The Daily Texarkanian., 1895-05-13
A HALF MILLION BUSINESS
In Eight Months, Due to First Glass
Business Men and Methods,

! 1nerc is, among lutcAlSnI peoPlS,
no longer any question as to the
great benefits of Building h Loan
Associations, They afford a per-
fectly safe, first-class investment
for the stockholders. They enable
a man TO "eat his cake and have it
too," that is to invest his money
and have the use of it in building
him home. What would other
wise go as rent here becomes an in
stallment on the principal of his
debt, The moderate interest he
pays for his loan is Offset by a much
larger dividend on his stock, and SO
the stockholder saves money while
he spends it, BY this means over
30, 900 families in the single city Of
Philadelphia have obtained houses
of their own from the savings on
moderate wages which workmen
elsewhere have paid on rents and
have nothing to show for it, But
there is a great difference between
these associations as to their busi-
ness methods and success on the
one side and their honesty and liber-
ality on the other. Comparisons
are odious and unnecessary, but it
is safe to say that the best guaran-
tee of honest and successful man
agement is to have honorable and
capable business men in charge, In
this respect the American Building
& Loan Association, of this city,
stands among the very best in the
country. Being organized to oper-
ate principally in the two great
southwestern states of Arkansas
and Texas, it's President is from
Texarkana which unites these two
states, whose ratio of growth and
wealth and population in ten years
was 40 per cent, or greater than
those Of any other state between
Maine and Mexico.
Mr. G, e. Hayden, President, is
Treasurer of the rexarkana &
Shreveport railroad, and is Secre-
tdry and Treasurer of the Gate
City Lumber Go. He has mill plants
in Arkansas and Texas, with timber
and other interests in both states
DR., j. H. Southall, one of the lead
ing physicians of Little Rock, is
First Vice-President, while as a Sec
ond Vice President the Association
has Mr.. Chas. S. Stiff, a very en-
terprising and successful jeweler
who seems literally and fguratively
to turn almost everything he touch-
es into gold.
Mr.. r. S. Smothers, the Secre-
tary, was for ten years general
agent of the German Insurance
Company for Arkansas. He is a
capable, courteous and conservative
business man, and as manager, the
affairs of the company could not be
in better hands as he is thoroughly
posted and well adapted to the busi-
ness,
Next to the secretary in pushing
the business stands Richard Bartlett
manager of agencies, formerly a
highly successful solicitor for life
insurance and an ever present in
spiration and aid to the industrious
agents Of the American.
The treasurer is Hon. Fred Kra-
mer, President Of the Bank Of Com
merce, while all the vouchers for
receipts and expenditures are scru'
tiniaed by Mr. M. Fl. Johnson,
cashier Of the Bank Of Little Rock,
who Is the associations Auditor.
Hon. j, W, House, general coun-
sci for the association, is a lawyer
of the highest reputation for abili-
ty, and who, like the other gentle
men named, could not be induced
TO be connected with any instltu-
tion except of the highest charac.
ter.
The leading officers are under
heavy bonds, and the funds are all
loaned on real estate whose value is
double that Of the loan
A charter was secured about ten
months ago and the first series
started In September last, yet the
association has secured a half mil
lion dollars In business.
by means Of compounding Of in
terest, by iudlclous loans, etc, the
association seems certain to pay
It's stockholders a yearly profit OF
about 20 per cent on their Invest
ment8,
To show how this Is possible does
not lie within the limits of this arti.
Gle. 1t has been done by other
Grst.class associations, and the
American Is acting on the theory
and practice OF the most successful
companies, les plan Is liberal, mu'
tual, honorable and highly success