The sun., 1892-01-23
A Cnique War Going on Between y Bar
and an Express Company.

sho nh Axprees Company.
silver war is being waged on Long Island.
1t fs carried on by the Far Rockaway Bank
against the Long Island Express Company
and the Queens County Bank in Long Island
City. Brand new silver dollars are being used
by the Far Rookaway Bank in the fight, which
has now been going on for about two months.
During that time tons OF silver dollars have
been shipped to and fro between Now York
and Far Rockaway. All Of 1t passed through
the hands OF the employees ot the Far Rock
away Bank. and they now announce them
selves IS experts in counting "sinkers."
The Queens County Bank is the only bank on
Long Island. outside Of Brooklyn. connected
with the New York Clearing House. In conse-
Quencc great many checks from New York
city on Long Island banks pass through It.
Until recently it has been tho custom OF coun-
try banks doing business with each other to
pay their accounts with chocks deposited with
them receiving In return cashiers checks or
checks on banks in New York. In this way the
banks handling the checks made a small per-
centage on the transactions. The Queens
County Bank. however. concluded 1t could
promptly BY turning its checks over. to the
Long Island Express Company for collection.
ana allowing that company to make the per-
Cashier Smith Of the ' Far ia RockaWsy s Bank OBJ
he aue s tane and Re
Il He g. ilel the safes e his bank With silver do.
aerp she ees rst sa
into the bank with a big check to be cashed.
out the amount In silver dollars. SON one at time.
For more than an hour the expressman stood
outside the grating balancing himself on one
zaA In
teller was counting; As all the money paid
dollars in silver one dollar at y time. From
S he %s tR @s
Of one eXpressman to get the checks casIed.
dozen sxprs,ssm%sn ne beseGed the window ope
private customers Of the bank. and then the
expressmen smiled. One man was put count
S out ss ys q9rs for the
the private customers In wait ing. An ex.
6sss o o in on qs Gsshsr nd smith, thrust rhs
have = V to !ai ii II at the oit%s line ois.press.
however. demanded immediate payment and
on on receiving re the same reply from the cashier
lex Smith Immediately sent messenger
around to the different notaries In the Village
notifying them that the check was good and
not to protest it.. A notary was found. how
ever. who took the protest and now the man
who drew the, check threatens to sue MIN for
damages for injuring his credit.
more brisk the fight wakes hotter. The ex-
press company now sends q man to the bank
when It first opens with checks to be cashed.
Several hours later an express wagon drives
around and the silver IL loaded on and cartod
away. The amount OF silver pnd out is some
times SO great that it takes more than two
me? to lift it into the wagon.
Tho express company has made new move
IN the fight by having one OF their employees
Smith vii carry his office in his hat. but his
headquarters will be the Far Rockaway Bank.
1t is the intention Of the express company to
have him accompany the expressmen with
checks to the bank. and II they are not prompt
ly paid to protest them ut once. Cashier Smith
says he Is having lots Of fun out of tho fight,
and the bank clerks are getting muscles like
soilermakeSs The express company mana
Controversy. as the Government pays them
expressage for carrying the money to Far
Rockaway. where they receive a percentage
for collecting it. Cashier Frew OF the Queens
County Bank says II Is not that bank s fight.
1t is the express companys.
All the outside banks SympathiZe with the
Far lockawny Eank in its struggle. and thero
Is talk of forming n combination and swamp
Tho hanks say tho express company loses
more than it makes on the eXpressage and
Of the. money in the trouble 1t eX-
neEiences In collecting and reshipping II. The
express company officials say 1t Is their busi-
ness to ship goods and collect money