The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-14

i The conversation around the stove in
small New York hotel office had general
lied into discussion on the existence of
4 confidence among men in their fellow men,
and the side issue Of a desire to help fell
low out Of the hole, confidence or no con-
fdence, says the New York Sun.
"All reports to the contrary notwith-
standing" said a stock raiser from a
southern state, there are still a few good
men left"
Make it one, and I'll go YOU" Clipped
in a tall man with a sandy mustache.
so you know one, too, do you?" laugh
ed the stock raiser.
Yes, but tell US about yours"
Il found mine in Lebanon. Tenn, some
years ago." said the stock man, and he
was a banker there"
"A banker?" exclaimed everybody at
once, and in strong tones of doubt.
1T will only make his story that much
more remarkable said the tall man gent
ly; ''let him go on
Truly a banker" continued the stock
man. II was out with lot of fine stock
horses and cattle, doing the various coun-
ty fairs, and as | had fine string l was
doing right well in the matter of picking
up all the premiums in sight. l got into
Lebanon about time for banks to be clos
ing, and as soon as 1 could 1 put out for
the nearest one l could get to. 1t may
have been the only one, for 1 had never
struck the town before, and didn't know
living being in it. And this time when
l struck 1t, l had, when l got my stock
off the cars and housed, the large sum Of
10 cents. 1t was necessary therefore, that
l have money not only to meet current
expenses, but to have it quick so 1 could
pay my entrance money and get my stock
on exhibition, and that had to be done
at once, as the fair opened next morning.
| had plenty of money in my bank at
home, so when l walked into the Lebanon
bank 1 felt quite confident, and without
any preliminaries 1 stepped to a desk,
wrote a check on my bank for $3.50, and
handed it over to the cashier, who was
also president and most everything else,
as l learned later. He looked at the check
a minute, then he looked straight at me-
=" How the h" he said. do 1 know
whether you've got any money in that
bank or mott? "
You could have knocked me down with
| a feather al that sort of an answer, and
| at the conviction which came at the same
time that the banker was right. How did
he know? Nobody knew me, and ! could
not be identified. / had the stock, but he
| didn't know whether it was mine or not.
He didn't even know I had it, for 1 had
not mentioned the fact to him. l got red
in the face, and might have got mad, but
1 knew that wouldn't help matters any,
| and besides, the manner of the man was
such that l couldn't have felt any ill-will
| to save me. He could see l was worried.
You're hot, young fellow he said,
| and you'd better come around and have
a glass of ice water
THAT was pleasant enough, and l took
| the water. Then l started out to get the
money by telegraph, for l was 300 miles
! from home and practically stranded.
Wait a minute said my banker as
| | picked up my dishonored check and
turned away, at the same time reaching
under the counter to one side of him and
| bringing out some bills. Here's $50 If
! you have any luck pay me; if you don't
| pay me when you do
II took the money, for 1 knew l could
| pay him, and wrote him check for the
amount.
No, he said, showing it back to me- If
! I thought your check was any good l
would have cashed the other one. That's
! all right and he waved me out of the
! place
THE fifty was all wanted, and I hur-
ried away and paid my entry fees and had
| everything in shape for the next days eX-
hibit. 1t was a big day, for it was a big
fair in a rich country, and l got over $500
/ in premiums and sales, all in checks and
! all on the bank of the man who had stalk
! ed me for fifty. [ walked in with my
| checks, feeling a little brisker than 1 did
! the day before, and laying them down on
! the counter, asked that they be deposit
| ted to my credit, giving my name. My
| friend was on deck, as he had been pre-
| viously, but he did not recognize me till
! 1 spoke Then he caught on.
Well, I'll be id he exclaimed. Why
| didn't you tell me you owned them cat
tie, and you could have had the whole
! bank?
Then he invited me to take a seat, as
! t6e2 do in country banks, and he told me
he just thought the day before that l was
a young fellow who had been playing in
hard luck and needed a stake, and he was
willing to go fifty on me just to be doing
it. and knowing that it would come back
to him some way, and If it didn't, he had
| enough, anyhow. Later l learned that he
was just that kind of a man in every re-
spect. and that he not only did all the
banking business of that section, but that
| he could have any office he wanted that
was in the gift of those people for the
asking, but he never asked. His only
fault was his profanity, and that had
come to be so nearly part of him that his
| friends would scarcely have recognized
him if he had put it out of his conversa-
ton. Now sir" concluded the stock
man, turning to the tall chap, 'if you can
| copper my ace, this is your chance" but
the tall man was asleep and snoring
| gently