The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-23

American AgrscuIturlst
AZ turner's as a rule less 6assneSs.fke
than menof other oecupationsr Let me tell
you the following true story ard you shall
Judge. Scsne twenty years ago Mr.. Caltnn
shipped his products TO Jones. the son CT
his neighhor. who was in the commission
business IN q large city thirty miles from
us Cotton was fairly weli-to-io, and RS
need Of ready money was small. so there
was no settlement till the close OF the year.
Then Jones' called and affairs were
Strengthened out As he was leaving Mr..
Cotton sad: II haven't any use now for
this money ta5oui $500. viii you take x and
put Il IN the ana y savings bank for
me- OF course, Jones was willing, so
next day in the city he left his business
and presented himself at the bank wiki
Coitons money. He was met with: We
cannot allow you 10 DEPOSIT money save N
your own name" He thought IL over. then
deposited the money in his own name. and
that evening drove TO Mr.. Coltons, told
him about IL and invited him 20 accompany
him to the city next day and get the money
transferred 10 the rightful owner Cotton
approved or the young mans course. sad
he wouldn't so with him next day. but
would the following week.
But the next week came and went, like
wise the next month and the next gear.
with the bank account unchanged. Jones
had tried repea teddy 10 get the cid farmer
10 so with him and straighten the matter
out, while he had as repeatedly promised
to do so. So fourteen years went by. then
Mr.. Cotton had paralytic shock and was
unconscious for some time. He recovered.
however. and began to settle up his affairs.
Jones went to see him, and finding ne pro-
posed giving has nephew some OF the prop
erty, took the nephew 10 the city and had
the savings bank transferred TO MIN. feel
ing relieved that at last the affair vas OF
- LA xxrlQ
have become OF the business policy of Mr..
Cotton had not Mr.. Jones been an honest
man.
A bad practice among farmers is The
boarding OF checks. They are safer than
cash II unindorsed 10 have around, and Trey
are kept until ths ready money is wanted.
/ have known one farmer thus keeping a
check of more than $500 for nine months.
and 10 keep many smaller checks for moro
than year. They do not consider their
loss or interest, or the rule OF banks that
checks be presented In short time, or the
fact that merchants on whom their checks
are drawn may fail or withdraw theS ac-
counts. II the check system were fully
understood by our honest old-fashionef
farmers. the boarding OF these little slips
OF paper would be less common.
Among the weli-to-do farmers there Is
lot OF Idle money. kept In stout little safe.
behind the sitting room door. usually. III
your credit Is good you can go TO any one
OF a half dozen farmers OF your own town
and within ten minutes borrow from $500 10
81. 200 in cold cash. Is IL not so? Business
men would have their money invested
somewhere, somehow. but the farmer Is
sometimes too cautious even TO deposit it
in a reliable savings bank. Considering the
slow and hard way the latter gets his
money, his never-ending struggle against
frost, drouth and the bug for every bit or
green he can coax from the soil. one cam
not blame the farmer for preferrins to
hold fast 10 his few dollars rather than In
vesting II In many of our banks or in some
fancy industrial"
Many farmers object to depositlng money
IN large city savings bank. saying there
is too much red tape, etc. They are con-
fused by the electric lights. the many at
tendants. the marble floors and the hustle
OF large amount OF business. Yet II seems
TO me that the very number OF clerks. the
dreadful red tape, the thousands OF depos-
itors, are all safeguards for the farmers
hard-earned savings. The country bank.
with its two or three trusted individuals
who do all the business. has been found
sometimes 20 Be looted: the trusted indi-
yiduals. where are they?