The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-10-06
They Were AFRAID of BanLs.

- 1890 RNSR@S "a - eN-AS N~0 w
keep money in large amounts about their
homes or persons. 1t is not safe, they
say-they might be robbed or even muir
dered. So they put it into the banks. In
tight times, on the contrary, they decide
in their powerful minds that it is not
safe to keep money in the banks, but they
must bring it home where they can have
their eyes on it. Queer, people are.
There's plenty of money, the econo-
mists say, just as much as there ever
was. Then where is it? you ask. You
haven't it; the cat hasn't it. 1t is hoard
ed away, say the economists, because
the community has no faith in banks.
The rich city man puts his cash into a
safety deposit vault. The poor man and
woman put theirs in an old stocking
and hide it in a crack where the plaster
ing is broken off, or maybe they dig a
hole in the ground and bury it. In this
time of scarcity, when hundreds of thou
sands are unemployed, when the tempta-
ton to robbery and violence is more
than double what it is ordinarily-this
is exactly the time chosen by many per-
sons to bring their money and jewels
home, apparently to make the valuables
convenient for robbers. 1t is because
they have no faith in banks.
The morning papers of few days ago,
in different parts of the country, had
some items showing what becomes of
the money Of those who are afraid Of
banks. Here is one of the little anec-
dotes from Philadelphia paper:
The best haul made since the present cpl
demic of robbery broke out was at the house Of
Margaret Davis, 81 South Second street, which
was robbed of 81 400 during the absence of the
family. The place is but a stones throw from
the Second district police station, but the
thieves all along appear to have taken delight
In plying their trade where policemen are sup
posed to DO thickest.
Mrs. Davis had no faith in banks. Accord
ingly just before her departure for the quiet
shades of Pltman Grove she drew all her money
out of the bank, and with the assistance of her
daughter dug q deep hole in the cellar, in which
she deposited it. None others knew of the
buried treasure, she said.
On Sunday the neighbors noticed man
calmly walk up to the front door, unlock it
with key and enter the house. When Mrs.
Davis returned later in the day, she was horri-
fed to find her money gone.
Following the little illustration about
the Philadelphia woman who built a
private safety deposit vault in her cellar
because she had no faith in banks comes
a bit of a story of a New York person
who had no faith in banks. 1t is this:
Some three months ago Jacob Livingston, a
wealthy miSr living in the northeastern part
of the township Of Wolcott, was robbed of
about $1,000 in gold and bills. Robbers entered
his house, where he lives alone in abject
squalor, and after drugging or chloroforming
him tore down two heavily barred doors and
from a closet on the second floor took an old
chest which for years had been the receptacle
of his misery gains and contained $1,000 In
goldpieccs and 5000 in bills.
Would it bore you too much just to
read this short extract from the St. Paul
Globe:
The Minneapolis fire demonstrated the fool
ishness of boarding. One man lost $500, an
other 81, 400, and third $1,000. Perhaps many
others suffered greater or less loss which has
not been reported. These parties thought the
banks were unsafe and then drew out their
savings of years and concealed it in their resi-
dences AS the result they are beggared. The
foolish boarding is not only bringing direct
loss, such as noted, but it is so Gripping bust
ness as to compel tho reduction Of wages and
In many cases the discharge of employees. The
hoarder is an enemy to himself and society.
We offer no comment on these brief
tales of woe. Like the state of Massa-
chusetts, they need none. You can manu-
facture the moral homemade for yourself.
We will give one more anecdote. 1t is a
very little one, but it is the best of all.
It is such a dainty morsel, as it were,
this tale of the greenbacks that the grass
hoppers ate up, that we cannot refrain
from printing it:
Farmer Silas Bauer drew $500 in paper money
out of the bank at Pittsburg. His wife sewed
1t in his coat, but grasshoppers bored it full OF
holes when he hung the garment on the fence
In the field.
A