The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-06

Inc hrst session oil tue nnnuul mecI'
Ing Of the West Virginia State Bankers
Association convened yesterday morn
ing at II o'clock in tho rooms OF tho
Wheeling chamber Of commerce, in tho
Hub building, with only q fair attend.
ancc OF delegates. In tho absence oil
President j.. 9. Dickenaon, Of Charles
ton, who aont a lcttcr OF regret at hia
absence on account Of sickness. secrO-
tary r. B. Dobblns called N~icc.prcst'
dent L. J. Dayha to tho chair.
After a most eloquent prayer by Rev.
Dr.. ". II. Cooke, Of tho Second Pres.
byteriau Church. the secretary read
President Dickensou's lcttor OF regret,
and thou his honor, Mayor B. I. Cald.
we'll made tho folio wing address OF VOL
come TO tho delegates on behalf OF tho
city OF Wheeling, which was received
most Enthusiastically.
THE MAYORS ADDRESS,
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE
WEsr VIRGINIA BANKERS ASSOCIATION,
GIyrLEuxS:-Whon | look over this
gathering and SEQ 90 many mon | have
known from my boyhood, who have
grown gray in the harness Of tiuAuCo
and banking. and tho younger men bore
who from the cradle 10 tho present time
have been schooled in tho art and
science OF banking. | feel like n fish on.
Of water, l feel that | am out OF my OLE
ment, knowing full well as do that any
thing that | might say would not en-.
tighten you on the subject that calls
you together this day: banking. While
this is true ! feel honorod at being
called to perform 4 pleasant duty Us tho
executive Of the city and in doing
so l trust you will indulge me in
q few remarks. While not on banking,
they are inssparably connected with it.
I have never owned 4 bank, neither
have l ever had any part in tho man
agement OF one, neither have | ever
opened a bank after the style adopt.
ed sometimes in the wild west land and
I believe at times in the steady goiu.
east, and yet | know something of their
value. Men take pride in referring to
their ancestry. societies and churches,
point with pride to the antiquity OF
their foundation and organization and
it is well that they DO so and it's well
thatthey are long in the harness, cspec-
tally il their object has been for the
betterment OF mankind; the long life OF
a nation is good proof that the govern
ing class have been fair and Just to the
governed and the laws fairly admins
tered. Now If age and antiquity entitle
ANYTHING to public favor, then &C rtainly
your calling is entitled to take almost
front rank We are told that there
were banks that issued currency in the
Chinese Empire 200 years before Christ
and there is now on exhibition in the
Asiatic Museum. St Petersburg, one
OF these Chinese notes OF tho date
1899 years before Christ; taere ia
also q Babylonian tablet OF banking,
now in the Metropolitan Nh seum OF
New York, dating back COO years before
Christ. 80 that II the antiquity OF your
calling is worth anything, and | think
1t is. you should feel proud. Now, ii
banking has progressed as other callinCs
have, not to go back farther than the
organization OF the Bank OF England in
1894, l take it that the banks OF today
should be models OF perfection, and /
believe they are. It is said that the
Bank OF England influences trade all
over the world. showing the power OF
money for good or evil. for she is very
rich.
IF HER WERE 80 BANKS.
"At the present day what would
BIO our condition withou. banks? l csk
the question. but it would be very hard
TO answer. tor is effect would bs far.
reaching and disastrous. We know
shat banks are useful a. places for tho
safe deposit oil the small savings, the
surplus OF the poor mans earnings.
Every week, be it ever so small,
makes a nucleus around which will
gather the power that will give him
aroot over his head to protect him in
his old age. II individuals were in the
habit OF keeping large Gums OF money
in their houses robbery and murder
would multiply rapidly and lew homes
would DO FREQ from depredati ons OF out
laws. Men hare tried about every CON
celraole way to keep money you have
probably all heard OF the Iowa farmer,
or come other s!ory similar this man
got his back pension. about $1,000 in
gold. and. as he expressed it, he did not
propose TO give it to the blasted, thiev-
Ing banks, go he put it in a eau, aud
having a very large and savagc bulldog
concluded 10 plant il beneath hia ken-
mel, which was done and all was lovely.
About ak months after lie had made
his deposit he wanted 4 little cash and
concluded he would draw on his "Buli
Dog Savings Bank" but lol when the
can was reached it contained only dit
tho gold had flown. A lady was in
the habit OF putting hor money in Il
large heating stove, during the summer
the stove being out OF use, but one
cool morning hor son though. to take
the chill oil the air in the room
and put u match to tho waste paper;i it
took the chill OF, but it ave tho old
lady a chill that gave ller n better
opinion OF carvings banks. for she ia now
adepositor. So We ace that almost any
bank Ia better than a dog kennel or u
stoye.
BENEFITS OF nASEiSG.
"One OF the great benefits which bank.
render to the people is that OF l%oaninr
money TO those engaged in mauufactur.
ing and commerce, and who could not
carry on their enterprises without the
use Of outside capital, the banks payin.
interest on deposits, the owner gots
what would otherwise be los. if no un-
dertook to DO his own banker; his de-
posts enable tho bank 70 loan out tho
money, not only increasing tho profit Of
the bank, but onabloi tho borrower to