '$5O00," and one or two
$4,000 The people saw these bags,
heard the chink of the metal, and,
believing the bank was O X were
above to move away. Just as the last
bag Of gold" was handed into the
lkloor the young Qnlncier thTfY the
bank open.
The crowd did not make any effort
to reach the paying teller's window.
"Come on now, every one Of you,
shouted the clerk. No one respond
ing he made another bluff. "You
must come and get your money. We
don't wanr your Id accounts any
more. Here, Sim BARLEY, take this
land sign this receipt in full. Here,
IBin Wyman, come and getyour dust.
| He Insisted on their taking the money
Just at this juncture the committee
came in and begged the clerk to
"stop. for Gods sake" They almost
got down on their knees to ask the
bank to keep the money. The young
J.. Napoleon" finally consented, but de-
clared if there was any more Id
/ nonsense lie would throw every depos-
itor's money into the street" The
crowd departed happy and confident
that the bank was one Of the strongest
institutions of it's kind in America
p Their confidence might have beer
shaken had they knawn the canvas
bags, marked $4,000 gold,' etc, and
bedaubed wlthred sealing wax, con
tanning nothing more nor less thar
iron washers which the young clerl
had purchased from the hardware
, man who had otherwise assisted il
the deception, he being convinced o
the soundness Of the bank. The tw
men the young Napoleon insisted o.
paying in full the bank had long wish
? ed to get rid Of.