Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-12-26

in the office of Che Pacific mills, Boston,
for one cent; and on the walls of the bank
of commerce, New York city, hangs
handsomely framed check for $4,000, 900,
signed by the wel-known banking house
of Kidder, Peabody q Co.
Usually checks should be drawn "to
order The words, PAY to the order of
John Brown mean that the money is to
be paid to John Brown or to any person
he orders it paid to. If a check is drawn
Pay to Bearer" any person, that is he
bearer, can collect it, The paying teller
may ask the person cashing he check to
write his name on the back simply to
have it for reference. In writing and
signing checks use good black ink and
let the copy dry little before blotter is
used.
Safety devices,to prevent the fraudulent
alteration of checks are of almost end
less variety, but there has not been
preventive against forgery and altera-
tions yet invented which has not been
successfully overcome by sWinders A
machine for punching out the figures is
in common use, but the swindler has
successfully filed in the holes with paper
pulp and punched other figures to suit
his purposes. The method adopted by
the express companies and by the post
Office department in its new money order
IS perhaps the best plan yet offered to
prevent the raising of the amount of
check or order. To raise such an order it
would be necessary to add to he length
of the paper, which of course would be
impossible.
The most experienced bankers favor a
plain black and white check, drawn upon
clear white paper with good strong black
ink. There are often presented to banks
for payment, checks in which he figures
in the margin do not correspond with the
amounts stated in writing in the body of
the checks. The law governing cases of
this sort provides distinctly that the
amount in writing shall be considered
correct. If the amount of money in
volved were large, the paying teller
would be justified in withholding pay
ment until he satisfied himself hat the
amount in writing was what the maker
really intended he check to call for
The banks of this country make it rule
not to cash check that is drawn payable
to order, unless the person presenting
the check is known at the bank-or
unless he satisfies the paying teller that
he is really the person to whom the
money is to be paid. 1t must be remem-
bered, however, that a check drawn to
order and then endorsed in blank by the
payee is really payable to bearer, and if
the paying teller is satisfied the payee's
signature is genuine he will not likely
hesitate to cash the check. In England,
all checks apparently properly endorsed
are paid without identitcatio ion.
In drawing a check in favor of person
not likely to be Well-knoWn in banking
circles, write his address or his business
after his name on the face of the check.
For instance, if you should send check
to John Smith, Boston, it may possibly
fall into the hands of the wrong John
Smith; but if you write the check in
favor of "John Smith, SO fremont ST.,
Boston," it is more than likely that the
right person will collect it,
If YOU wish to get a check cashed where
you are unknown, and it is not conven-
lent for friend who has an account at
the bank to go with you for the purpose
of ident itication, ask him to place his
signature on the back of your check, and
you will not likely have trouble iii get
ting it cashed. BY placing his signature
on the back of the check he guarantees
the bank against loss. \ bank is respon-
sibe for the signature, of lis depositor-,
but it cannot be supposed to know the
signatures of endorsers. The reiab!e
identitier is in reality the person who
is responsible.